They've just put in the best A-League display of their season but Robbie Fowler believes his team is being unfairly targeted by referees.
The Roar claimed a vital 3-1 win at Suncorp Stadium against finals-chasing rivals Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday, with Scott McDonald and Jay O'Shea both notching their first goals for the club.
Ex-Socceroo McDonald scored a first-half double, with Irish midfielder O'Shea scoring from the spot in the second half after Wanderers' captain Mitch Duke had reduced the deficit early in the second-half to continue his fine recent run.
While delighted by his team's performance, Fowler felt referee Chris Beath had been harsh in handing out seven yellow cards across the game.
Beath even gave one caution to Fowler for his protests in the second half, the second time in as many weeks the Liverpool legend has been sanctioned by officials.
"It's the last thing I should be doing. Talking about the referee's performance because of the way we've played," Fowler said.
"We're not a dirty team. Two of the yellow cards, certainly weren't yellow cards, and look I'm not sure whether there's an agenda with the referees certainly against us because that's a few times now we're we've been up against it, against opposition, but we're not getting any help from the referees
"I thought he was bang average tonight."
Knowing a win would open up a five-point gap with the eighth-placed Wanderers, the Roar made a perfect start when McDonald scrambled home a scrappy opener in the third minute.
The 36-year-old made it two late in a half the Roar dominated.
Duke's strike - the fifth match in a row he's found the back of the net - in the 54th minute failed to spark the visitors' into life and when Jurman felled Brad Inman in the 70th minute, O'Shea was on hand to calmly slot his first A-League goal from the spot.
While Brisbane now jump up into fifth ahead of Adelaide United's match with Western United on Saturday, the Wanderers first defeat in five leaves them three points outside the six.
"They're a decent side, as we know, they're a good passing side and to be fair they pressed us really high early and they had good energy about them and I felt we didn't match that," Wanderers coach John-Paul de Marigny saiad.
"It makes the contest a little bit difficult."
The Wanderers visit Melbourne City next Saturday, with Patrick Ziegler's fifth caution of the season late in the second half meaning the German defender will be suspended for that match.
The Roar also confirmed after the match that midfielder Jacob Pepper had left the club to pursue another opportunity, understood to be a move to an overseas club.
Australian Associated Press
