ID :
41233
Sat, 01/17/2009 - 18:06
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/41233
The shortlink copeid
Roar win inaugural W-League championship
Queensland Roar claimed the inaugural W-League championship with a solid 2-0 win over Canberra United at Ballymore in Brisbane.
First half goals from Lana Harch and Tameka Butt were enough to see the Roar home in
front of 4,554 spectators, a record crowd for a stand-alone Australian women's
domestic match.
Premiers Queensland overcame recent indifferent form, including a penalty shoot-out
semi-final win against Sydney FC, to dominate the early stages.
Player of the match Harch eased hometown nerves when she opened the scoring in just
the sixth minute crashing home from close range following up Courtney Beutel's
header that had looped off the crossbar.
Midfielder Butt doubled the advantage just 17 minutes later with a shot from the
edge of the penalty area that took a slight deflection in a crowded goalmouth before
entering the goal off the post.
United lacked their usual fluency in attack and rarely threatened the Roar goal in
the first half.
Canberra were the only team to defeat the Roar during the regular season claiming a
win and a draw but were without young defender Rebecca Kiting who failed a match-day
fitness test, with their Matildas midfielder Amy Chapman forced off at half time
through injury.
The team from the nation's capital were denied a goal early in the second half when
a header from substitute Ashleigh Sykes was ruled out in a narrow offside call.
An even second period saw chances at both ends notably Caitlin Munoz hitting the
side-netting for Canberra, and Roar skipper Kate McShea guiding a header into the
arms of United goalkeeper Lydia Williams.
The win by the Roar maintains a strong record by Queensland who won four of the nine
championships played in the old Women's National Soccer League including the final
season in 2004.
"It was a really pleasing performance," said Roar coach Jeff Hopkins.
"We were under a little bit of pressure coming in as premiers and perhaps being
expected to win the game, but it just shows the quality and character that we have
in the squad that the players performed under a lot of pressure.
"We really blew them away in the first 20 minutes or so. The second half was not
pretty but we had done enough early, that if we stayed organised and disciplined
Canberra would have to chase the game.
"Take nothing away from Canberra though because they came in and put on a good show
and to their credit they didn't stop to the last kick of the game which made for a
really good contest."
First half goals from Lana Harch and Tameka Butt were enough to see the Roar home in
front of 4,554 spectators, a record crowd for a stand-alone Australian women's
domestic match.
Premiers Queensland overcame recent indifferent form, including a penalty shoot-out
semi-final win against Sydney FC, to dominate the early stages.
Player of the match Harch eased hometown nerves when she opened the scoring in just
the sixth minute crashing home from close range following up Courtney Beutel's
header that had looped off the crossbar.
Midfielder Butt doubled the advantage just 17 minutes later with a shot from the
edge of the penalty area that took a slight deflection in a crowded goalmouth before
entering the goal off the post.
United lacked their usual fluency in attack and rarely threatened the Roar goal in
the first half.
Canberra were the only team to defeat the Roar during the regular season claiming a
win and a draw but were without young defender Rebecca Kiting who failed a match-day
fitness test, with their Matildas midfielder Amy Chapman forced off at half time
through injury.
The team from the nation's capital were denied a goal early in the second half when
a header from substitute Ashleigh Sykes was ruled out in a narrow offside call.
An even second period saw chances at both ends notably Caitlin Munoz hitting the
side-netting for Canberra, and Roar skipper Kate McShea guiding a header into the
arms of United goalkeeper Lydia Williams.
The win by the Roar maintains a strong record by Queensland who won four of the nine
championships played in the old Women's National Soccer League including the final
season in 2004.
"It was a really pleasing performance," said Roar coach Jeff Hopkins.
"We were under a little bit of pressure coming in as premiers and perhaps being
expected to win the game, but it just shows the quality and character that we have
in the squad that the players performed under a lot of pressure.
"We really blew them away in the first 20 minutes or so. The second half was not
pretty but we had done enough early, that if we stayed organised and disciplined
Canberra would have to chase the game.
"Take nothing away from Canberra though because they came in and put on a good show
and to their credit they didn't stop to the last kick of the game which made for a
really good contest."
