Brisbane Roar Women secured a well-earned victory against the Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night at Marconi Stadium.
A debut goal in orange on the half-hour mark from American import Carson Pickett was enough for Mel Andreatta's side to take the three points in a tense Westfield W-League Round 3 battle.
Brisbane controlled possession and dominated field position throughout the match, constantly causing the Wanderers defense plenty of problems during the 90 minutes of action.
Head Coach Mel Andreatta was pleased with the performance and the will to win shown by her brave Roar side.
"It's never easy to play the Wanderers away from home and I cannot be prouder of the effort shown by the whole squad today," Andreatta said.
"There were so many stand out performers for us and I am happy we got the reward for the positive way in which we approached this match.
"It has been a solid start to the season with two away victories and today was an important three points for our season."
Midfield maestro Katrina Gorry pulled the strings, while rock-solid American number six Celeste Bourielle dominated the majority of the contests which helped Brisbane's forward momentum.
It was not all one-way traffic for the Roar Women however with inform goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold being called on twice in the second half to deny the home side from drawing level.
In the end the Roar Women picked up a second win of season 10 and an all-important first clean sheet for 2017/18.
Mel Andreatta's side returns home to Brisbane next Friday night to take on a dangerous Adelaide United team at Suncorp Stadium. Kick-off 4:20pm local QLD time.
"Last week against Perth Glory we were unable to give our supporter groups a victory at Suncorp Stadium. It is fantastic to be able to get a win for them against the Wanderers this week," Andreatta added.
STORY OF THE GAME
- The Roar Women started the contest strongly dominating possession and field position with patient build-up play from the outset.
- American Carson Pickett scored her debut goal in orange on half-hour. The left back's fantastic free-kick found its way into the back of the net to give the away side the lead.
- The Wanderers worked their way into the game in the second half with Mackenzie Arnold’s quality save and a goal-line clearance denying the home team from drawing level.
- Brisbane was controlling the midfield throughout the contest with Celeste Boureille a shining light for Mel Andreatta's side.
- The Roar closed the game out, muting the Wanderers’ offence and securing the three points and a first clean sheet of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
Westfield W-League 2017/18: Round 3 – Western Sydney Wanderers v Brisbane Roar
Marconi Stadium, Sydney
Friday, 10 November
Western Sydney Wanderers 0
Brisbane Roar 1 (30' Pickett)
Half-time: 0-1