Soccer: Roar win first ever match in Sydney

Shannon Cole of Sydney competes with Milan Susak of the Roar during their round 18 A-League match. Photo / Getty Images

Brisbane Roar have extended their lead at the top of the A-League table to seven points after accounting for Sydney FC 1-0 at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.

It was the Roar's first ever win in Sydney in the six-season history of the A-League and continued their indestructible 16-match unbeaten streak.

Brisbane have shot out to 44 competition points with the result, with Adelaide United next closest on 37 points.

Sydney on the other hand slumped to their second straight loss and now face a fight to stay in the hunt for a top six spot.

Just 7554 fans turned up to watch the ailing defending premiers on a beautiful afternoon in the harbour city, with sections of the crowd even booing their side to the sheds at halftime.

It took the Roar 40 minutes to register their dominance on the scoreboard, but it was only a matter of time.

Brilliant striker Kosta Barbarouses found the back of the net after being given some space by Jean Carlos Solorzano to the right of goal.

Sydney keeper Ivan Necevski tried to guard his near post and Barbarouses was good enough to thread the needle to his outside and tuck the ball inside the far post.

Ange Postecoglou's men were constantly in and around the penalty box and tested Necevski on a number of occasions.

Roar midfielder Erik Paartalu was accurate with his free kick in the 13th minute and, after Necevski's block, the keeper was then forced to save again to his left when Barbarouses tried to score from the scraps.

Then in the 24th minute Necevski pulled off a great dive to his left to palm away a fierce shot by the league's top scorer, Solorzano.

Returning from injury, Alex Brosque was brought on by Sydney coach Vitezslav Lavicka for the start of the second half to try to spark the home side.

He wasted no time getting into the contest, earning a yellow card for a challenge from Brisbane's Matthew Smith and then creating the Sky Blues' first real chance in the 50th minute, sending his shot over the bar.

Moments later Brosque passed to Dimitri Petratos who fired a shot on goal which forced a sensational diving save by Roar keeper Michael Theoklitos to his right.

Unfortunately for Sydney, their renewed enthusiasm in the second term went unrewarded.

They were lucky not to concede again, with Necevski called upon to make another series of expert saves inside the final 10 minutes.

- AAP