Frank Farina has celebrated the first anniversary of his arrival as Queensland Roar coach with a 1-0 victory over defending champion Melbourne Victory in front of the club's biggest crowd of the season.

17,207 fans witnessed Queensland extend its unbeaten run to seven games, and win three consecutive matches for the first time in its brief history, thanks to teenager Robbie Kruse's first-half winner.

The 19-year-old scored his third goal of the season in just his seventh Hyundai A-League start and might have added another when he struck the post with a composed effort in the second-half.

"If we've got aspirations of doing well in the league we've got to show it by beating the best," Farina said afterwards. "It's good to get a win, particularly here at home, and continue the sequence that we're on at the moment."

Melbourne, missing skipper Kevin Muscat, Ljubo Milicevic and Joe Keenan, created more after half-time but couldn't break down a Roar backline which played for 60 minutes without injured captain Craig Moore.

Victory striker Daniel Allsopp wasted an excellent chance to equalise when he blasted Archie Thompson's centre over the crossbar on the hour mark while Carlos Hernandez also saw a free-kick cannon back off the upright with 12 minutes remaining.

Queensland, though, will be sweating on the fitness of Moore who was withdrawn on the half-hour after twisting his ankle in an innocuous challenge with Qantas Socceroos team-mate Thompson.

"He couldn't push off and get any power and that's pretty much his game in that position, especially when you've got Archie Thompson running around in front of you," said Farina.

The hosts opened the scoring when Kruse received a pinpoint through ball from Matt McKay before cutting inside stand-in Melbourne captain Grant Brebner and Steven Pace and curling a precise right-footed finish wide of goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos.

Melbourne had Theoklitos to thank for stopping the Roar surging further ahead in a dominant opening spell. Just a minute later Marcinho stung the Victory goalkeeper's hands from distance before the Brazilian playmaker forced him into another fine stop after Sasa Ognenovski had beaten the offside trap and squared a perfect cutback.

McKay, in his 50th Hyundai A-League game, almost capitalised on more hesitancy in Melbourne's midfield when he drilled marginally wide from Kruse's centre.

But the Roar lost momentum when Moore limped from the field and was replaced by Ben Griffin with Rodrigo Vargas almost punishing Griffin's lack of concentration with a headed chance from a corner.

That was a rare Victory opportunity in the first-half although Thompson did stab an effort towards goal on the stroke of half-time. During the break Ernie Merrick threw on Leandro Love and shifted Steve Pantelidis into defence, a move which generated more possession for the visitors.

Leandro's presence inside created acres of space for Thompson on the right but Allsopp, who had pulled off the shoulder of Griffin, could only side-foot over from six yards with the goal gaping.

The excellent Kruse also spurned a golden chance to increase Queensland's lead in the 65th minute when he hit Theoklitos' left-hand post as the ball dropped into his path from a Roar free-kick.

Hernandez then curled a clever free-kick in front of the Roar wall but watched in despair as it too rebounded into the post with Queensland 'keeper Liam Reddy heading in the wrong direction.

"I didn't think we competed well in the first-half. When we were put under pressure we gave away the ball cheaply and we struggled big time in midfield," Merrick said.

"We fixed that in the second-half and created some chances, but we don't score goals."

Melbourne will assess the fitness of Pace (torn calf), Matthew Kemp (back) and Sebastian Ryall, who Merrick described as 'exhausted' after the Qantas Young Socceroos tour of Vietnam, ahead of next Saturday's visit of Wellington.

Queensland Roar 1 (Kruse 10)
Melbourne Victory 0
17,207 at Suncorp Stadium               

A 91st minute penalty to Sydney FC's Ufuk Talay earned the visitors a meritorious 1-1 draw in their Hyundai A-League match against Wellington Phoenix at Westpac Stadium on Saturday.

The home side appeared heading for a vital win after captain Ross Aloisi had put it ahead with a close range strike in the 29th minute, but a foul by defender Steven Old inside the penalty area meant the 8062 fans left disappointed.

Old was sent from the field after collecting his second yellow card from referee Peter Green. He joined Sydney captain Tony Popovic in the dressing sheds who had earlier been dismissed in the 69th minute.

The draw maintained Sydney coach John Kosmina's unbeaten run with the Sky Blues since taking over last month, while for the Phoenix the one point was some reward after a lean period.

Wellington 1 (Aloisi 29)
Sydney 1 (Talay 91)
8,062 at Westpac Stadium

Sportal