Western United fell to consecutive defeats in the Liberty A-League Women, going down 2-0 to Brisbane Roar on Saturday afternoon.
The Green and Black failed to take its chances despite dominating much of the first-half, allowing the hosts to take the lead before the break via a wonderful Shea Connors strike.
United struggled to lift its game in the second half and Brisbane confirmed the win in added time when Connors placed her second goal into the bottom right corner.
Team News
Mark Torcaso opted for a slight alteration in his system with one change from last week seeing Emma Robers come in for Danielle Steer.
That meant that Robers, Jaclyn Sawicki and the Taranto twins all started together in midfield for the first time, with Hannah Keane and Tyla Jay Vlajnic playing up front together.
First Half
Western United looked to get on the ball immediately and built a couple of nice passages of possession in an attempt to gain control early.
Keane had the first big chance of the match when she dispossessed Kajsa Lind on the halfway line and tried a quick shot from distance, but the No.9 couldn’t lift it high enough to lob the goalkeeper, allowing Hensley Hancuff to make the save.
The American striker was involved again soon after when she was played in behind and Hancuff was again able to thwart her, this time from a tight angle inside the box.
Brisbane pounced against the run of play, though, taking the lead in the 19th minute with a magnificent goal as Katrina Gorry picked out Connors with a long ball before the striker did the rest with a brilliant left-footed strike into the top corner.
That opener seemed to rattle United slightly and Brisbane hit the crossbar when Kijah Stephenson let fly from outside the box.
Brisbane’s tails were up but United continued to look dangerous in possession, and it was the visitors’ turn to strike the woodwork on the half hour mark when Adriana Taranto’s effort curled into the left-hand upright.
United continued to enjoy the majority of possession but couldn’t quite get things to click in the final third, heading into the break with a deficit to overturn.
Second Half
United needed to come out firing in the second half but Brisbane were able to find time on the ball and control the pace of the game.
When the visitors did get on the ball, Brisbane were content with sitting in a compact low block and were able to frustrate United in possession.
United was left to force risky balls into midfield, one of which was cut off to give Connors a big chance at a second goal, but Hillary Beall made a stunning save to keep the deficit at one.
Mark Torcaso’s team went up the other end and hit the woodwork for the second time in the match as Jaclyn Sawicki danced through traffic before hitting the crossbar with her strike.
Brisbane continued to keep United at arm’s length in possession and the Green and Black was made to rue a number of misplaced and ill-decided passes in the final third.
United was unable to find any sort of rhythm on the ball and aside from a handful of balls into the box and half chances, Brisbane’s goal was left largely untroubled.
That allowed the hosts to seal the result in injury time when Connors got in behind again and finished into the bottom corner, consigning United to a second straight defeat.
