"Alex Brosque was at the Roar season one and I trained against him all season and I knew his game inside out," the Roar keeper told au.fourfourtwo.com after his side’s 0-0 draw against Sydney on Friday night.

"They played with one upfront with Alex and I just didn’t feel any sweat or any bother coming up against him.

"It doesn’t matter whether it’s Juninho or whoever, I feel I can stop whatever comes at me."

McMaster made a number of crucial saves to keep Roar in the game. And his confidence to come off his line added to his invincibility in this match.

And after a training ground bust-up with teammate Sasa Ognenovski this week and what he admitted was as below par performance last week against the Reds, McMaster said he had to show coach Frank Farina what he could do.

"Obviously in Sydney, a semi final, there’s no bigger occasion really. So I had to step up tonight and I feel I did do that," he said.

"We moved on from the Adelaide game. These are the nights you have to step up."

McMaster however almost blotted his copybook when punching the ball late in the second half. The ball spun behind him off his mis-timed punch and only desperate defence kept the ball out.

"I tell you, Millsy [Mark Milligan] has sent in the biggest googly you’ve ever seen from that throw," joked a relieved McMaster.

"But those are the bits of my game I’ve got to eradicate if I want to take my game to the next level."