Adelaide United 5-2 Western Sydney Wanderers
by Callum Logie (27/12/25)
Above: Erin Healy (left) celebrates scoring her first goal with Emily Hodgson (right). Photo: via the A-Leagues.
Adelaide United returned to the winners list of the A League Women’s in a huge way, recording a statement win over the Western Sydney Wanderers 5-2.
Erin Healy led the way scoring a brace, and was assisted by Emily Hodgson, Paige Zois and Chelsea Dawber. Allyssa Ng-Saad and Chloe Berryhill also got on the board for the vanquished Wanderers, but it was not enough.
In the 10th minute of the game, Matilda McNamara found herself some space from around 22 yards out, and posed the first true test for the Western Sydney keeper, Shamiran Khamis. Khamis was able to collect confidently and keep the score level, Western Sydney absorbing the bulk of the pressure in the first ten minutes.
10 minutes later, a chance developed out of nothing from Tahlia Younis. A couple of aerial battles led to Younis picking up the ball in an advanced position and after getting the best of Zoe Tolland with the dribble, Melegh charged out which nearly cost the hosts a goal. However, Melegh’s efforts saw Younis end up directing a tame effort wide of the goal.
A moment later, Adelaide broke their goal drought with Hodsgon poaching a goal in the 6-yard box after a determined cross from an outstretched Adriana Taranto. The play was all set up from the creative work out wide from Emily Condon. This gave Adelaide a deserved lead for a team that was in control for most of the first half.
For Western Sydney, the key to attack was finding Yuan Cong in advanced positions and allowing her to hold up the play for Kim So-Eun and Berryhill to break forward and run in behind the Adelaide defence.
Taranto made a challenge in midfield in the 30th minute which set up Dawber in a decent position. Dawber confidently played it through to Healy who ran into the box from the final third. Healy’s effort was directed wide, but Adelaide’s hard work in the midfield was paying dividends with breakaway chances.
Condon again was the instigator for Adelaide’s second goal, this time receiving the ball on the right side of midfield and cutting the ball back to Zois on the edge of the box. After taking a touch, Zois was able to drive a beautifully struck curled effort into the top left corner to grab her first goal for Adelaide United.
Healy was determined in the first half, pressing forward along with Dawber and creating another half-chance in the 38th minute, driving a snapshot wide after winning the ball at the edge of the box.
McNamara regularly made runs forward, the Western Sydney midfield too occupied with Zois and the Taranto twins to close her down. In added time, McNamara found herself all the way forward to the edge of the box and struck an effort just off target.
The pressure from Adelaide did not relent, and they got their reward just before half time as Healy received the ball on the edge of the box, dribbled outside before cutting inside and drove an excellent shot at the near post to extend the lead to 3 goals at half-time.
At the beginning of the second half, Western Sydney substituted Ng-Saad onto the field and the change had an immediate impact as Ng-Saad was able to strike a speculative effort past Melegh who was out of position. While it was still a multiple goal deficit, the 17 year-old’s first A-League goal lit a match for the visitors.
The following 15 minutes were rather tensely contested.
Many a midfield battle was taking place with Adelaide trying to break down the defence controlling possession while Western Sydney pressed and tried to move with pace.
At 61 minutes, Dawber received a nice cross at the edge of the box after some determined work from Hodgson, but her strike was straight at Khamis who was able to collect confidently.
Dawber had another chance 4 minutes later after winning possession high up the pitch. Her shot was slightly hindered by Ella Buchanan and it ended up straight at Khamis once again, denying the forward her first goal of the season.
After the slip earlier in the half, the Reds continued to create chances and were rewarded again at 68 minutes. Dawber finally had her goal after some determined play from substitute Fiona Worts. Worts played the ball back to Dawber on the edge of the box who struck an excellent shot past Khamis to make it four goals for the Reds.
While they were down, the Wanderers certainly were not out after a great run forward from Danika Matos led to a low driven cross to Berryhill who converted from in close.
At 78 minutes, Younis got onto the ball in an advanced area and directed a low driven shot at goal. Melegh did very well to dive down to her right and collect the ball without spilling as the determined Wanderers were looking for any chance to get a goal back.
In the 86th minute, after a period of parity, Adelaide struck again after a terrific free kick cross from Zois found the head of Healy who doubled her goal total for the game, making the lead insurmountable for Western Sydney.
Adelaide scored more goals in this game than they had for the rest of the season, but now that it has started raining, the team will be hoping the goals pour in from here out after such an impressive goal scoring performance.
Western Sydney left the fixture with more questions than answers, but they can take solace in that they never gave up and were able to score a couple of goals against a team that were better on the day.
While this only moves Adelaide United to 10th on the table, it puts them within striking distance of the top six, only two points separating 6th and 10th place.
Teams: ADELAIDE UNITED (4-2-3-1): Melegh, E. Hodgson, Tonkin, McNamara, Tolland, M. Taranto, Zois, Condon, Healy, A. Taranto, Dawber. Substitutes: I. Hodgson, Jenkins, Makris, Morgan, Murray, Worts.
Scorers: E. Hodgson 22′, Zois 35′, Healy 45 + 4′, 86, Dawber 68′.
WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (3-4-3): Khamis, Wong, Harrison, Cerne, Matos, Chessari, Younis, Buchanan, Kim, Yuan, Berryhill Substitutes: Bennett, Caspers, Edwards, Harada, Hooks, Ng-Saad.
Scorer: Ng-Saad 48′, Berryhill 75′.
Referee: Izzy Cooper
Attendance: TBC
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