City halted but show spirit to win from spot

For the first time all season, Melbourne City weren’t able to break through their opponents defence, although it mattered little as they booked their place in the W-League Grand Final with a 5-4 penalties win over Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park.

Visiting goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer was brilliant despite the loss, as were the impenetrable defensive unit comprising of Claire Polkinghorne, Ruth Blackman, Summer O’Brien and Angela Beard who held out the free-scoring, star-studded City for the entirety of the two-hour epic.

Match winning duties were left to Lisa De Vanna, who slotted home the winning penalty, having come off the bench in the first half on her return to football.

With the Roar’s creative spark in Katrina Gorry out due to suspension and both Larissa Crummer and De Vanna returning for City , the odds were weighted even further towards the hosts who held a perfect record through the regular season.

The game played out to a familiar tone, with City creating the higher percentage of opportunities in the first half.

A kind ricochet off teammate Jess Fishlock offered Marianna Tabain an early chance to open the scoring in front of a vocal home support, but her first-time, side-footed effort was well blocked by the covering Beard.

Crummer’s poor touch then soon saw a glorious opportunity go to waste, having been set up by a bursting run from Beattie Goad down the left who weighed a perfect centring ball towards the league’s top scorer.

A ghosting run from Kim Little was met with an equally well timed cross from Steph Catley, but despite having the time to settle before shooting, the effort was blocked by a brave interception from Brisbane defender Beard.

Little was in the thick of things once more on 20 minutes, this time forcing opposition keeper Kopmeyer into action as she rifled a low finish towards the bottom corner, which was brilliantly tipped wide of the post.

The creative force picked up the ball on the left corner of the 18-yard-box, where she was able to turn her marker to create space for the shot.

Brisbane had their first real meaningful foray forward just three minutes later but keeper Bri Davey was up to the task to smother Amy Chapman’s shot from a tight angle.

The City keeper was a lot luckier to survive her next test, as Brisbane rattled the crossbar directly from a corner kick, which fortunately for her bounced away to the relative safety of another corner.

A hamstring injury to Fishlock brought with it the return of De Vanna, who was a livewire from the moment she stepped on the park.

Some good wide from the forward play saw City regain ascendency and they should have taken the lead through De Vanna, who’s first touch from a raking Little ball helped her shape up brilliantly just eight yards from goal.

With a clear shot in front of her, she opted to unselfishly square up for an open Crummer, who was denied a tap-in by a brilliant clearance from skipper Claire Polkinghorne.

De Vanna then single handedly opened up the Brisbane defence with the play of the half, racing down the right flank in injury time before releasing an inch-perfect through ball for Steph Catley, splitting the needle between two Roar players.

The fullback – clean through on goal – saw her left footed effort brilliantly tipped over the bar by Kopmeyer to keep the score to nil.

The second half began with the momentum still in City’s favour, as De Vanna broke through within the first minute to beat the Roar keeper.

Despite her tidy low finish past Kopmeyer, she was unable to beat the offside flag, which saw the effort chalked off in a close run call.

The American stopper was proving to be the Roar’s most valuable asset as she made a brilliant double save to deny both Crummer and Tabain.

Both Amy Jackson and De Vanna floated efforts over the bar from outside of the area, while Sophie Persson for Brisbane also blazed over, albeit from inside the box.

Polkinghorne launched a flat pass down the line for Emily Gielnik on 72 minutes who saw her low drive across the face of goals blocked by a covering Jen Beattie.

Just five minutes later, Gielnik found a pocket of space at the far post from a corner kick, but volleyed wide of the post.

A magical touch from Little – which saw her scoop the ball around her opponent in midfield – created a paddock of space to play through De Vanna on the left, who under the pressure of Polkinghorne was unable to steer her shot on target.

Tameka Butt had a late chance to break the deadlock in Brisbane’s favour, but she saw her effort – laid off by Gielnik – deflected away by a desperate Laura Alleway.

0-0 it ended at the final whistle – the first time all season that Melbourne City had failed to win in regulation time.

A relatively tame opening half to extra time was sprung into life in its dying embers as Kopmeyer made another brilliant double save to deny City a winner.

The Seattle Reign keeper denied NWSL teammate Kim Little from 15-yards before recovering to deny De Vanna with her trailing leg with City odds on to score.

The pressure continued to mount, and it came to a loggerheads with five minutes left in the contest, with Kopmeyer making another string of brilliant saves.

She first stood firm to deny a stinging drive from De Vanna before bravely rushing out to meet an onrushing Little who was sublimely denied from 10-yards out.

Kopmeyer then soared through the air to turn Jackson’s left-footed curler away from the top left corner, despite looking destined for the back of the net.

The valiant efforts from the entire Brisbane Roar outfit earned them a chance to progress to the Grand Final via the lottery of the penalty spot as the final whistle sounded to ring in spot-kicks.