Brisbane Roar earned three points after a shock win at home against defending W-League Champions Canberra United.
The dynamic Alisha Foote set up the first goal of the clash, her neat pass finding Tameka Butt just inside the box. A classy touch from Butt eluded the Brisbane Roar defence and gave her ample space to send the ball into the back of the net in the eighth minute.
Butt was in the thick of the action again only moments later, after being felled by a clumsy challenge from Julia De Angeles. Katrina Gorry’s free kick was met by an ambitious volley from Ruth Blackburn, which should have been safely collected by Canberra United custodian Lydia Williams. Instead, the ball disastrously slipped through the goalkeeper’s fingers and into goal to put the Roar 2-0 up inside the first 15 minutes.
Marshalled by Clare Polkinghorne, the Brisbane defence seemed impenetrable until the closing minutes of the second period. An excellent through ball from De Angeles found the feet of lethal striker Michelle Heyman, who rounded Hayley Kopmeyer and pulled one back for the away side with a cool finish.
Canberra United were improved in the second-half, but with a depleted squad were unable to make the necessary impact to snatch a draw.
Brisbane Roar’s first-half dominance
Keen to start afresh after a disappointing sixth place finish last season, Brisbane Roar took control of the match from the outset. Although Canberra United claimed the majority of possession, the Roar were far more meaningful in the front-third, with the likes of Alisha Foote and Tameka Butt causing havoc. Particularly, Foote continually caused problems on the right side, eventually combining with Butt in the eighth minute to get the home side on the score sheet first.
However, it was Katrina Gorry who shone the most for the Roar in the middle of the park. Canberra United struggled to contain the energy of ‘Mini’, who created an abundance of chances for the Queensland side.
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