W-League: Brisbane Roar back into contention

Brisbane Roar excited their fans with an exceptional display of skill and teamwork claiming a 3-0 victory over sixth placed Adelaide United at Suncorp Stadium.

Sitting in the unfamiliar position of bottom of the ladder going into the match, the home team had a point to prove and in the scorching Queensland sun it was the Roar who handled the heat better than Adelaide.

Taking to the pitch ahead of the Hyundai A-League counterparts, the Roar were chasing their second win in front of a home crowd and it wasn't long for their hard work to pay off as the impressive Hayley Raso began to make inroads.

Yes, it's outdated. Stupid Roar with their stupid new logo.

After a number of ineffective shots on goal Tameka Butt finally came through with the goods as, not for the first time in the match, Raso made excellent use of space to pass a short ball to Butt whose shot glided straight past Adelaide United goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri.

Adelaide followed up strong but Brisbane goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was determined to keep her team’s lead.

Brisbane kept firing and lengthened their lead with a second goal soon after. Raso once again created another ideal opportunity and Brisbane’s Emily Gielnik was able to finish with a strong shot into the left corner.

Brisbane’s exceptional form took them confidently into the second half as they looked to extend their lead.

The hunger from both teams was evident early in the second half. A Brisbane corner created a fumble in the box with players from both teams doing everything in their power to gain possession.

Breakaway after breakaway, Raso heightened the hopes of Roar fans but was unable to hit the target, failing to force Barbieri into a save.

While Adelaide fought back as best they could, several errors saw them lose possession, inviting continued pressure by the charging Roar.

The home team proved they weren't satisfied with their 2-0 lead with Butt speeding past her opponents to scoring from a one-on-one with Barbieri and round out the victory.

Undoubtedly their finest performance of the season so far Brisbane will need to continue this vein of form to be any chance of making it into the finals.

Both teams are in with a challenge next week, as Adelaide take on Sydney FC and Brisbane come up against Melbourne Victory.

Brisbane Roar: 1. Nadine ANGERER, 2. Laura ALLEWAY, 4. Clare POLKINGHORNE (c), 5. Brooke SPENCE, 6. Hayley RASO, 7. Kim CARROLL, 8. Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT, 9. Larissa CRUMMER, 10. Katrina GORRY, 13. Tameka BUTT, 14. Natasha WHEELER, 17. Emily GIELNIK, 19. Ayesha NORRIE, 20. Kate STEWART (GK), 25. Pamela BIGNOLD, 26. Isobel DALTON

Adelaide United: 1. Melissa BARBIERI (GK), 3. Danielle BROGAN, 4. Lauren STEER, 5. Jessue WHAREPOURI, 7. Katrine PEDERSEN, 9. Lisa-Marie WOODS, 12. Dalia-Tais BORG, 14. Rachel ALONSO, 15. Jenna MCCORMICK, 16. Katie HOLTHAM, 17. Tiarn POWELL, 19. Gabrielle BENTLEY, 20. Sarah WILLACY (GK), 22. Elysha MAGOR, 23. Kristy MOORE (C)