Brisbane forward Larissa Crummer’s first career hat-trick has guided the Roar to a 5-1 A-League Women win over her former club Newcastle.
The 26-year-old, who suffered a horror leg break while at the Jets in 2019, came back to haunt the hosts in style at Newcastle Sports Ground No.2 as the Roar notched back-to-back wins for the first time this season following last week’s triumph over Melbourne City.
Anna Margraf and Hollie Palmer scored the other goals for the Roar while Lauren Allan scored the consolation for the Jets, who could only name two outfield players on the substitutes bench with six players sidelined through injury.
Margraf was one of two changes to the Roar team which beat City 1-0, replacing suspended American Shea Connors, and she notched her third goal of the season in the 17th minute to open the scoring.
The 20-year-old latched onto a delightful Katrina Gorry through ball before rounding Jets goalkeeper Claire Coelho and finishing from a tight angle.
From there it was the Crummer show, the striker making it 2-0 in the 29th minute when she finished a brilliant team move that involved one-touch passing between three Roar players to open up the Jets’ defence.
Matildas midfielder Gorry turned provider again in the second half for Crummer’s 55th minute goal and just two minutes later Crummer completed her first career treble to put the visitors four goals clear.
It means the former Matilda, who has stated her ambition to return to the national team, has six goals for the season – her best return since winning the competition’s golden boot in 2016 while with Melbourne City.
Allan replied for the Jets in the 63rd minute and there was almost a moment to savour for the home fans when Cass Davis – making her 110th ALW appearance – nearly scored her first goal in the competition when her long-range effort hit the woodwork.
The Roar made the most of that let-off just moments later when Palmer’s screamer left Coelho with no chance to complete the rout.
The win lifts Brisbane to sixth on the ladder with two games remaining in their season, a return fixture against the Jets on Monday and then hosting Canberra United on Thursday.
Eighth-placed Newcastle’s campaign will end with their trip to face the Roar at Perry Park in three days’ time.
RE-LIVE: Jets v Roar, as it happened
By Matt Comito for KEEPUP
FULL-TIME: JETS 1-5 ROAR
That was comprehensive from the Roar, who showed a clinical edge in front of goal which the home side lacked in a 5-1 rout.
Larissa Crummer bagged a hat-trick in a vintage display as the Roar charge home late in the season.
GOAL! It’s 5-1 as Palmer scores from range (9.13pm AEDT)
Hollie Palmer has scored the best of six goals at No. 2 Sportsground, taking time to compose outside the box before firing a long-range strike through traffic, past Coelho and into the far-left corner of goal.
The Jets hoped to settle after Allen’s goal but were quickly picked apart once more by the ruthless Roar.
GOAL! Allan pegs one back for the Jets (9.10pm AEDT)
Ashlee Brodigan provided the assist with a reverse pass through the Brisbane defensive line to find Lauren Allan storming in on goal, leaving the Jets forward with the easy task of finding the back of the net for the home side.
GOAL! Crummer has THREE in dominant display (9.02pm AEDT)
Just minutes after scoring her brace, Brisbane Roar forward Crummer has put goal number six for the season on the board – and third of the night in Newcastle.
All of a sudden Brisbane are out of sight, leading the Jets by four goals to nil.
GOAL! Crummer teaches the Jets a lesson in clinical finishing (9.00pm AEDT)
Katrina Gorry is running amok at No. 2 Sportsground, supplying Crummer with the assist for her brace early in the second half.
Brisbane’s third comes after a wave of Jets attacking pressure.
HALF-TIME: JETS 0-2 ROAR
The hosts should have a goal on the board – but go into the break down 2-0 after some lacklustre attacking efforts, with Brisbane clinical down the other end.
GOAL! Crummer makes it two for the Roar (8.16pm AEDT)
A stunning team goal from Brisbane Roar was tucked away calmly by Larissa Crummer as Brisbane go 2-0 up at the half-hour mark.
The home side have had their chances through the opening half-hour but have lacked the clinical touch; Brisbane meanwhile have had no such issues, scoring twice to carve out a comfortable lead.
GOAL! Margraf with the tidy finish from a tight angle (8.05pm AEDT)
Anna Margraf has opened the scoring for the visitors, skipping past Jets keeper Claire Coelho before sliding the ball past two defenders on the goal line from a slender angle on the right-hand side of the penalty area.
KICK-OFF
Cassidy Davis’ 110th-straight A-Leagues appearance gets underway in Newcastle.
