Flannery scored twice and set up another two as United blew Brisbane Roar off park in a 5-1 demolition that sent Canberra to the top of the W-League in emphatic fashion.

If the victory over the Roar in Gosford wasn't statement enough to the rest of the league, the impending arrival of Matildas co-captain Lisa De Vanna made everyone take notice.

But this was Flannery's day, as she terrorised the Roar defence from the start both as clinical finisher and provider rolled in one.

"Still being pretty young and pretty inexperienced at this level, it's just another vote of confidence from her teammates and everyone that she can play at this level and she does belong here."

It took just 13 minutes for Flannery to make her mark as she got on the end of an Ashleigh Sykes cross, cutting back onto her left and firing it low into the corner of Mackenzie Arnold's goal.

The Roar keeper got a hand to it and probably should've kept it, with the same true of the penalty Flannery won just before the half hour.

Arnold couldn't stop Stephanie Ochs' spot kick and United took a two-goal advantage into half-time.

Any chance of a Roar revival was blown out of the water in the space of six minutes after the break.

Another Canberra youngster in Grace Maher slipped Sykes through for the first of her two goals just after the restart and then Flannery put away her second after a Michelle Heyman header was cleared off the line.

Flannery returned to provider to give Sykes her second and the rout was complete before the hour.

Roar forward Emily Gielnick scored a consolation goal in injury time, but it didn't add any respectability to the score for the visitors.

Flannery was one of three 17-year-olds in Canberra's line-up, while two 15-year-olds — including debutante Laura Hughes — came off the bench.

She's just finished Year 12 and will begin university next year, having made her W-League debut last season.

"It was such a great performance by everyone, it's not just my own best performance this season so far, but everyone put in for each other and we got the win which was excellent," Flannery said.

"It shows the depth in out squad and the trust our coaches have in us and the fact that we can go on and still hold our own and get a win.

"We had three 17-year-olds starting today and two 15-year-olds subbed on and to come away with that win shows the depth that we have as a team and as a family."​

Dower was relieved United didn't pick up any more injuries as they prepared for their trip to Melbourne to play the Victory on December 28.

W-LEAGUE — ROUND 6

CANBERRA UNITED 5 (Nicky Flannery 13, 53, Stephanie Ochs 28, Ashleigh Sykes 50, 56) bt BRISBANE ROAR 1 (Emily Gielnick 92) at Gosford on Sunday.