Brisbane Roar 4-4 Western Sydney Wanderers
By Kieran Yap 13/4/25
Above: The Wanderers celebrated Madison McComasky’s goal Photo: A-Leagues.
Brisbane Roar’s season has ended. The competition’s early pace-setters have missed the top six following a dramatic draw with Western Sydney Wanderers. A Tameka Yallop hattrick and a Momo Hayashi wonder-goal were not enough to secure three points thanks to a game changing cameo from Holly Caspers and a red card for both sides.
Brisbane had everything to play for in the second last round of the season. A win would all but cement a sixth-place spot on the ladder, anything less and they would become dependent on the result in Canberra with a game to play.
Western Sydney arrived at Perry Park with Caspers and Sienna Saveska on the bench, on paper at least, it handed the prerogative to the home side and Brisbane started fast. Tameka Yallop opened the scoring in the 16th minute after meeting Emily Pringle’s cut back with an excellent first-time finish.
Yallop doubled the lead soon after, receiving the ball on the edge of the box and maintaining control despite a stumble to shoot into the bottom far corner.
Bronte Trew provided The Wanderers with a lifeline just minutes later, cutting in from the right side of the penalty box and finishing under Keeley Richards, and in an already captivating game, there was more drama to come before half time.
With the clock ticking down in added time, both Laini Freier and Sham Khamis were shown red cards after an altercation before a corner kick. Khamis seemed reluctant to release the ball for a corner kick and Freier tried to force the issue before the half time whistle. What transpired was as confusing as it was chaotic and needless, and both players were shown straight reds after Freier lashed out and Khamis retaliated.
With both teams reduced to 10 players, the second half was open and at time frenetic. Hayashi returned the two-goal cushion to The Roar with a sublime volley that she set herself up for with a flicked control.
With the floodgates threatening to open, The Wanderers substitutes stepped up. Saveska’s typically dangerous corner found the head of Caspers and it was 3-2. Caspers influence grew further when her run and cross ended with Madison McComansky’s close range finish to make it 3-3.
Yallop’s third goal of the afternoon sent the home crowd into delirium. Her 85th minute header looked to have sealed all three points and finals football. The captain could barely have done more in this game or this season, but it was not enough and Sophie Harding’s long range strike broke the hearts of Roar players while sending the home team in in Canberra into jubilation.
The result ends what was once a promising season for Brisbane Roar. After looking like premiership and championship contenders, significant injuries and unfortunate form dips saw them face a series of must-win games that they were unable to rise to. The quality is there, but losing Hyashi and Wolfsburg-bound Sharn Freier to mid season injuries proved to be insurmountable challenges.
It was not a wasted season, the emergence of Alicia Woods and Grace Kuilamu as genuine young stars of this competition are positive for the club and Australian Football. The sale of Freier was also massive for the league and Laini Freier earning a first Matildas cap following a pair of consecutive hatricks will remain a highlight.
However, this was not the way they envisaged their season ending, and may long feel like an opportunity lost.
This game had everything. It was quality and chaos. Beauty and heartbreak. And in the end, nobody on this pitch won.
Teams: BRISBANE ROAR (4-3-3): Richards, De La Harpe, Varley, McQueen, Blissett, Hayashi, Woods, Yallop, Popadinova, L Freier, Pringle. Substitutes: Hecher, Kruger, Morris, Cuthbert, Gibbon.
Scorers: Yallop 16’, 29’, 85’. Hayashi 68’
WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (3-4-2-1): Khamis, Harrison, McComansky, Matos, Rue, Harada, Chessari, Buchanan, Younis, Price, Trew. Substitutes: Saveska, Caspers, Harding, Hall, Bennett.
Scorers: Trew 37’, Caspers 73’, McComasky 85’, Harding 90+2’.
Referee: Molly Godsell
Attendance: 2,355.
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