Canberra United 3-1 Melbourne Victory
by Emma Burke (1/2/26)
Above: Canberra United’s Tegan Bertolissio (28) celebrates her goal that sealed her team’s 3-1 win over Melbourne Victory today. Photo: A-Leagues.
Canberra United have ended their run of three games without a win by defeating Melbourne Victory 3-1 at McKellar Park today.
Victory had gone down a player during the first half, losing defender Claudia Bunge after her challenge on Michelle Heyman was deemed to be a red card worthy offence, with referee Bec Mackie sending Bunge off for denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
Despite losing a player, Melbourne Victory’s Kennedy White still managed to break the deadlock not long after the second half began with a powerful shot from the left side of the box after muscling her way free of her defender, but there was nothing Victory could do to stop the onslaught from the home team.
Canberra found their equaliser through Sasha Grove, who made the most of Josie Aulicino’s initial shot that ricocheted off the post right into her path. Grove had more than enough time to compose herself over the ball before firing it back into the net, out of keeper Courtney Newbon’s reach.
Immediately after the goal was scored, United’s head coach Antoni Jagarinec turned to his bench for the first time, substituting Mary Stanic-Floody into the game for Nano Sasaki.
A better decision could not have been made as Stanic-Floody took all of two minutes to write her name on the scoresheet.
Captain Heyman held up the play at the top of the box before passing to Stanic-Floody who shot first time from outside the box to hit the top right corner.
Leading now 2-1, United continued their dominance over Melbourne Victory, finding a third and final goal and building a lead that was just too tall an ask for the visitors to respond to.
It was Tegan Bertolissio on return to the side after missing last weeks’ game due to a red card whose head connected with Emma Robers’ corner delivery. Bertolissio rose out of a pack of bodies at the far post to score her first ever A-League Women’s goal.
Canberra are third on the ladder, just two points behind leaders Melbourne City, having played a game more. Victory are now outside the top six, two points adrift of Central Coast Mariners.
Teams: CANBERRA UNITED (4-4-2): James, Grove, Taylor-Young, Robers, Sasaki, Gordon, Anton, Hawkins, Bertolissio, Aulicino, Heyman. Substitutes: Majstrovic, Wardlow, De Domizio, Stanic-Floody, Christopherson, Malone
Scorers: Grove 62’, Stanic-Floody 64’, Bertolissio 75’.
MELBOURNE VICTORY (3-4-3): Newbon, Curtis, Bunge, Morrison, Sakalis, Ray, Saveska, Jancevski, White, Lowe, Furphy Substitutes: Woodward, Blissett, O’Grady, Pollicina, Techera, Maher.
Scorers: White 49’.
Referee: Bec Mackie.
Attendance: TBC.
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