Adelaide United have beaten Brisbane Roar 3-2 in stoppage time at Suncorp Stadium thanks to young gun Brody Burkitt’s perfect second half hat-trick.
Burkitt scored on first his left foot, then his right foot, and finally with a towering header in the 93rd minute to secure an astonishing victory for Adelaide.
The Roar took the lead twice through the match via Sam Klein and Chris Long, but Burkitt’s brilliant cameo off the bench will take the headlines in the 19-year-old’s second Isuzu UTE A-League game.
Missed opportunities will haunt Brisbane, who will feel they created enough chances over the course of the game to take at least a point.
The Roar started the game strongly, with Michael Ruhs and Chris Long both having early chances to open the scoring.
Long’s cracked volley into the post was the best chance of the first half an hour, but Klein eventually gave the Roar a deserved lead five minutes before half time when he drove towrds a static Adelaide defence and pick the bottom corner out from 25 yards.
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Brisbane will have felt their lead justified by their dominance of general play at the interval, but Adelaide head coach Airton Andrioli’s inspired half time substitution changed the game when he introduced Burkitt and returning Ollyroo Luka Jovanovic.
Burkitt didn’t wait long to make an impact, equalising in the 56th minute after brilliantly taking down a Jonny Yull ball on his right foot and finishing while falling backwards on his left.
The Roar restored their lead in just five minutes when Ruhs teed up Long to crush home a goal from the top of the D.
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Burkitt pinched parity back for the Reds in the 70th minute with an accomplished finish on his right foot following Yaya Dukuly’s lung bursting run to the goal line and precise pullback, but the best was yet to come from the young gun.
Juan Muniz played a quality ball from deep on Adelaide’s left to around the penalty spot, and the 19-year-old soon to be star towered above the Brisbane defence to loop a header past Dean Bouzanis and ensure all three points were headed to Adelaide, although Klein gave the Reds a few heart palpitations in the 94th minute with an effort that Smits had to save.
Brisbane take on second placed Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium next Saturday night, while Adelaide host Macarthur at Coopers Stadium.
ALEX TOBIN MEDAL VOTES:
3. Brody Burkitt
2. Sam Klein
1. Noah Maieroni
