It’s getting tight at the top

After 90 minutes of play, the score line was 0-0 at Leichhardt Oval.

Both teams had periods of dominance. Brisbane enjoyed most of the attacking opportunities at the beginning of the first half, with Sydney FC seeing the majority of possession as the game went on.  

These two sides cancelled each other out – one team would have a chance on goal, only for the other to reply with an equally as dangerous opportunity.

The game was reflective of where these two teams are on the table – Sydney in second  spot, and Brisbane not far behind them in fourth.

With these two top sides both in form, the game was an absolute arm wrestle.

By the end of the match, possession and shooting statistics were relatively even, with Sydney just coming out on top.

Both teams are serious contenders for the finals series, with tonight’s hard-fought game a likely preview of what is yet to come…

Scheduling can have a massive impact

The scheduling of tonight’s match was a tough ask for both sides.

Brisbane Roar had their last scheduled match four days ago against Western Sydney, whilst Sydney FC played against Canberra United away from home only three days ago.

The Thursday night clash gave neither side much time to prepare, nor to recover from their last games.

The game started off sluggishly, especially for Sydney FC. The Sky Blues were slow to get into the groove of the match and were shaky at the back on a few occasions.

Both teams gave the ball away too easily in parts of the game, and some players were noticeably and understandably tired towards the end of the match.

Having said that, the quality of the game overall was exceptional for two sides backing up in wet weather conditions with little time for recovery – it shows the growing quality and professionalism of women’s football and our W-League.

The irony is that both Sydney and Brisbane won’t play another W-League game for almost a month, due to a break in scheduling for the FIFA Women’s International window.

Polkinghorne is a brick wall

Brisbane’s second straight clean sheet tonight was largely thanks to Clare Polkinghorne.

Polkinghorne put her body on the line for her side, and she was an absolute brick wall for Brisbane.

The 30-year old was certainly the player of the match. She was everywhere in defence, and able to snuff out the final ball before it caused problems for Mackenzie Arnold.

If one of her teammates got caught out, Polkinghorne was there to clean up the scraps.

Sydney’s attack are quality, but they didn’t have anywhere near as many chances because she was there to extinguish them.   

Polkinghorne is a vital part of Brisbane’s line-up, and Jake Goodship will be doing everything he can to ensure that the defender stays fit and keeps her form towards the end of the season.