Pararoos defeat Canada 5-0 in long-awaited return home

Australia’s Pararoos enjoyed an emphatic 5-0 win over Canada in their first game on home soil in 19 years.

Led by Ben Roche and Connor Bunce, who scored two goals apiece, the Pararoos began the game on the front foot and did not let up until the final whistle at Cromer Park in Sydney.

The Green and Gold showed their attacking intent from the start when Roche fired an early warning shot just past the upright.

Clearly intent on scoring an early goal, head coach Kai Lammert's side continued to mount pressure on Canada’s defence.

They eventually broke the deadlock with ten minutes played, when Bunce struck a low, driven shot across goal which escaped the grasp of Canadian ‘keeper Damien Wojtiw and found Daniel Campbell at the back post to tuck home the first goal of the game.

What followed was a ten-minute barrage of Pararoos attacks which kept Wojtiw busy in between the sticks for Canada, as Australia created chance-after-chance until Roche scored the Pararoos’ second goal of the game.

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Collecting the ball outside the box Roche buried his 29th Pararoos goal with a left-foot strike from outside the box.

Canada’s captain Samuel Charron did his best to try haul his side back into the contest but his free-kick attempt in the 20th minute rattled the crossbar and failed to beat Christopher Pyne in the Pararoos’ goal.

It proved to be the only genuine chance of the half for Canada, who shipped a third goal just before half-time through a pinpoint Bunce strike from long range.

Bunce had threatened to score all game and finally put his name on the scoresheet after a driving run across the box and a low shot off his left peg which rattled the back of the net.

The Pararoos looked set to pick up where they left off in the second half but two miraculous goal-line blocks in quick succession from Charron kept the score at 3-0.

But the Pararoos pressure was relentless, and two quick-fire goals to Bunce and Roche put Australia five goals ahead.

Bunce scored his second of the day with an emphatic strike from the tip of the box and two minutes later Roche grabbed a brace of his own, tucking a pass from Ben Atkins into the bottom left corner.

Despite conceding five goals, Canadian ‘keeper Wojtiw was a standout performer for the visitors, pulling off a number of quality saves throughout the contest.

Couldn't make it to the game? You can make tax-deductible donations at pararoos.com.au

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