Westfield Matildas midfielder Hayley Raso was at her brilliant best as Brisbane Roar thumped Western Sydney Wanderers in a dominant 4-0 win on Sunday afternoon.
The Roar scored all their goals in the second half and Raso was in the thick of all the action, scoring one goal from nine shots throughout the game.
Raso felt she could have had a handful of goals on the day and her five shots on target vindicate that thought, but despite her misfortunes in front of goal the dynamic attacker still put on a performance befitting of her usual high standards.
Meanwhile, Raso’s Westfield Matildas and Roar teammate Katrina Gorry was experiencing an enjoyable day out of her own, notching an assist late in the game after overturning possession to play Aliira Toby in to slot home her second of the day, sealing a thumping 4-0 victory for the visitors.
Mackenzie Arnold pulled off a range of good stops as Elise Kellond-Knight supplemented Gorry in the engine room, while Clare Polkinghorne was at her best to keep the previously free-scoring Wanderers at bay.
Westfield Matildas midfielder Amy Harrison and her Wanderers outfit had no answer for the relentless Roar in a performance which paled in comparison to their recent romps in the Westfield W-League.
The result lifts Raso, Gorry and co. to within three points of the Wanderers in third place on the Westfield W-League table, although the Red and Black do have a game in hand.
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As the Roar notched an impressive 4-0 win on the road, Melbourne City did the same on their home deck against a Canberra United side bereft of answers to the threats posed by the league-leaders last Thursday night.
Westfield Matildas stars Lydia Williams, Steph Catley, Emma Checker, Ellie Carpenter, Aivi Luik, Emily van Egmond and Kyah Simon all featured from the start for City as they flew out of the blocks with Simon scoring her first of two goals for the night in the fifth minute of play.
The Westfield Matildas striker would add a second just before half time before to make it 3-0 after City striker Claire Emslie scored the second from the penalty spot midway through the first stanza.
With 15 minutes to play van Egmond stepped forward to score her side’s fourth, and what a goal it was; the Westfield Matilda took one touch outside the box which popped into the air for van Egmond to chip on the volley from outside the box over Sham Khamis, off the bar and into the net.
It was a rough night for Westfield Matilda and Canberra defender Karly Roestbakken, and her misery was compounded just four days later when United shipped four more goals against the ruthless Sydney FC on Monday night.
Westfield Matildas midfielder Chloe Logarzo assisted Veronica Latsko’s first goal in Sydney FC colours to make the score 2-0 at the half hour mark before scoring a sublime back-heel volley from close range which stumped Khamis in United’s goal and extended the Sky Blues’ lead to three.
Caitlin Foord assisted the Logarzo goal after winning a 50/50 on the by-line and dribbling into the box to find Logarzo at the front post, and with the clock ticking down in the second half Foord notched a second assist in similar style, cutting a cross back to the tip of the box, finding Sofia Huerta unmarked to slot home Sydney’s fourth of the afternoon.
Alanna Kennedy was largely untroubled in Sydney FC’s defence as they kept a clean sheet, leapfrogging the Wanderers into second place on the Westfield W-League table to keep in touch with City who are four points ahead leading into the final stage of the season.
Upcoming Matches – Westfield Matildas
Westfield Matildas v Chinese Taipei
Date: Monday, 3 February 2020
Venue: Five Rings Sports Centre, Wuhan, China
Kick-off: 4.00pm (local); 7.00pm (AEDT)
Thailand v Westfield Matildas
Date: Thursday, 6 February 2020
Venue: Five Rings Sports Centre, Wuhan, China
Kick-off: 4.00pm (local); 7.00pm (AEDT)
Westfield Matildas v China PR
Date: Sunday, 9 February 2020
Venue: Five Rings Sports Centre, Wuhan, China
Kick-off: 7.30pm (local); 10.30pm (AEDT)
Ticketing & broadcast information to be advised.
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