Sydney FC 2-3 Melbourne City
By Emma Burke 26/11/23
Above: Daniela Galic (left), Emina Ekic (11) and Taylor Otto (right) for Melbourne City. Photo: Melbourne City.
In what was truly a game of two halves, Melbourne City held out against Sydney FC to win 3-2, securing their pole position on the ladder and leaving them three points clear.
Despite losing young star Holly McNamara to an ACL injury, City dominated the opening 45 minutes, scoring three times to all but run away with the game.
Julia Grosso found City’s first of the afternoon, collecting a deflected shot and shooting while spinning to face goal. The shot was driven low to the far post, with Sydney FC goalkeeper Jada Mathyssen-Whyman unable to do more than dive in the general direction of the ball.
The second goal to come for Melbourne was one of complete individual brilliance by Emina Ekic. A corner won after a shot from Leticia McKenna was deflected over the goal line, saw Ekic score a stunning Olimpico from the corner flag. This marks Ekic’s first goal for City after ending her season last year early due to injury.
Rhianna Pollicina came close being the third City scorer, but Sydney FC defender Tori Tumeth made an incredible goal-line save to deny her after she had initially lured Mathyssen-Whyman off her line. Tumeth’s clearance landed right at the feet of Daniela Galic, who made absolutely no mistake lifting the ball into the corner of the net, out of Mathyssen-Whyman’s reach, and over Tumeth who was lying in the goal having just made the clearance.
While the first half was all Melbourne City, the second half saw Sydney FC wrestle back the reins and deliver an entertaining half of football for their home fans.
A shot from outside the crowded City box by Taylor Ray caught a needed deflection off defender Jordan Thompson, scoring her first goal in the A-League Women’s, after only having been in the country for a week.
While it looked like Sky Blue was readying to launch a comeback, the Sydney skies had another idea entirely, as a lightning storm meant the game had to be delayed for about half an hour.
After the lightning had passed, and a gorgeous double rainbow too, play was able to resume, and Sydney FC were raring to go.
The second Sydney goal came again from a long shot, this time from Charlotte Mclean (which may have been helped on by a slight deflection from Aideen Keane inside the box), with City keeper Lysianne Proulx rushing low in the correct direction, but ultimately unable to stop the ball from crossing the line.
Unfortunately for Sydney FC, they were unable to find an equaliser in the remaining 10 minutes of regular time, nor in the extra five minutes of stoppage time.
Melbourne City are now the only team left in the A-League Women’s 2023/24 season that are yet to record a loss.
Now heading into another international break, Melbourne City return to the pitch on the 9th of December facing Perth Glory at home, while Sydney FC travel to face Newcastle Jets on Sunday 10th of December.
Sydney FC (4-3-3): Mathyssen-Whyman, Tumeth, Mclean, Seaman, Lemon (46’ Thompson), Ray, I. Dos Santos (46’ Saveska), Hollman (56’ Kruger), Connors (67’ Keane), Worts, Ibini-Isei
Scorers: Grosso 23’ Ekic 31’ Galic, 45+3’
Melbourne City (4-4-2): Proulx, Chinnama, Otto, Stott, Grosso, Galic (55’ Wilkinson), Hughes, L. McKenna (67’ Davidson), Torpey, Ekic (76’ T. McKenna), Pollicina
Scorers: Thompson 74’ Mclean 80’
Referee: Rebecca Durcau
Attendance: 3,937
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