Sydney FC’s immaculate Liberty A-League season has cruised past another test, seeing off Brisbane in a 2-0 win at Leichhardt Oval.
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A goal and an assist earned Charlize Rule player of the match honours and three points for her side in a commanding display that rarely saw the competition leaders on the back foot.
The clean sheet saw Sydney break the Liberty A-League record for longest time without conceding a goal, eclipsing the previous mark of 12 hours and 12 minutes in moving to 25 of a possible 27 points this season.
“I was sort of aware. It’s nice for probably the players more than myself and probably the fans, but it’s really nice to have a record,” Sydney coach Ante Juric told Paramount Plus.
“I thought we were a little bit disjointed today but we kept working hard and being there for each other. Second half was a lot better … the key is working hard and being structured and disciplined.”
It didn’t take the home side long to assert themselves. They went ahead inside five minutes after Maria Rojas volleyed home Rule’s chipped cross after finding an acre of space inside the Roar box.
Before the Sky Blues could run away with the game, Brisbane found a half-chance for Larissa Crummer but her left foot couldn’t guide a shot goalwards, while a strike from Mariel Hecher on 17 minutes should have done more to threaten Sydney keeper Jada Whyman.
Five minutes later Roar’s Shea Connors should have levelled things up after finding herself through on goal, but her shot targeting the near post couldn’t beat Whyman’s outstretched right paw.
Sydney would find their second on 48 minutes through Rule, who nodded home from close range after a scramble from a corner.
“Story of our lives, right? We’ve just been trying and trying and trying and not scoring,” a frustrated Hecher told Paramount Plus.
“Both halves we (showed) a lack of attention in the first five minutes.”
Things got even worse for the visitors shortly before the hour, with Annabel Haffenden sent off after dragging down Rojas as she looked to shoot from just outside the box.
The Sky Blues wouldn’t make the player advantage count though with a stinging hit from Hawkesby in the 80th that struck the post their best chance of the contest’s dying minutes.
“We’re happy to get the win, the first half wasn’t as good as we want it to be, they’re a really good side so I think we got a bit of a rude shock,” Sydney midfielder Rachel Lowe said after an eighth straight game without conceding.
“Being on top of the table we can sometimes get a bit complacent. So it’s just important for us to keep our heads down, take every team as it comes and try and keep pushing the gap.”
