Sydney top W-League despite United shock

Adelaide United caused the upset of the W-League round, knocking over leaders Sydney
FC 3-2 at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Sydney remain top of the competition by the narrowest of margins ahead of Queensland
Roar, Melbourne Victory, Adelaide United and Central Coast Mariners, with all five
teams locked on six points but the Blues ahead of the pack by virtue of goals
scored.
With two positive results from as many starts the Sydneysiders had started as firm
favourites, with the team boosted by the overnight return of a number of key
personnel from national team duty with the Young Matildas.
Sydney though were handicapped by the absence of inspirational skipper Heather
Garriock due to a hip injury.
Sydney's Leena Khamis scored her fourth goal in three appearances to go top of the
league's scoring charts, however former Matilda Sharon Black replied almost
immediately to even the ledger within minutes of the match commencing.
A Lisa Gilbert own goal and a strike from Victoria Balomenos early in the second
half had Adelaide in the ascendancy before Kylie Ledbrook pulled a goal back to set
up a grandstand finish.
United's impressive win indicated that Hindmarsh Stadium could prove to be a
graveyard for visiting teams after they backed up last weekend's 3-2 win over the
Newcastle Jets.
"We think we still have a lot of improvement in us," said Adelaide coach Mike Barnett.
"The girls are starting to gel together as proven by the results of the last two
weeks."
In Sunday's other match, the Central Coast Mariners won 2-1 in front of 1,500
spectators in Canberra with teenage Matilda Kyah Simon grabbing both goals for the
visitors.
Mariners goalkeeper Lisa Hartley suffered the ignominy of being the first player to
be red-carded in the W-League when she was dismissed for a professional foul and
Ellie Brush scored from the resultant penalty.
Saturday saw a welcome return to form for the Roar who had suffered an upset home
loss to Canberra United the previous week.
Queensland battled to a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Newcastle at a drenched Oakes
Oval in Lismore, with Courtney Beutel and Lauren Colthorpe the goal-scorers.
Melbourne Victory continued their solid early season form with a comfortable 3-0 win
over the winless Perth Glory in the other match on Saturday.
Despite being firmly rooted to the bottom of the table, the Glory's ranks have been
boosted by talismanic Matildas striker Lisa DeVanna, who debuted in Saturday's match
after a stint in Sweden.
DeVanna, who scored four goals at last year's World Cup, showed several glimpses of
her trademark speed and looked dangerous throughout the match.