Canberra United 3-2 Adelaide United
by Ben Gilby (22/3/26)
Above: Emma Hawkins (7) celebrates after scoring Canberra United’s third goal today. Photo: Canberra United.
Adelaide United’s hopes of going straight into the second week of Finals by finishing in the top two suffered a set-back with this defeat to Canberra United at McKellar Park in the battle of third v fourth.
It’s been a tough recent schedule on the road for the South Australians, who held leaders Melbourne City to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday before this trip to Canberra to face an opponent who were competition’s fourth placed side going into the round.
The Reds made one change to their starting line-up from the game at City, with Paige Zois coming in for Melissa Taranto.
Canberra’s form had been up-and-down coming into this encounter, with two wins and two losses. Head coach Antoni Jagarinec made one change to his starting line-up from their previous match, a 3-1 defeat at Melbourne City last weekend, with Darcy Malone coming in for Sasha Grove.
The home side hit the front on the 10 minute mark after Nanako Sasaki played a perfectly weighted pass from the edge of the centre-circle that dissected the her former side’s midfield, and found a closely marked Emma Hawkins.
The attacker turned Zoe Tolland brilliantly and played the ball through for Bethany Gordon to run through from just outside the area and slot calmly past Ilona Melegh to give Canberra the lead.
Just four minutes later, Josie Aulicino broke through to the left of centre in acres of space and squared a pass for Sasaki to hit a powerful drive from the edge of the ‘D’ which Melegh did well to get a hand to. Gordon’s attempt on the follow up at the right hand post was dealt with by the visiting keeper.
Shortly before the half-hour mark, Adelaide drew level.
A free kick inside their own half found Erin Healy along the left. She was able to beat Tegan Bertolissio and bend her run to cut along the byline before finding Chelsie Dawber who in turn laid a pass for Sarah Morgan behind her to take a touch and dispatch the ball into the back of the net from around eight yards.
Canberra responded, and eight minutes before the break came close as Grove’s curling cross shot bent viciously in from the corner of the 18-yard box on the left and came off the crossbar with Melegh beaten.
The hosts regained their lead with 20 minutes remaining as the result of a calamity at the back for Adelaide.
Gordon played a long ball forward along the right hand flank, and there was no immediate danger when Matilda McNamara gathered possession, and turned a pass back to Melegh who was on the edge of her area. However, the goalkeeper miscontrolled the ball and could only race back in vein as it trickled over the line.
It got worse for Adelaide eight minutes later as Canberra sealed an important three points.
Bertolissio’s throw just inside the Adelaide half found Aulicino who spotted the run of Gordon to play a clever pass out to an empty right hand channel.
Gordon had all the time in the world to advance onto the ball and play a low cross from the right hand post which came back off Tolland. McNamara couldn’t quite get her feet set to clear, allowing Hawkins to fire a powerful shot into the top right-hand corner of the net from 10 yards.
The visitors set up a potentially dramatic conclusion when they got a second goal back early in the six minutes of stoppage time with Sian Dewey’s drive from 20 yards after Dawber played the ball back to her from Tolland’s cross.
Adelaide couldn’t quite create another real opportunity in the remaining minutes. Indeed, Gordon could have added another for the hosts, but her effort was blocked by Tolland.
Canberra’s win sees them leap-frog Adelaide into third place, just a point behind Wellington Phoenix in second, albeit having played a game more. Adelaide were second just a week ago, and now find themselves fourth on the same number of points as Canberra. The Reds next host Newcastle Jets, with Canberra travelling to Central Coast Mariners in the penultimate round of the home and away season.
Teams: CANBERRA UNITED (4-4-2): James, Grove, Taylor-Young, Robers, Christopherson, Gordon, Sasaki, Anton, Bertolissio, Aulicino, Hawkins. Substitutes: De Domizio, Majstorovic, Malone, Skelly, Stanic-Floody, Wardlow.
Scorers: Gordon 10′, Melegh (OG) 69′, Hawkins 77′.
ADELAIDE UNITED (4-3-3): Melegh, E.Hodgson, McNamara, Tonkin, Tolland, Zois, Condon, Morgan, Healy, Dawber, A. Taranto. Substitutes: Holmes, Dewey, Gooch, I.Hodgson, Jenkins, Rossi.
Scorers: Morgan 27′, Dewey 90+1′.
Referee: Isabella Mossin.
Attendance: TBC.
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