Roar beat Sky Blues, City snatch tough ALW derby win

[Pelican Press 0]

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Roar beat Sky Blues, City ******* tough ALW derby win

Brisbane defender Chelsea Blissett has repeated her heroics against Sydney FC to condemn the reigning A-League Women champions to two straight defeats.

A year on from clinching a 1-0 victory in the same fixture, Blissett again scored the only goal at Perry Park to knock over the competition heavyweights.

Also on Saturday, Mariana Speckmaier scored a brace as Melbourne City outmuscled Melbourne Victory to claim a 3-2 win and underline their credentials as title fancies.

The Roar got on the front foot before the main break when Blissett netted in added time.

With the hosts earning a free kick after Sydney’s Tori Tumeth fouled Evdokiya Popadinova on the left wing, Blissett went for home and the ball ricocheted frenetically before deflecting off Hana Lowry into the net.

Shea Connors and substitute Princess Ibini worked overtime in the second half to salvage a draw for Sydney, but their efforts found no reward as Matildas veteran Tameka Yallop dominated for Brisbane.

A potential injury to recruit Millie Farrow only adds to the Sky Blues’ woes.

The Englishwoman appeared to have suffered a hamstring injury in the 40th minute after tumbling over opposition goalkeeper Olivia Sekany while attempting to goal.

Farrow tried to play on but went to ground two minutes later and was eventually replaced by Ibini.

City are outright top of the league after coming back from 2-1 down to grab bragging rights over local rivals Victory at AAMI Park.

In a physical and occasionally spiteful clash, Victory star Alex Chidiac was among those fouled multiple times.

“I don’t know what it is. She gets no protection out there,” Victory coach Jeff Hopkins said of Chidiac.

“She gets absolutely smashed, like hit off the ball. It’s very disappointing.”

City counterpart Michael Matricciani insisted Chidiac hadn’t been a deliberate target, while Hopkins was generally unhappy with his team’s physicality compared with that of their rivals.

“Apart from maybe three or four players, they were physically, not better than us, but more determined,” Hopkins said.

“For want of a better word, they were up for it and wanted it more than we did. That’s just not acceptable. Basic errors cost us.”

City took the lead in the sixth minute after Lourdes Bosch went on a tantalising run down the left before squaring the ball for Speckmaier to toe-poke home.

But Victory equalised in the 20th minute after Bryleeh Henry clipped Emily Gielnik, with the striker converting.

Victory took the lead in the 42nd minute after Chidiac released Nicki Flannery, whose excellent cut-back was met first-time by Alana Jancevski.

A horror mistake at the back brought City level.

Under minimal pressure, Claudia Bunge hit a shallow backpass towards Courtney Newbon and Bosch nipped in to pinch the ball away and score.

For City’s winner in the 84th minute, Leticia McKenna brilliantly released Speckmaier to burst away and clinically finish.

Gielnik finished the game with ice on her left calf, but Hopkins said she had just cramped.

Victory are still without first-choice goalkeeper Lydia Williams, who will have further assessment on a wrist injury.

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#Roar #beat #Sky #Blues #City #******* #tough #ALW #derby #win

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