A-League wrap: Roar go six points clear

Brisbane Roar thrashed the Central Coast Mariners 5-1 on Sunday to extend their unbeaten run in the A-League to a record 14 games.

The damage was done early in the first half with Jean Carlos Solorzano bagging a brace and Mitch Nichols adding a third inside the first 25 minutes.

Mariners substitute Adam Kwasnik pulled a goal back in the second half but it was not enough to stop the Roar juggernaut from rolling on, with a late goal to Reinaldo and an own goal by Alex Wilkinson finishing the demolition.

The win takes the Roar to 40 points, six ahead of Adelaide United in second spot, though the South Australians do hold two games in hand.

The Mariners, meanwhile, remain fourth but without a win in their last five outings.

A desperate nine-man Perth Glory held on for a 1-1 draw against the North Queensland Fury in Townsville.

In a physical game, Glory’s Naum Sekulovski and Brent Griffiths were both given their marching orders by the 64th minute after earning second yellow cards.

That left the Glory scrambling to defend a 1-0 lead set up by a 23rd minute Robbie Fowler header, which they were able to do for 16 minutes until Mark Hughes equalised with an 80th-minute header.

The point is a relieving one for the Glory, in freefall after losing 11 of its past 13 games leading into the Fury clash.

And there was plenty of feeling between the two clubs, with Fowler, the former Liverpool striker, returning to his old club and engineering the win.

Fowler was in the match constantly. He was unlucky not to earn a penalty in the opening stages and went close in the 10th minute when he lobbed `keeper Justin Pasfield only for the ball to hit the bar.

But he got the goal he wanted against his former club in the 23rd minute, heading in a Michael Baird cross to open up a 1-0 lead.