Brisbane Roar showed why they are the team to beat going into the Westfield W-League finals by powering past Canberra United 5-1.
Brisbane Roar showed why they are the team to beat going into the Westfield W-League finals by powering past Canberra United 5-1 at QSAC on Saturday.
The result secures Brisbane their second Premiership as well as a home semi-final, while Canberra misses out on the playoffs.
Katrina Gorry got on the scoresheet early for Brisbane, before Tameka Butt completed a first-half brace.
Kristen Mewis pulled a goal back for Canberra just before the interval, but Brisbane pulled away again in the second half with goals from Emily Gielnik and Butt.
Brisbane went ahead on 11 minutes after brilliant work from Gorry.
She showed speed and determination down the left to lose her marker and send in a dangerous, low cross-shot.
Under pressure from Butt, Canberra goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold allowed the ball to slip under her arm and into the net.
The Roar continued to dominate, and Emily Gielnik raced through on goal after Vedrana Popovic played a ball over the top, but Arnold sped out of her area to clear the ball just in time.
Butt scored two goals in three minutes to open up a comfortable lead for the home team.
The first was a penalty, which Butt won herself after being released into the Canberra area by Popovic.
Popovic was at it again soon after, slaloming through Canberra’s defence before laying the ball out wide to Gorry, who lobbed a cross into Butt to crack her shot past the ‘keeper.
Canberra pulled a goal back against the run of play just before the half-time whistle, as Mewis leapt high from a corner to power home a header.
After the break, there was a return to the status quo, as Canberra struggled to keep pace with their energetic opponents.
Gielnik pounced on a loose ball out of the Canberra defence to close in on goal, but her shot was deflected just wide.
The Roar continued to knock on the door as the match slowed down in sapping conditions. Butt came close to her third on 64 minutes, but was foiled by some superb goalkeeping from Arnold.
Gielnik got on the scoresheet a minute later, latching on to an Amy Chapman through ball to dribble around Arnold and pass the ball into the open net.
Gielnik then played provider to set up Butt. Her cross from the right after nice build-up play by Popovic only required a tap in from Butt to complete her hat-trick.
Butt’s refusal to stop running almost netted her a fourth goal, as she slid in just a fraction late to convert an Amy Chapman cross after 82 minutes and soon after Popovic failed to finish a chance when one-on-one with Arnold to add to Brisbane’s tally.
Brisbane Roar 5 (Katrina Gorry 11, Tameka Butt 38, 41p, 70, Emily Gielnik 65)
Canberra United 1 (Kristen Mewis 45+4)
Brisbane Roar: 2. Laura Alleway, 3. Amy Chapman (6. Ashley Spina 87), 4. Clare Polkinghorne (c), 5. Brooke Spence, 7. Erika Elze, 8. Elise Kellond-Knight, 11. Vedrana Popovic, 13. Tameka Butt (15. Hannah Beard 87),17. Emily Gielnik (16. Sachiko Tatsuoka 80), 18. Kate Stewart (gk), 19. Katrina Gorry
Canberra United: 1. Mackenzie Arnold (gk), 2. Caitlin Cooper, 3. Georgie Yeoman-Dale, 6. Caitlin Munoz, 7. Ellie Brush (c), 8. Hayley Raso (16. Catherine Brown 73), 11. Michelle Heyman (14. Ashleigh Sykes 86), 13. Nicole Skyes, 17. Ariane Hingst (12. Sally Rojahn 79), 19. Jennifer Bisset, 23. Kristen Mewis
