Brisbane Roar has recorded a fifth straight Westfield W-League win, scoring four goals for the second game in row as they eased past Perth Glory 4-0 at Lions Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Olivia Chance got the scoring underway with a rocketing strike into the top corner before Emily Gielnik brought the vocal home crowd to its feet with a stunning shot from near the halfway line which slipped through Lily Alfield’s fingers.
Gielnik doubled her tally after the break with a crunching left foot drive across goal and returning star Larissa Crummer wrapped up proceedings with a rasping shot from inside the penalty area in what was her first Westfield W-League appearance in more than 750 days.
While Head Coach Jake Goodship conceded he wanted more out of his squad before the break, he says they were comfortable in control of the game in the second stanza.
What a way to score your first @WLeague goal, @LivvyChance! ?
? @FOXFOOTBALL #BRIvPER #WLeague #ForTheCrest pic.twitter.com/DydC9MpXUQ
— Brisbane Roar FC (@brisbaneroar) February 21, 2021
“I thought the first half was disappointing,” remarked Goodship after the game.
“They made it difficult for us. They man-marked our midfield three, we found it difficult to get space on the ball.
“Second half we dominated.”
A first clean sheet since the squad’s lost home fixture almost a month ago was the piece de resistance for the Head Coach.
“Clean sheets get you to Grand Finals. You can score all the goals in the world but if you make it to the Semi-final and lose 1-0 then it doesn’t really matter,” he added.
Plenty of attention surrounded the return to action of Larissa Crummer with the Matildas star missing the entire 2019-20 W-League season having suffered a shocking leg break whilst playing for the Newcastle Jets.
Fittingly, on a gorgeous Queensland afternoon, mother nature turned on the spectacular with a double rainbow lighting up the sky when she scored her first goal after recuperating from five surgeries and a mammoth rehabilitation process.
Unsurprisingly, the 25-year-old was buoyant after full-time.
“I was just happy to get on the field but to get a goal as well was unbelievable,” she enthused.
“It’s just good to be back.”
It's been 758 days since @LarissaCrummer was on the pitch and she marked her return in style! ?
? @FOXFOOTBALL
#ForTheCrest pic.twitter.com/BibryMov5M— Brisbane Roar FC (@brisbaneroar) February 21, 2021
The Roar have themselves a well-earned break with the bye in Round 10 before travelling south for the next match against Canberra United on Sunday, 7 March.
GOALS
Brisbane Roar – Chance 22’ – 1-0
Brisbane build neatly on the right side of the area, providing Isobel Dalton with the opportunity to tee up Chance for a ripping strike into the top corner of the net.
Brisbane Roar – Gielnik 27’ – 2-0
Gielnik collects the ball deep in her own half, drives forward then from two metres inside the Glory half scores the second goal of the contest.
Brisbane Roar – Gielnik 50’ – 3-0
Collecting a pass from Chance and surging into space, Gielnik confirms her ambidexterity with a scything left footed shot across the face of goal.
Brisbane Roar – Crummer 87’ – 4-0
Kaitlyn Torpey gets around the Perth left back and serves the ball up on a plate for the returning Crummer to slot home.
MATCH DETAILS
Westfield W-League 2020/21 Round 9: Brisbane Roar vs Perth Glory
Lions Stadium, Richlands
Sunday, 21 February
Brisbane Roar 4 (Chance 22’, Gielnik 27’, 50’, Crummer 87’)
Perth Glory 0
Half-time: 2-0
