Lady Reds fall to third consecutive defeat

The Roar warming up at Hindmarsh's Vidmar End

The Brisbane Roar have extended the Lady Reds’ misery by consigning them to their third consecutive defeat of the Westfield W-League season.

Goals to Amy Chapman and Elise Kellond-Knight either side of the half-time whistle gave the Roar all three points as the Reds’ failed to score in a 2-0 loss at Hindmarsh Stadium.

The Lady Reds were coming off of consecutive losses against reigning champions Canberra and Perth Glory. With no success from their two-week away trip, the Lady Reds were hoping for a better result in front of their home fans.

Brisbane set the tone early and almost took the lead in the third minute through Lana Harch. The attacking display from the Roar would turn into an onslaught as the Reds had no answers to the slick, well-oiled Brisbane machine.

Amy Chapman set Brisbane into a strong position early with a lovely controlled touch setting up an easy finish for the Roar in the 10th minute. With the ball lofted over the top of the two centre-backs Chapman split the defenders and brought it down with a deft touch before sliding it past the onrushing Harvey, into the opposite corner of the goal.

The Roar were utilising the wings to expose the Lady Reds and test ‘keeper Kristi Harvey’s aerial prowess. A sharp move in the 23rd minute almost gave the Roar a two-goal advantage with Vedrana Popovic’s cross finding its way to Sachiko Tatsuoka. The forward lacked polish in front of goals
however as her effort bobbled harmlessly out for a goal-kick.

The Reds almost scored an exquisite equaliser in the 36th minute through striker Racheal Quigley only to be denied by the far post. New Zealand international Holly Patterson burst clear of Kellond-Knight into the box and turned back onto her preferred right foot before feeding Quigley whose chipped effort beat ‘keeper Kate Stewart but crashed into the post and out.

In the 40th minute Stewart was forced off through injury leaving Manager Jeff Hopkins with no choice but for substitute Hoshima Kishi to enter the fray. The Lady Reds couldn’t capitalise on the removal of the Roar’s first-choice ‘keeper as they went into half-time with the scores stuck at 1-0 after Chapman’s early strike.

Brisbame started the second half in sparkling form and should have gone two-up in the 47th minute only for the linesman’s flag to come to the Lady Reds’ rescue. A long-range missile was beaten away by Harvey but fell into the path of Harch who slid her shot home but was adjudged to have attacked from an offside position.

In the 57th minute the Reds finally tested Kishi, forcing her to make her first save of the afternoon. Quigley received the ball on the edge of the box and looped her shot at Kishi who was up to the task and palmed the shot away for a Reds corner.

The Roar pushed further ahead in the 64th minute after a penalty was awarded for a foul on Kellond-Knight as she beat her defender and shaped to shoot. The referee blew for the foul and the Roar number eight had no trouble curling it away from a frozen Harvey into the bottom corner.

The goal sparked Lady Reds’ coach Dave Edmondson into action, removing midfielder Cassandra Tsoumbris for more firepower up front in the form of Marijana Rajcic as he searched for a way back into the game.

Rajcic had the best chance for United in the second half in the 85th minute as she latched onto a Patterson cross. The Reds’ profligate shooting continued as they faltered in front of goals in the final stages to give the Roar a 2-0 away victory.

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Adelaide Starting XI: Harvey, Wallace, Natoli, Erceg, Tsoumbris, Quigley, McLaughlin, Mayo, Checker, Macri, Patterson

Subs: Rajcic, Whorlow, Maggio, Barltrop


Brisbane Starting XI: Stewart, Alleway, Chapman, Spence, Elze, Kellond-Knight, Harch, Popovic, Tatsuoka, Gorry

Subs: Kishi, Spina, Butt, Gielnik