Melbourne City have defeated a 10-player Brisbane Roar 4-0 in a result that has become a regular occurrence this season.
Despite heading into the contest without stars Lisa De Vanna and Jess Fishlock, Kim Little and Larissa Crummer took the reigns with brilliant braces each, making Brisbane pay for Ruth Blackburn’s red card in the 50th minute, with all the game’s goals coming after that incident.
The early stages saw City take control of proceedings without fashioning many clear cut chances.
Steph Catley, promoted to captain, was busy on the left side, combining well with Beattie Goad and delivering a number of dangerous balls into the box.
The best chance of the opening 20 minutes fell to Brisbane however as Katrina Gorry pounced on a City error in the defensive third to tee up Amy Chapman for a shot that was hit straight at Trudy Burke.
The hosts found another gear thereafter and started peppering the opposition’s goals.
Haley Kopmeyer was on her guard to produce a fantastic double save, tipping Aivi Luik’s shot from distance over the bar, before also denying Amy Jackson’s effort from the resulting corner.
The keeper then did well to adjust her footing to save Kim Little’s deflect set-piece after Beattie Goad won a free kick in a dangerous position.
Despite City’s flurries, Brisbane were able to keep the score deadlocked for the remainder of the half, and almost pipped the lead before the break when Emily Gielnik’s free kick just sailed over the bar.
It all unraveled after the restart, however, as Ruth Blackburn was sent off for an alleged stray elbow on Kim Little.
Brisbane were made to pay immediately as a mistake by Clare Polkinghorne was punished by the Scottish international, who got her revenge on the scoreboard by latching onto Marianna Tabain’s through ball and finishing emphatically.
She completed her brace minutes later, cutting in and dancing past Kopmeyer before finishing into an empty net, effectively killing off the contest.
City’s numerical advantage didn’t stop Gielnik from getting forward and pressuring the hosts, making Burke pull off a fine low save to keep her clean sheet intact.
Crummer got in on the act late in the contest, scoring two goals in as many minutes to drive the nail through Brisbane’s coffin.
The first goal came about from Kim Little’s dangerous set-piece, with the Roar unable to clear their lines, allowing the striker to pounce in the box.
The second was the result of good build up work from her teammates, finishing off proceedings with her eighth goal in six games.
Melbourne City 2 (Little 53′ 60′ Crummer 78′ 80′) defeated Brisbane Roar 0 at CB Smith Reserve
Melbourne City FC: 20. Trudy BURKE (GK), 4. Jennifer BEATTIE, 5. Laura ALLEWAY, 6. Aivi LUIK ©, 7. Stephanie CATLEY, 8. Kim LITTLE, 9. Larissa CRUMMER (14. Melina AYRES 82′), 13. Rebekah STOTT, 15. Amy JACKSON (18. Anisa GUAJARDO 87′), 16. Beattie GOAD (3. Alex Chidiac 67′), 17. Marianna TABAIN.
Unused Substitutes: 1. Brianna Davey (GK)
Yellow Cards: Guajardo 90′
Brisbane Roar: 1. Haley KOPMEYER (GK), 3. Amy CHAPMAN (18. Maili FORBES 73′), 4. Clare POLKINGHORNE, 6. Angela BEARD, 10. Katrina GORRY, 11. Kirsty YALLOP, 12. Alisha FOOTE, 13. Tameka BUTT (16. Ashley Spina 81′), 14. Summer O’BRIEN, 15. Ruth BLACKBURN, 17. Emily GIELNIK
Unused Substitutes:19. Sofie PERSSON, 20. Carrie SIMPSON (GK)
Yellow Cards:
Red Cards: Blackburn 50′