By Jonathon Hagger 18/2/24
Melbourne City defender – Naomi Thomas-Chinnama. Source: @melbournecity on X.
With Melbourne City sitting atop the points table and Western United nipping at their heels, securing a win over Adelaide United was top priority for the league leaders. The challengers playing away from home, AdelaideUnited, came into the match only just off being bottom of the table but in fine form.
Adelaide travelled away to play in Melbourne at (the under-construction) City Football Academy Field. With the temperature at 21 degrees, the conditions were very pleasant for players and spectators alike.
Both sides were missing their first-choice starting players for various reasons. The Football Ferns Olympic qualifying campaign took away the star power of Hannah Wilkinson and Rebekah Stott from City allowing some young guns to shine. Adelaide started the match with a less than full strength side, due to injuries to key players who had achieved two very good wins in the last three matches.
It took both teams a while to settle into their preferred rhythm of play from the starting whistle, with neither side really looking threatening until the eight minute when Adelaide’s Morgan and Sasaki traded passes that eventually resulted in an optimistic shot on goal that was easily collected by Barbieri.
Adelaide tested everyone’s nerves as they repeatedly battled to get the ball out of their backfield throughout the early stages. City’s high press really put the pressure on goalkeeper Grove. However, a loose ball was quickly pounced on by Adelaide’s Jancevski whose burst of speed and through pass created space for Hodgson on the wing. Two passes later and Hannah Blake unleashed a mighty shot that narrowly missed after clearing the crossbar.
Adelaide’s near miss gave the team a burst of confidence, with the midfield players pressing higher up the pitch searching for a chink in City’s defences. City’s defenders withstood the repeated waves of attack, demonstrating coolness under pressure.
City player and recent Matilda’s training call up, Daniela Galic showed fleet footedness to cut open Adelaide’s midfield defensive line in the 26th minute. Despite the ball falling the way of City after rebounding off Adelaide’s goal box defenders, City couldn’t get a clean shot on.
A very soft foul given away by Sasaki gave City a prime opportunity to get the go-ahead goal in the 31st minute. A wayward shot from Pollicina held up in the breeze and sailed narrowly over the bar. An even closer near miss occurred in the 41st minute as Galic found the feet of Pollicina who unleashed a beautiful shot that travelled narrowly away to the left, missing the goal. Neither team really troubled the other offensively in the first forty five minutes and so the half ended 0-0.
Adelaide started the second half by taking the initiative. Two very good attacking manoeuvres required City to absorb pressure as Tolland and Holmes couldn’t convert the opportunities given them in quick succession. Following this early pressure, long portions of play after this lacked creativity or menace as the tactics of each team cancelled out the other team.
It was the inspired use of substitutions in the 62nd minute that injected energy back into the match. City’s forward Meyers beat her defender and played a centring pass that infiltrated through Adeldies lines eventually finding wonder kid Galic, who calmly slotted the ball into the back of the Adelaide net to take the lead 1-0.
Hodgson, Adelaide’s Captain, took it upon herself to get her side back in the match. A strong offensive run down the wing ended up with an offensive corner in their favour. A low trajectory corner kick by Jancevski somehow found its way off City defender McKenna’s body and rolled into the net! The match was tied again 1-1.
Not a side to roll over, in the 73rd minute City launched another offensive run with Galic storming down the pitch, laying off the ball to the wing, getting the ball passed back to her and having a shot. Grove was up to the task and managed to deflect the ball away from the goal using an extended leg. The subsequent attacking corner to City was dealt with, again by Grove, and the score line remained 1-1.
Where the previous 75 minutes of football had been a bit underwhelming, both teams turned on the afterburners from the 76th minute onwards. The match took on a new lease of life as each team played constructive attacking football, seeking the goal that might secure the win.
Adelaide came oh so close to scoring when defender Emily Hodgson launched a rocket shot that required Barbieri to nudge the ball out of play over the crossbar. Hodgsons shot came within a whisker of going in however Barbieri, City’s keeper, had enough experience to deal with it.
Adelaide went chasing for the win again in the 90th minute as Panagaris found Mullan in clear space. After assessing her options Mullan’s shot curled away just a bit too far, harmlessly going out of play.
The match finished in a 1-1 draw which is a fair reflection of how the match played out. Both teams were missing a number of first choice players and a lack of on field chemistry among the replacements did not provide the excitement of top quality football that would normally come with this match up.
There were some obvious performances to be proud of. Naomi Thomas-Chinnama (City) is one of the mainstays of City’s defensive line. She is extremely reliable and goes about her business with total professionalism. Alana Jancevski (Adelaide) displayed moments of football brilliance as she unleashed her speed repeatedly reminding City’s defenders that she was a threat. She is not a player to be taken lightly as she can score at will.
Melbourne City: 4-3-3. Barbieri, Thomas-Chinnama, Roestbakken, Otto, McKenna, Davidson, Hughes, Pollicina, Ekic, Henry, Galic.
Subs: Varley, McKenna (62’), McMahon, Meyers (62’).
Scorers: Galic (67’), McKenna (69’ own goal),
Adelaide Jets: 4-1-4-1. Grove, Tolland, Tonkin, Waldus, Hodgson, Sasaki, Holmes, Blake, Morgan, Jancevski, Hodgson.
Subs: Wilson, Mullan (84’), Condon (62’), Holtz (84’), Panagaris (75’).
Scorers: Nil.
Referee: Rebecca Durcau.
Attendance: TBC.
impetusfootball.org 