Canberra United got their first win of the season in stunning fashion, with a five-star performance over the Brisbane Roar. A hattrick from Serbian International Vesna Milivojevic headlined the incredible win, as United had a further two players debuted for the club.
As has often been the case this season already, United came out of the blocks firing as they put the pressure on straight away. It paid off as Milivojevic got her sixth of the season. A ball from out wide by Sofia Christopherson found Milivojevic in the middle of the box, and the midfielder calmly slotted the ball home to open the scoring.
A little over ten minutes later and MIlivojevic had her second. A ball over the top from Nickoletta Flannery found Milivojevic unmarked in the box, easily scoring her second of the game.
The match evened out as Brisbane started to fight back into the game, but Canberra were undeterred as Sofia Christopherson got her debut goal not long before the half time break.
Getting on the end of a perfectly weighted pass from Michelle Heyman, Christopherson drove into ethe box and hit a belter of a shot into the top corner.
Three goals up at the start of the second half, and United weren’t holding back. Mary Stanic-Floody got her first goal for Canberra United, getting on the end of an attempted clearance by the Brisbane goalkeeper, and hitting the ball first time into the back of the net.
Brisbane pulled one back shortly after as Sharn Freier scored for the visitors. It didn’t do much to stop United, as Milivojevic completed her hattrick.
Another perfectly weighted ball from Heyman found Milivojevic in acres of space, the midfielder cutting inside to beat multiple defenders before slotting home her third of the game, and eighth of the season, to seal Canberra’s first win of the season.
Canberra are back in action next week, travelling to take on Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Saturday 16 December.
