Adam Taggart hit both goals as Brisbane Roar registered their first win of the season in a 2-0 defeat of Melbourne City at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
The in-form forward struck either side of half-time to boost his tally to five in as many matches this season, lifting John Aloisi’s side into sixth.
City remain a point ahead in fourth but are at risk of slipping down the ladder by the end of rebel Female Football Round.
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Warren Joyce might have wished he hadn’t omitted Bruno Fornaroli when Ritchie de Laet and Florin Berenguer both failed to beat Jamie Young in the opening 25 minutes.
City came to rue the missed opportunities just before the half-hour mark as Taggart met Eric Bautheac’s cross with a powerful header to break the deadlock.
Parity might have been restored soon after the break had Lachlan Wales, playing as an out-and-out striker, not poked an attempt into the near post from a narrow angle.
Instead, it was left to Taggart to double his tally in the 66th minute with an emphatic finish on the end of a move he and Alex Lopez impressively constructed.
Harrison Delbridge prevented the scoreline from ballooning out by bravely nodding a firm Connor O’Toole effort off the line as the half wore on but there were no such heroics in attack for City, who slumped to their second loss of the season.