Sydney FC have taken their recent ominous form to another level with a stunning Westfield W-League record 11-0 victory over an outclassed Perth Glory at Leichhardt Oval.
The Sky Blues led at half-time thanks to a Renee Rollason double, before a nine-goal second-half blitz, including five in 15 minutes immediately after the interval. Rollason, Kylie Ledbrook and Leena Khamis all hit hat-tricks as Sydney rewrote the record books in the most emphatic fashion imaginable.
The win easily eclipsed the previous competition record of 7-1 achieved by Newcastle Jets last season against Adelaide United.
The Premiers had too much quality all over the park with Perth’s youthful inexperience on show as last season’s premiers turned the screws in the second period.
Sydney’s depth exemplified with Matildas Sarah Walsh and Simon on the bench, the latter making her first appearance of the season following a knee injury.
The Glory, meanwhile, were hoping for a boost with a long-awaited debut of Norway international Lisa-Marie Woods.
Sydney bombarded the Glory goal during the early stages and the only surprise was that it took until midway through the half before the deadlock was broken.
Rollason finished from close range for the opening goal, following a typically pacy run and cross down the right from Caitlin Foord. In her first starting appearance of the season, Foord, Asia’s young player of the year, was enjoying the wide open expanses of Leichhardt Oval and had a hand in several goals before her substitution soon after half-time.
Two minutes before the interval Rollason scored with a near-carbon copy of the first, though this time the midfielder headed home the ball played in from the right.
The only attempt on goal of note for the Glory in opening half was a Marianna Tabain lofted effort which nestled on the roof of the net, but which goalkeeper Allison Lipsher likely had covered.
Any hopes of the Glory arresting the slide in the second half were dealt an immediate blow with Ledbrook finishing from close range to begin the goal barrage against what was to become a shell-shocked Perth side.
Rollason was the first to complete her treble, before Heather Garriock finished smartly at the far post only for the referee to rule an own goal against Tanya Oxtoby.
Perth struggled to maintain possession and Lipsher was effectively a spectator for the entire match.
Khamis then got in on the goalscoring with a close range finish, before a clinical far post header from Garriock’s well-flighted delivery. The prolific striker Khamis then finished off her hat-trick with a perfect low striker’s finish from the edge of the penalty area that went in off the far post.
Ledbrook then scored with a perfectly executed strike from even further out, before Simon marked her long-awaited return by collecting a loose ball and crashing from near the penalty spot.
Sydney FC 11 (Rollason 24, 42, 50, Ledbrook 47, 78, 87, Tanya Oxtoby 58og, Khamis 59, 60, 75, Simon 93)
Perth Glory 0
