Melbourne City played the majority of the second half a man down but still had too much class for the Brisbane Roar in a 2-0 A-League win at Suncorp Stadium.
City were down to 10 men two minutes after halftime when Taras Gomulka was red-carded for a challenge on Roar's Kai Trewin.
Referee Tim Danaskos's decision was checked by Video Assistant Referee Chris Beath but was given the all-clear.
City big guns and Socceroos duo Mathew Leckie and Jamie Maclaren both fired in the win to further press their World Cup claims.
City's defensive midfielder Aiden O'Neill tormented his former club and controlled play superbly in a first half where the visitors had eight shots on goal and enjoyed 71 per cent of possession.
Leckie was involved in everything at left wing and had two shots on goal saved by Roar goalkeeper Jordan Holmes in the first half.
Both of the visitors' goals came in the opening stanza.
The Melbourne outfit were the most dangerous with the ball and made the Roar pay for a defensive lapse in the 22nd minute. Forward Andrew Nabbout let rip and centre-forward Maclaren back-heeled it into the net after Thomas Lam had neatly laid the ball down from a corner.
Roar defender Connor Chapman then brought down City's Callum Talbot in the box and conceded a penalty.
Maclaren was clinical in scoring his second and then went perilously close to adding a third when a vicious shot went just over the bar.
The Roar struggled to clear the ball from the box on too many occasions in the first half and paid the price.
City's defence held firm despite losing Gomulka and have started the season with two wins.
Roar left winger Carlo Armiento was quiet in the first half but became more involved in the second stanza, as did striker Charlie Austin.
The Roar pressed hard and dominated with the ball with the one-man advantage but rarely looked likely to score.
