If you look up the meaning of the common football term bogey team you’ll find that the term refers to a team that tends to habitually beat another specified team despite appearing to be a weaker side. Canberra appeared to be the weaker side going into this match given all the available evidence. Brisbane had won all their home games this season. Coming into this match they were 2^nd in the league, Canberra 10^th. Canberra had not won a game since round 2 and had not scored a goal since the 4-2 loss to Melbourne City on the 15^th December. Brisbane Roar, meanwhile, had pocketed 14 goals in their last two games with Laini Freier bagging two hattricks! But Canberra had beaten a strong Brisbane team 3-2 in round 1 – and in the final game of last season, 2-1 in Brisbane – when it also appeared that Brisbane were much stronger. Do Brisbane Roar consider Canberra United their bogey team? Probably.

How the team lined up

It was clear from the outset Canberra United were not too worried about playing Brisbane Roar at the compact and noisy Perry Park. Sometimes it’s good to be the underdog as it releases the pressure. In the first minute Liz Anton robbed Sharn Freier on the halfway line and launched a bomb toward Michelle Heyman. The Brisbane centre backs hesitated and let the ball drop. Heyman pounced and shot first time. This time the shot was blocked but the omen was set!  

It was Canberra United that settled better into the match, breaking quickly as Brisbane’s attaching movements were cut short by a well organised defence. You could sense early in the match that Brisbane would look to get the ball to Sharn Freier as often as possible, as any team would! A key match-up for the game, inevitably, was how Hayley Taylor-Young would cope with Sharn Freier. Could she limit the damage?

While Brisbane Roar had most of the possession it was Canberra that looked more dangerous. This was familiar territory for Canberra. Only once this season have they gained more possession, away to Central Coast Mariners, a game which they lost but arguably was their best team performance of the season. In short, they are quite comfortable without the ball.

A half chance fell again to Heyman. She won a free kick just inside the Brisbane half. Robers sent the ball wide to Bertolissio who punted it first time into the six-yard box. Heyman was left free again and could have done better right in front of goal. Shortly after, the Roar’s Matildas duo of Freier and Yallop combined but Yallop’s shot sailed over.

Last weekend Brisbane Roar scored 8 against Western United. Midfielder Momo Hayashi scored an absolute screamer from a free kick about 30 metres from goal. When Brisbane won a free kick about 30 metres from goal in the 27^th minute you just knew that Hayashi would step up. This suited Canberra as Hayashi will struggle to replicate the strike anytime soon. There’s only one Sally James watched the ball go harmlessly wide.

Brisbane’s main threat was coming down the right-hand side as they put more pressure on Bertolissio with Yallop swapping sides. Top players like Yallop can cross a ball on a sixpence and she was starting to impact the game as it went on. Sharn Freier was getting frustrated with the close attention Canberra were giving her and she was booked for tripping Taylor-Young. Hayashi was still thinking about last week as she tried another long-range effort that was straight at there’s only one Sally James.

Jagarinec would have been happy leading into half time. It seemed like everything was going to plan. Canberra was working hard and were keeping their shape well. When defending deep they deployed a five-player backline. When playing out it was more a three-player backline with Bertolissio and Taylor-Young moving forward. Gordon and Robers were working hard in midfield and Heyman, Nathan and Christopherson dropping back to help when required.  They went into half time with there’s only one Sally James not having to do a great deal and with the better goal scoring chances coming Canberra’s way.

Fine margins

As the second half settled Canberra put a nice move together as Ayson picked the ball up on the halfway line. She flicked it to Robers who fed Heyman and then Nathan. Ruby Nathan saw Taylor-Young charging on the overlap, outpacing Freier, who put over a sharp cross that Sekany caught. The Freier v Taylor-Young tussle resumed with gusto. Taylor-Young looked determined. Freier looked frustrated. Both their natural looks! But no indication of how it would pan out.

Christopherson bought down Woods as she charged forward. The free kick was about 30 metres from goal. You know what happens next. Hayashi hits it straight at there’s only one Sally James. Freier managed to get ahead of Taylor-Young and put over a fine cross that Yallop should have done more with. Brisbane was starting to look more dangerous as the pressure grew.

Canberra made their first substitution as Markovski came on for Nathan. Emily Pringle came on for De La Harpe for Brisbane. On the 72^nd minute Madison Ayson was caught trying to play out from the back and the ball fell to the one player Canberra didn’t want it to fall to – Tameka Yallop. She jockeyed her way into the box. Anson and McKenzie were backing up, hands down by their sides and afraid to dive in. Yallop took it to the penalty spot and saw Laini Freier to her left in space. She calmly placed it past there’s only one Sally James for her 7^th goal in three games.

The goal was a shame for Ayson who was having an excellent game up to that moment. Sometimes, football can be a game of fine margins. One misplaced pass. One out of the box Hayashi style free kick. One mistimed tackle. Games can be won and lost in an instant regardless of the pattern of the match. The fine margin went against Ayson this time.

Stanic-Floody came on for Bertolissio to give Canberra a little more creativity in midfield. They needed their own fine margin moment and maybe Stanic-Floody could provide it. As the 80^th minute ticked over the moment came but from an unlikely source. The ball was cleared from the Brisbane defence and intercepted by Emma Robers just inside the Brisbane half. She controlled the ball, moved forward and shot from 30 metres through a crowded box and into the corner of Sakany’s net. Maybe she had a little wink for Momo Hayashi as she ran past! Canberra had drawn level and forced their own fine margin moment.

At this point the game was quite open. Both sides determined to push for a win. Brisbane looked to Sharni Freier again but Taylor-Young was having nothing of it. At one point Freier had a 2 metre head start on Taylor-Young but was caught, dispossessed and her look of frustration intensified. Holly Murray came on for Bethany Gordon who got through a lot of work. Then Stanic-Floody had a touch of the Hayashi’s and fired over the bar from distance.

Brisbane came close, hitting the post after some excellent work from Pringle. You could sense the tension as everyone searched for the defining fine moment. This time Canberra found it from a familiar source. There’s only one Sally James launched a long goal kick. All afternoon centre backs McQueen and Varley had looked nervous against Heyman. McQueen failed to intercept. Varley tried to clear but the ball struck Heyman’s hand. Now, undoubtedly Brisbane supporters would call for hand ball and a free kick. But, the laws, if a little weird and open to interpretation, states that it is an offence if a player deliberately touches the ball or if they make their body unnaturally bigger using their arm. Heyman’s arm was in a natural position, and she clearly did not deliberately touch the ball. Heyman calmly passed the ball into the net to give Canberra a 2-1 lead with 2 minutes left. The bogey team returns. Canberra were jubilant and were able to remain calm and play the game out for a fine win.  

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