Adelaide United downed Brisbane Roar 1-0 at QSAC on Sunday afternoon in a hard-fought Westfield W-League encounter in which the home team were reduced to 10 players in the opening minutes.
Adelaide United downed Brisbane Roar 1-0 at QSAC on Sunday afternoon in a hard-fought Westfield W-League encounter in which the home team were reduced to 10 players in the opening minutes.
Substitute Daniela Di Bartolo scored in the 73rd minute for Adelaide despite Brisbane having the better of the play for much of the second half.
The game got a dose of drama early on when Brisbane defender Laura Alleway conceded a penalty and was given her marching orders in the fifth minute for bringing down a flying Kristy Moore in the box.
The only consolation for the Roar, who were left to negotiate the remaining 85 minutes in hot conditions with a player down, was that Daila-Tais Borg failed to convert the penalty, her attempt slamming against the crossbar to ensure the scores remained level.
Despite Adelaide’s numerical advantage, the first half remained tight, with chances few and far between.
The Roar’s Hayley Raso came close after 25 minutes when she turned beautifully and drove into the box, but her shot was well parried by Adelaide keeper Melissa Barbieri.
With Jayah Brown bearing down on goal after being released with a delightful through ball, Brisbane goalkeeper Nadine Angerer raced out of her area to clear the threat.
The German import was at it again moments later when she forcefully slid in to thwart Moore on the edge of the box in what was the last clear chance in the first half.
Brisbane went on the attack after the break, with Katrina Gorry firing a shot just over the bar after being teed up by Vedrana Popovic.
Raso then intelligently poked a pass in front of Calire Polkinghorne who was steaming down the right flank, and the Roar captain’s powerful shot careened against the crossbar.
Riding beat the offside trap to find herself one-on-one with Angerer, but the German produced a sensational save to tip her effort wide.
Adelaide were in front soon after though, when dynamic build up play resulted in a goalmouth scramble, and substitute Di Bartolo was on hand to crack the ball into the back of the net from close range.
A sensational solo run and pass from Raso gave Amy Chapman a chance to equalise for the Roar, but her low shot was kept out of the bottom corner by a diving Barbieri.
The visitors were able to keep Brisbane at bay for the remainder of the second half to claim a valuable away win.
Brisbane Roar 0
Adelaide United 1 (Di Bartolo 73)
Brisbane Roar: 1. Nadine Angerer (gk), 2. Laura Alleway, 3. Amy Chapman, 4. Clare Pokinghorne (c), 5. Brooke Spence (14. Natasha Wheeler 77) , 7. Kim Carrol, 8. Elise Kellond-Knight, 9. Larissa Crummer (6. Joanne Burgess 75) , 10. Katrina-Lee Gorry, 11. Vedrana Popovic (19. Ayesha Kirby 68), 16. Hayley Raso
Adelaide United: 1. Melissa Barbieri (gk), 3. Alexandra Gummer, 5. Jessie Wharepouri, 7. Rachel Quigley (4. Tegan Riding 53), 9. Lisa-Marie Woods, 12. Daila-Tais Borg, 14. Jahah Brown (19. Daniela Di Bartolo 55), 15. Jenna McCormick, 17. Tiarn Powell (6. Laura Stockdale 59) , 21. Snez Veljanovska, 23. Kristy Moore (c)
