Canberra United 3-2 Brisbane Roar
by Joe Rosedon (2/11/24)
Above: Maja Markovski (far left) celebrates as Canberra United record an impressive opening round win today. Photo: Canberra United.
Canberra United claimed victory against Brisbane Roar in a thrilling season opener. A brace from new signing Maja Markovski, who carried on her superb NPLW Victoria form, and a sensational volley from Mary Stanic-Floody gave the home team enough to win despite spirited comebacks from Brisbane.
Despite the Roar’s bright start, it was the home side who opened the scoring and with devastating efficacy to boot. The move started at the feet of Sally James and was concluded when Emma Robers’ lifted through ball found Michelle Heyman’s run in behind. Her effort was parried by Olivia Sekany into the path of an onrushing Markovski to tap into a virtually empty net.
The visitors really should have equalised when Hayley Taylor Young’s poor first touch was pounced upon by Tamar Levin. James stood tall in the Canberra goal and was able to deny Levin from close range.
The Roar were duly punished for the miss. Markovski’s deft touch directed the ball towards Tegan Bertolissio. The fullback took the aerial route, with the intention of finding Heyman. Leia Varley won the dual against the Canberra captain but could only direct her clearance towards Stanic-Floody who thumped the ball home on the volley to double the home side’s advantage.
In response, Brisbane were wasteful in front of goal again. Sharn Freier was somehow unable to turn the ball home when Sally James tipped a cross from Deborah Anne de la Harpe directly into her path. The Matilda could not direct her header goalward.
Brisbane needed a goal soon after the restart if they stood any chance of getting a result. They were able to do just that. A brilliant switch of play from Tameka Yallop found her Matildas’ teammate Freier unmarked. Freier drove to the by-line, evaded Taylor-Young and cut the ball back for Evdokiya Popadinova to score on her Brisbane debut.
Canberra were able to restore their two goal cushion only five minutes later and Stanic- Floody and Markovski were involved once again. After multiple long balls into Brisbane’s penalty area, Stanic-Floody was eventually able to direct the ball into the path of Markoski. She did not make the cleanest contact with the ball and was aided by a deflection; but it was enough to beat Sekany.
As expected, Brisbane ramped up the pressure for the remainder of the game looking to salvage anything. They did manage to pull a goal back in the dying stages of the game. Deborah-Ann de la Harpe’s deflected free-kick gave the visitors a glimmer of hope, but Canberra stayed resolute to claim all three points.
Teams: CANBERRA UNITED (3-4-2-1): James, McKenzine, Taylor-Young, Bertolissio, Stanic-Floody, Robers, Christopherson, Malone, Markovski, Keane, Heyman. Substitutes: Majstorovic, Murray, Dos Santos, Nathan, Bowman.
Scorers: Markovski 15’, 56’. Stanic-Floody 31’.
BRISBANE ROAR (4-1-4-1): Sekany, Varley, de la Harpe, McQueen, Blissett, Hayahsi, Freier, Levin, Yallop, Woods, Popadinova. Substitutes: Kruger, Kuilamu, Hoyos, Pringle, Gibson.
Scorers: Popadiynova 50’, de la Harpe 89’.
Referee: Rachael Mitchenson.
Attendance: 1,180.
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