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Sydney FC have secured a spot in next weekend’s W-League
Grand Final after defeating Brisbane Roar 3-2 in a see-sawing elimination semi-final
at Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.
The Sky Blues came from a goal behind to eliminate the
highly-fancied Brisbane side – the visitor’s levelling via Annalie Longo before
Samantha Kerr delivered a brace, netting either side of half time.
Brisbane opened the scoring via Emily Gielnik and ensured a
dramatic finish when Vedrana Popovic reduced Sydney’s lead to a single goal on 75 minutes.
However, Sydney held firm despite playing the last fifteen
minutes, including a tense five minutes of injury time, with ten players after Kiwi striker Emma Kete was shown a straight red
card for using abusive language.
Brisbane went in to the match without attacking midfielder
Amy Chapman, who tore her hamstring midweek and was replaced by Sachiko
Tatsuoka, and the forced change stilted the home side’s usually free-flowing attack.
By comparison, Sydney hit the ground running – Kerr skirting
past Brooke Spence to deliver a floating cross to Kyah Simon inside the first minute. Simon’s firmly struck shot faded just wide of the post from 12 yards.
Despite the searing summer temperatures that had earlier peaked in the
mid-30s, both sides pressed energetically in midfield with neither set of
playmakers given time to settle on the ball.
Sydney again threatened on 8 minutes when Allana Kennedy
slipped a ball through Brisbane’s line for Kerr. However, the ball ran on the
parched pitch and Kerr was forced to shoot from an acute angle that Roar ‘keeper
Kate Stewart covered ably.
Brisbane opened the scoring against the run of play in the
14th minute - Laura Alloway’s early long ball bypassing the increasingly
frenetic midfield contest to send Tameka Butt surging into space. The Roar’s leading goalscorer then lured young Sydney goalkeeper Shamiran Khamis off her line before squaring for Gielnik, who finished emphatically before an open goal.
Sydney sensationally levelled terms six minutes later from a
short corner – Longo whipping in a sharp, right-footed cross-cum-shot to the far post that evaded the attentions of
the cluttered goal mouth to drift in to the top corner of the goal.
Buoyed by the equaliser, Sydney continued to threaten from
set pieces – Ellyse Perry delivering a series of dangerous deep free-kicks into
the box that left Brisbane’s defence scrambling to clear.
Roar appeared increasingly frustrated as they were struggled
to fashion good positions inside Sydney’s penalty area and resorted to
speculative efforts from distance.
The visitors took the lead on the half hour – Kerr once
again skinning Spence on the left wing before dribbling into the box and
striking a seemingly tame side-footed shot from 12 yards that slipped under the
otherwise well-positioned Stewart.
Sydney controlled the remainder of the first half and
continued to flirt with a third from set pieces – Kennedy in particular looming
large in a series of goal-front aerial contest. However, the visitors went to
the break still holding only a single goal lead.
Roar coach Belinda Wilson made two half-time changes,
replacing Stewart with Japanese import Hoshimi Kishi in goal and swapping the
ineffective Tatsuoka with Ashley Spina, resulting in a slight midfield
reshuffle.
The early indications were promising for the hosts as they
attacked with renewed vigour.
On 54 minutes Butt picked the pocket of Elizabeth Ralston
and used her strength to force her way into the box but the Sydney defence
scrambled to clear the danger before Roar could fashion a shot.
Four minutes later Brisbane came closer yet when Popovic slipped
a neat pass for Gielnik whose first time shot across her body skimmed across
the face of goal.
On the hour though, the Sky Blues netted a decisive third goal – Kerr once
again skinning Spence to make room before calmly curling her shot into the top
corner and well beyond reach of diminutive ‘keeper Kishi.
Comfortable with their two goal cushion, Sydney sat back as
Brisbane eagerly sought to get back into the contest.
On 64 minutes Ellyse Kellond-Knight dinked a ball over the
top of Sydney’s defence to find Popovic on the burst; however the midfielder was
unable to keep her first-time shot down.
The host’s continued to press forward and the breakthrough
came with fifteen minutes remaining when long-time teammates Kellond-Knight and
Butt combined down the left wing. Butt then delivered a deft cross at pace that
was headed in by Popovic, who rose strongly eight yards out.
As a tense finish loomed for Sydney, their New Zealand
international striker Kete was then sensationally red-carded on 77 minutes for an
off the ball incident later revealed to have involved the use of abusive
language.
With the extra player and still a goal behind, and buoyed by
a boisterous season-high home crowd, Roar pressed valiantly for the equaliser.
On 82 minutes Kellond-Knight’s free kick was met by Claire Polkinghorne
at the back post; Khamis effecting two vital reflex saves to quell close range
shots from the Roar captain.
As regulation time closed central defender Laura Alloway
unleashed a driven effort from fifteen yards, but it took a deflection before
bobbling achingly wide of the post.
In time added on, an isolated Kerr did well to hold the ball
up front for Sydney before laying the ball for the surging Chloe Logarzo, who
spurned the chance to seal the win by scooping her shot over the crossbar.
In the final seconds Butt had one final chance when she fought valiantly to reach substitute Hannah Beard’s nod
on, however the Roar star's shot failed to trouble Khamis.
Sydney FC will meet the winner of Sunday’s semi-final between
Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory. The winner of that match will host the
W-League Grand Final on January 27th.
It will be the first W-League Grand Final to not feature
Brisbane Roar, who had qualified for all four previous end-of-season deciders.
FINAL SCORE:
Brisbane Roar – 2 (Emily GIELNIK 14', Vedrana POPOVIC 75')
Sydney FC – 3 (Annalie LONGO 21', Samantha KERR 30' &
60')