Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Joel Gould

Davila stars in milestone ALM game as Bulls thump Roar

Jed Drew (left) congratulates Macarthur teammate Ulises Davila on his goal against Brisbane. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Macarthur FC captain Ulises Davila scored in his 100th A-League Men match and played a starring role in his side's 3-1 win over Brisbane Roar.

After notching a hat-trick in his previous match, Davila gave the Bulls the lead in the 16th minute at Suncorp Stadium and was influential in the lead-up to fellow forward Raphael's second-half strike.

The win was the Bulls' first in seven matches and took them to fourth place on the ALM ladder.

Davila and right winger Jed Drew combined superbly throughout the match, which was played in driving rain.

Drew, 20, has struggled with his end product, but came to the fore with an assist for Davila's goal and one of his own.

In the 16th minute a blunder at the back by Roar defender Ryan Lethlean conceded possession to Drew, who cut the ball back to Davila.

Raphael (right)
Raphael (right) is congratulated by Macarthur teammates after scoring against the Brisbane Roar. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

The skipper calmly sidefooted it into the corner of the net, giving Roar goalkeeper Macklin Freke no chance.

In the 53rd minute Davila combined with Drew, who found Valere Germain wide on the right. Germain's pinpoint cross was finished by Raphael.

Six minutes later Raphael hit the post, and hungry Drew was there to make it 3-0.

Roar forward Jonas Markovski got one back for his side, but it was too little too late.

Macarthur coach Mile Sterjovski was very pleased with the result and the performance, and delighted with the Drew and Davila show.

"I think that kind of performance was coming from Jed. He's getting better with each game," he said.

"We still have to remember he is quite young, but I was very pleased that he got an assist and a goal.

"(Davila) has been great for us. He has been in good form and we hope it keeps going.

"In each of the three draws we (previously) had we had chances to win. I think we are on the right track, and this win is a great boost for confidence."

Brisbane substitute Keegan Jelacic, in his first game back in the ALM after a stint in Belgium, was given a red card in the closing minutes for a rash challenge on Clayton Lewis.

Attacking midfielder Florin Berenguer had earlier failed a late fitness test in a blow to the hosts.

Brisbane started the game with plenty of intent, but lacked polish in the box.

Roar winger Nikola Mileusnic had a clear view of goal from close range in the 47th minute, but missed the target.

It was the story of the night for Brisbane, who lost their third game in a row at Suncorp for the first time since 2019.

Coach Ben Cahn said there was "a lot to be disappointed about'' with the performance.

"We didn't have the quality in the front third and we didn't create enough," he said.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.