Soccer: Knights whimper in defeat to Queensland

It did not take NZ Knights boss John Adshead more than a few frustrating minutes to switch from his position in the stand to a spot on the bench as his team fell 0-2 behind against the Roar at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday night.

High hopes quickly turned to worrying frustration for Adshead as his out-of-sorts defence gifted Royce Brownlie goals in the ninth and 12th minutes.

The first came when John Tambouras failed to clear a loose ball and Brownlie had ample time to set himself and fire a shot past Knights goalkeeper Glen Moss.

Three minutes later the visitors turned defence into attack, caught the Knights defence pushing forward again, leaving Moss stranded as Brownlie pushed home into the gaping goal.

Twenty-one minutes into the game the frustration deepened for the home side as referee Peter O'Leary chose to book Danny Hay for a tackle yet, minutes before, he ignored a similar challenge at the other end of the field. Hay, with bookings in successive matches, will now sit out Saturday night's clash against the Central Coast Mariners.

In their only real scoring opportunities in the first spell, Sean Devine and Noah Hickey hardly threatened. It was a lack-lustre display overshadowed by some lively jousting by real knights on horseback at halftime.

Devine failed to make anything of two early chances in the second spell but the introduction of Jeremy Brockie, after Hickey was forced off with what appeared a serious injury, and former Brisbane Strikers forward Josh Rose gave hope of something more positive.

But despite some glimpses that they might turn things around, the Knights came up empty and left it to the visitors to finish the job.

Reece Tollenaere headed home in the 84th minute, substitute Warren Moon added a fourth in the first minute of added time and Massimo Murdocca completed the rout two minutes later when he capitalised on some more weak defending.

Adshead said: "Obviously I'm disappointed. We never came to terms with the way they were playing. There were a lot of lessons we learned about certain individuals. We have to be more patient. We did have chances but one or two goals we gave away were far too soft.

"There was no question of us underestimating the opposition. Tonight was a bad result for us. You can't gift chances like that - the last two goals were free headers - and expect to win anything.

"They are sat in there now with their heads down," said Adshead, pointing to the Knights dressing room. He said his players had not been direct enough.

"We looked a bit negative, a bit nervous. We still have to remember this is pre-season and have to produce it on August 28." A tall order, but not a challenge Adshead will back away from.

"You have to get your bum smacked once in a while. I would prefer to have this result tonight than in a month's time."

Hay said: "We have been run ragged. Just not good enough. We capitulated, gave up. It certainly wasn't the gaffer's [Adshead] fault. They scored five goals, from our point of view that's not good enough. There is a hell of a lot to work on."

Next door, the visitors celebrated a victory which kept their Cup hopes alive.

There is no such chance for the Knights, who will now have to look elsewhere to find some football as they prepare for their first Hyundai A-League match on August 28 - coincidently against the Queensland Roar at Suncorp Stadium.