Western United remain on course to seal the A-League Women premiership after a hat-trick from Hannah Keane inspired a 4-2 thrashing of Canberra United.
Kat Smith’s side moved four points clear of second-placed Melbourne City with victory on Friday at City Vista Recreation Reserve and will fancy their chances of sealing top spot with four games left to play.
Western were pipped to first place by Sydney FC last year but showed no complacency against Canberra, building a 3-0 lead inside the opening quarter of an hour.
After her four-goal haul in the Matildas’ 10-0 mauling of Uzbekistan on Wednesday, talismanic Canberra forward Michelle Heyman was benched, and with that Western went for the jugular.
Inside 15 seconds, striker Keane went on a rampaging run through the Canberra defence and unleashed a well-placed shot from the edge of the box that sailed past goalkeeper Coco Majstorovic and into the back of the net.
Keane was proving hard to handle and a clumsy challenge from Ava Piazza in the 10th minute allowed Chloe Logarzo to score from the penalty spot.
Logarzo then turned provider for Keane, firing in a pinpoint cross from the right touchline that the latter headed home for a three-goal lead.
Canberra rallied and Heyman’s halftime introduction seemed to lift them, with Deven Jackson firing a 25-metre rocket to jag one back in the 49th minute.
But the away side’s hopes were dashed when Keane hit her third with less than half an hour to go.
Heyman notched a long-range effort in the 94th minute that reduced the deficit but did nothing to help lift Canberra off the bottom of the table.