It was a hot and humid afternoon in Brisbane (when isn't it?) as the game got underway on an ill bit shabby surface.

Sydney was quick out of the gates though, quick to make an impact, as Savannah McCaskill spotted Mackenzie Arnold off her line and had a shot.

The team in blue continued to put the Roar under pressure but to avail. 

Down the other end, Roar was forced to shoot from outside the box with Sydney embarking on 'trying to get as many people behind the ball as possible' tactic. 

Although Sydney defenders were caught off guard when Allira Toby was put through, the shot was across the goal mouth. 

There was a wary moment when Clare Polkinghorne tried to shadow the ball to Arnold, with the latter kicking it right into the Roar captain and the ball bounced towards the goal. Thankfully for the home side, Arnold picked it back up.

However, with the way the play was so even, no one expected the first goal to happen the way it did. Roar failed to clear a goalmouth scramble from a Sydney corner with Nat Tobin tapping the ball into the net.

Not long after, the Sky Blues were awarded a penalty when the ball bounced into an unknowing Leah Davidson with referee Lara Lee giving her a yellow and the crowd were not happy. The spot kick was perfectly placed by Caitlin Foord to extend Sydney's lead. 

It would take something special to get Roar back into the game and that came in the form of Allira Toby. 

Roar were still within reach of a draw but it became quite a physical battle between the two long-standing rivals. 

There was resounding applause when Hayley Raso made her return to the pitch for the first time in five months after suffering a broken back. She made an instant impact when she received the ball and looked to be in on goal, the shot went close. 

The start second half was much the same as the first, with both sides clearly having their chances but the physically of the game hit a few players harder than expected. 

It was pretty brutal.

In one circumstance, Yuki Nagasato was tackled, which appeared to be a foul but the referee didn't stop the play, it continued. The result would see Foord grab her second of the day with a lob over Arnold. 

While for Sydney, Ralston was down for an extended period with what appeared to be a lower leg injury but after while she was able to continue.

Special mention has to go to Celeste Boureille, who was instrumental once again for Brisbane, her foot skills were second to none as she continued to punish players who tried to stop her. 

At one stage, she managed to round a player who tracked her down and fouled her. 

There were calls for a penalty from Roar well into the half with the ball hitting Alanna Kennedy, much like the first, it bounced into the arms of the player, but nothing eventuated. If the referee saw it the same as Davidson's in the first half, it would've meant a second yellow card of the match for the central defender. 

Roar continued searching for the goals that would keep them in second place on the ladder but Aubrey Bledsoe wasn't letting anything get past her. 

Raso had a bit of an unlucky finish to the game with Princess Ibini's clearance going square smack into her face, everyone felt it in the crowd. 

The win for Sydney now lifts them into second just one point behind Melbourne Victory, while Roar goes down to third for now.