Impetus editor Ben Gilby reviews the fifth round of action in the Westfield W League as leaders Melbourne City cemented their lead at the top of the table.
It was a perfect weekend for Melbourne City who remain top of the table following victory in their derby day clash with Melbourne Victory at ABD Stadium.
A season’s best crowd of 907 gathered at the stadium in Broadmeadows, nine miles outside of the city centre, but they had to wait until the very end of the cross city clash for the winning goal to go in.
City dominated the game from start to finish, with their Matildas stars Emily van Egmond and Steph Catley particularly impressive. It was only thanks to Casey Dumont repeatedly saving her side that Victory remained on terms with City until the closing stages.
Scottish star Claire Emslie had an early chance for the Sky Blues, but she blazed over before van Egmond forced the first of Dumont’s heroics. The Victory keeper pulled out another save just before the half hour mark when she saved van Egmond’s penalty which was awarded when Teigen Allen handled Ellie Carpenter’s cross.
On the rare occasion that Dumont was beaten, her defence came to her aid when Melbourne Victory defender Janna McCormick blocked Milica Mijatovic’s goalbound shot.
The pressure continued until the penultimate minute when Steph Catley put in a teasing cross and Yukari Kinga, holder of a century of Japanese caps swept home the winner. Melbourne City’s first win over Victory since 2017 ensured that they now stand a point clear at the top of the table. The loss sees last season’s minor premiers much further down the table than they would like to be at this stage of the campaign.
Sydney FC are leading the chasing pack following a comfortable 2-0 win away from home at fellow New South Wales outfit Newcastle Jets in front of a crowd of 2,513 at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The men from the Harbour City were determined to get their title defence back on track after suffering their first loss for the campaign last weekend to fellow championship challengers Melbourne City, and they were out of the blocks faster than an Olympic sprinter. With just thirty second gone, Caitlin Forde’s mazy run past four defenders saw her force Newcastle keeper Claire Coelho into a fine save.
Sydney’s Australian internationals continued to pose problems and Chloe Logarzo fired in a powerful effort which Coelho dealt with well. Just prior to the half hour mark, Sydney missed a third opportunity when Teresa Polias’ attempted lob of the Jets keeper from around 25 yards was pushed over her bar by Coelho.
Just three minutes later, the Sky Blues finally took the lead. Angelique Hristodoulou sent over a pin point cross for Remy Siemsen to head home.
Shortly afterwards it was 2-0 following a goalkeeping howler from Coelho whose attempted clearance went straight to Siemsen who controlled the ball and had all the time in the world to roll it into the net.
Coelho made amends for the error by keeping the visitors out during the second stanza. Newcastle Jets had their own chances to hit back after the break, and it was only two fine stops from Sydney stopper Aubrey Bledsoe who palmed Hannah Brewer’s shot around the post and then blocked a long range effort from Libby Copus-Brown, as Sydney left the port city with all three points.
Western Sydney Wanderers, who had the bye remain in third place ahead of their huge cross city derby with Sydney FC this Friday night.
Canberra United stay fourth after they earned a point from their trip across country to Perth Glory at Dorrien Gardens.
Glory’s transitional season after making three Grand Finals in the last five years has been incredibly challenging so far with three straight defeats. This, in conjunction with the loss of Western Australian superstar Sam Kerr from their roster probably goes some way to explain the exceptionally disappointing attendance of just 365 in West Perth.
Canberra had the better of the game and would have left Western Australia disappointed not to have earned all three points. They took the lead after fifteen minutes when Kayleigh Kurtz’s long ball through was met by Simone Charley, with the American hitting a shot home past Eliza Campbell.
United then missed four golden chances to seal victory. First, their star Elise Thorsnes’ shot went narrowly wide before Leena Khamis sent an effort crashing against the angle of bar and post. Perth keeper Eliza Campbell then needed to be at her best to deny both Karly Roestbakken and Camila.
Perth made Canberra pay for those missed opportunities with a sucker punch at the death. Glory earned themselves a corner. Crystal Thomas floated it in and Kim Carroll rose highest to power a header in for her first ever W League goal. It earned Perth their first point of the season.
The final game of the round took place at Lions Stadium where 1,682 watched Brisbane Roar host Adelaide United, who are now the only side in the W League still to earn a point.
The Queenslanders made a red hot start and took the lead just after three and a half minutes. Carlson Pickett played in Rylee Baisden. Her cut back was turned in by the in-form Indiah Page-Riley for the opening goal.
Shortly afterwards, the Roar almost doubled their lead as Tameka Yallop’s curler cannoned back off of the crossbar. Brisbane got the second goal they dearly deserved on twelve minutes when Matildas’ Hayley Raso side footed Rylee Baisden’s cross into the net.
Adelaide finally got a toe hold in the game after twenty-five minutes when Mary Fowler sent a low drive into the bottom corner. She almost levelled matters five minutes later when she spooned an effort over.
The second half was more of an even battle, but it was Adelaide who looked to have rescued what would have been an outstanding point when Mallory Weber levelled when she cut into the box and fired past the despairing dive of Roar keeper Mackenzie Arnold.
Try as the South Australians might, they could not hang on, and with six minutes left, Brisbane grabbed the winner. Natalie Tatham played through a delightfully accurate ball which split the Adelaide defence and Hayley Raso grabbed her second of the afternoon.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | PD | |
| Melbourne City | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 | + 4 |
| Sydney FC | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 12 | + 7 |
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 | + 4 |
| Canberra United | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | + 1 |
| Brisbane Roar | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 6 | – 1 |
| Newcastle Jets | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | – 3 |
| Melbourne Victory | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 4 | – 3 |
| Perth Glory | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 | – 5 |
| Adelaide United | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | – 4 |
Teams in bold qualify for the Finals play-offs.
The W League does not stop for Christmas, and nor does Impetus’ round up of all the action from Down Under! Don’t miss our piece on Christmas Eve bringing you all the news from Round Six with two further rounds to be played before the end of the New Year bank holiday.
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