Western Sydney Wanderers 0-1 Melbourne Victory
By Kieran Yap 6/4/25
Above: Kayla Morrison. Photo: Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory have kept their title race alive with a 1-0 win away to Western Sydney Wanderers. A Danika Matos own goal was the difference between the two teams, which leaves Victory only two points behind league leaders Melbourne City with two games to play.
This rescheduled fixture left both sides understrength. Victory’s star central defender Claudia Bunge was away with The New Zealand national team, while Wanderer Sienna Saveska was on Young Matildas duty.
The game was decided early, a Nikki Flannery cross in the opening minutes evaded everybody in the penalty area except for a lunging Matos. The header wrong footed Sham Khamis in goal and nestled in the back of the net. Victory had a lead to defend, and even with the relatively inexperienced Rosie Curtis in place of Bunge, it was a big ask for the gun shy Wanderers.
Emily Gielnik was the most obvious outlet for a second goal. The club leading scorer thought she had doubled the lead in the 24th minute, but the referee assistant flagged for offside. She came close soon after after Sara D’Appolonia played her through on goal, but her shot skidded wide.
As with many occasions this season, Melbourne Victory did just enough to win. It was not a game of many clear chances, and those that were created went begging. Alana Jancevski’s dangerous free kick was met by Ellie Wilson at the back post, but her header missed the target.
This win was mostly due to a typically Herculean effort from captain Kayla Morrison. She not only played an excellent individual game, but marshalled a defence featuring the prodigious but inexperienced Curtis, but also Wilson who is still returning to full fitness after injury and the converted left back Jancevski.
The back four were admirably solid as they have been for many of this season’s tight wins and to do this without Bunge was a particularly impressive effort.
Victory’s lack of goals and free-flowing football can be a source of frustration for fans, but this is a team that has managed to get the job done more often than not, and they are still a chance of lifting the premiership on the final day of the season. They will be dependant on Melbourne City dropping points against either Newcastle or Perth, but stranger things have happened in this league and the fact they are still in this race is a testament to their underrated consistency this season.
This game will not live long in memory, it was not highlight packed or even particularly exciting, but as they so often do, Victory did enough when it mattered, and bank another three points.
Check out our Instagram page – @ImpetusFootball to see Kris Goman’s exclusive photos from the game for Impetus
Teams: WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (3-4-2-1): Khamis, Harrison, McComansky, Buchanan, Matos, Chessari, Harada, Rue, Caspers, Price, Trew. Substitutes: Harding, Kapetanellis, Stajcic, Ferris, Segavcic.
MELBOURNE VICTORY (4-2-3-1): Newbon, Wilson, Curtis, Morrison, Jancevski, Chidiac, D’Appolonia, Furphy, Lowe, Flannery, Gielnik. Substitutes: O’Grady, Murphy, Pickett, Young, Candy.
Goals: Matos (og) 18’
Referee: Molly Godsell
Attendance: 568.
Follow Impetus on social media –
Twitter (X): @impetusfootball TikTok: @impetusfootball
Instagram: @impetusfootball
impetusfootball.org 