Roar fall to Sydney FC at Gioca Stadium

Brisbane Roar suffered a tough 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Sky Blues at Gioca Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The hosts defended with resolve and held firm for over an hour under heavy pressure, with Chloe Lincoln making six saves along the way, but could not find a reply once Sydney FC broke through.

First half

Brisbane Roar lined up in a 4-4-2 at Gioca Stadium, with Chloe Lincoln in goal behind a back four of Amali Kinsella, Hali Long, Rosie Curtis and Annabel Martin. Abby Smothers, Zara Kruger, Natalie Tathem and Murphy Agnew made up the midfield, with Daisy Brown and Katrina Guillou up front. Sydney FC set up in a 5-3-2.

The Sky Blues made the brighter start and held the bulk of the early ball. Faith Webber went close from the right side of the box in the 2nd minute, and Kenzie Roling’s long-range effort was saved by Lincoln in the 3rd.

Sydney kept coming, but the Roar defended in numbers. Kinsella and Curtis made important blocks around the 9th and 11th minutes, before Willa Pearson headed wide from a corner in the 20th minute and Riley Cohn fired wide from a tight angle.

Roar had their own moments around the 24th minute. Agnew’s delivery found Long, whose header was blocked, and Brown then sent a shot just wide of the left post from another Agnew cross following a corner, before Cohn fired over at the other end.

Lincoln was busy at the 30-minute mark, smothering a Maddie Caspers effort from the six-yard box and then keeping out Webber from very close range. Brown’s header from a Kruger cross drifted just wide in the 36th minute, and Lincoln saved again from Claire Corbett in the 39th as the hosts stood firm to go into the break level at 0-0.

Second half

Sydney probed early after the restart, Webber firing too high from the right side of the box in the 52nd minute before Martin had a right-footed effort from outside the box blocked at the other end. The Sky Blues made the first change in the 56th minute, Amber Luchtmeijer replacing Olivia Price, and Roar responded a minute later with Lily Punch coming on for Smothers.

Lincoln was called into action again in the 59th minute, keeping out Webber’s right-footed shot from the left side of the box in the bottom right corner. Kiley Dulaney was booked for a foul on Punch in the same minute, and Tathem followed into the book in the 60th. Punch’s cross then found Agnew, whose header was close but missed to the right.

Agnew had a shot from the centre of the box blocked in the 64th minute, but Sydney made the breakthrough two minutes later. Caspers set up Webber, who struck a right-footed shot from the right side of the box into the bottom left corner to make it 1-0 to the visitors.

Johno Clemente went to the bench in the 72nd minute, with Kijah Stephenson replacing Tathem and Maja Markovski replacing Brown. Lincoln stayed sharp to save Cohn’s left-footed effort, and Curtis headed an Agnew cross straight at Tiahna Robertson in the 79th minute as Roar looked for a way back.

Emily Roach came on for Martin in the 85th minute and Sydney brought on Rubi Sullivan for Corbett in the 87th. Roar kept pushing into stoppage time, with Agnew’s left-footed shot from Markovski’s cross blocked, but the Sky Blues held on to take the three points at the final whistle.

Full time

It was a tough one for the Roar at Gioca Stadium, with Sydney FC claiming the three points through a single goal. The numbers show how much defending the hosts had to do: the Sky Blues held 62.2% of possession to the Roar’s 37.8%, had 24 shots to eight (seven on target to the Roar’s one) and won 13 corners to four. Lincoln’s six saves kept the contest alive, the Roar’s lone effort on target was held by Robertson, and Johno Clemente’s side kept working for an equaliser right through to the final whistle.

The result leaves the Roar still searching for a first point of the campaign, but the ledger between these two clubs remains tight: before this match it stood at 14 wins to the Roar, 15 to Sydney FC and 8 draws. MATCH DETAILS: Ninja A-League Women, Brisbane Roar FC 0-1 Sydney FC, Gioca Stadium. Goal: Faith Webber 66′ (assist Maddie Caspers). Cards: Kiley Dulaney 59′ (Sydney FC), Natalie Tathem 60′ (Brisbane Roar FC). Referee: Bec Mackie.

Match details

Next match

Up next, Brisbane Roar FC host Melbourne Victory at Gioca Stadium on Saturday, 7 November, with kick-off at 4:00pm local time, as the Roar chase a first win of the season.