Momo Hayashi scored twice on her 31st birthday as Brisbane Roar beat Perth 5-2 in their final home game of the NINJA A-League season.
Aimee Medwin and Momo Hayashi gave Brisbane a 2-0 lead before Julia Sardo nodded home a corner to pull one back on the stroke of half time. Perth started stronger in the second period and equalised through Rola Badawiya just four minutes after the break, but a classy lob from Kijah Stephenson, a fortunate second for Hayashi, and a cool finish from Tameka Yallop sealed a thrilling three points for the hosts.
The win lifts Brisbane up into fifth and means that their finals qualification is in their hands. Perth Glory remain in eighth and will need to hunt down Melbourne Victory and Central Coast Mariners if they are to finish in the top six.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the 20th minute when the returning Angie Beard swung her corner onto the head of Aimee Medwin, and she nodded it home from close range to score her first goal for Brisbane.
The Roar doubled their lead through Momo Hayashi who – wearing the captain’s armband on her 31st birthday – pounced upon an error from Georgia Cassidy on the edge of the area and poked the ball into the bottom left corner.
But with the last touch of the half, Julia Sardo headed home Emma Tovar’s corner and made it 2-1 going into the break.
Perth’s momentum carried over the break and they drew level just four minutes after the restart when Rola Badawiya earned herself some space inside the box and her cross-cum-shot beat Chloe Lincoln at her near post.
Brisbane regained the lead in a breakneck second half when Alicia Woods hassled the ball from Tovar and hooked it towards Kijah Stephenson who lobbed debutant Dayle Schroeder from outside the box.
The goals continued to flow and it was Hayashi who got her second when her driven free-kick ricocheted through the wall and dipped underneath Schroeder.
Fittingly, it was Matildas veteran Tameka Yallop who came off the bench and when Miller squared the ball to her inside the box, the 34 year-old stroked it into the net and capped off the match with its seventh goal.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT THEY SAID
Chloe Lincoln
Isobel Dalton
