Canberra United coach Vicki Linton has warned her high-flying table-toppers to respect the attacking threat misfiring Brisbane Roar will pose on Thursday night.
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Sluggish Brisbane have managed two stalemates in their opening two W-League fixtures, while United has already banged in six goals as part of a perfect start to the summer.
Linton's side fly to Brisbane on Wednesday aiming to secure a hat-trick of wins for their new coach, but the United gaffer is wary of the challenged posed by a desperate Roar on their home patch.
"They're a very experienced squad on paper, some of those players [have an] amazing amount of experience at the national team level and for Brisbane," Linton said.
"The number of years some of those players have played together, it makes them a really tough team to play.
"Two nil-all draws is just unlike them, that first game when they had 30 shots to Melbourne City's six, they really should've got on the scoreboard that day.
"We're playing three games in nine days. They've got some athletic players in pure speed, strength, mobility, some really smart players, really good combination, they've got experience at the back.
"Brisbane's going to be a little bit warmer and steamier here. It's just being smart about how we play."
Linton has challenged her side to hit the scoreboard early after relying on two injury-time winners to deliver their perfect start to the season.
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"It's not in the gameplan to score in added time every game," Linton said.
"As a coach I'd love to wrap it up by halftime but that's not the case, that's not football.
"What I'd say to that is how pleasing it is that the players dug deep and achieved that, not only in the first game but the second game.
"It goes to the spirit, it goes to their willingness to want to win - how much it means for some of these players to play for this club and get results for this club.
"Wins really help to keep the spirits high because we could've done all of that same work and got a draw or a loss out of those first games."
W-LEAGUE ROUND 3
THURSDAY: Brisbane Roar v Canberra United, 7.05pm, Dolphin Oval (Brisbane)
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
