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Maher Class Brings Back Brisbane Nightmares

Canberra United 3-3 Brisbane Roar

By Ben Gilby (23/12/21).

Above: Spectacular action as Michelle Heyman goes for goal. Photo: Canberra United.

A stunning fight-back at the death led by Grace Maher ensured that Canberra United obtained their first point of the season against a Brisbane Roar side whose worrying habit of conceding late goals cost them dear once more.

This was a vital game played in hot conditions at Viking Park with the two sides going into the encounter having lost all of their matches so far this season.

The team news saw Canberra United give a first start to ex-Brisbane star and Queenslander Allira Toby. With Katrina Gorry in the eleven from the beginning, Garreth McPherson was hoping that his Roar team would finally end their frustrating start to the campaign.

**Above:** Brisbane Roar’s Katrina Gorry (10) and Canberra United’s Allira Toby contest possession. **Photo:** Canberra United.

Brisbane, with the advantage of the breeze, had the first opportunity with less than five minutes on the clock. Gorry showed her worth as she drove through the left of centre channel, and let fly from outside the box forcing Keeley Richards to push it away at her near post for a corner.

Michelle Heyman then found Toby on the left only for Jamilla Rankin to get across to put the ball out for a corner but the less than giant-like Gorry headed away the set-piece.

Toby’s influence was emphasized with ten minutes on the clock. Karly Roestbakken’s throw on the left-hand side midway into the Roar half found the Ipswich-born Canberra debutant. She combined with the set-piece taker before receiving the ball back to play a delightful outside-of-the-foot low pass across to Michelle Heyman who hooked the ball home.

**Above:** Michelle Heyman goes to thank Allira Toby who set up her opener. Chelsee Washington (7) also shows her glee. **Photo:** Canberra United.

Roar, who had more than their fair share of chances prior to The Greens’ goal, were then pressed back as United looked to build on their lead. Whenever the visitors were in possession, Canberra pushed up fast in order to keep the pressure on and win back possession. In a bid to by-pass the press, Brisbane looked to play long more often, a move which did not prove particularly fruitful for them.

Just past the 20-minute mark, Mariel Hecher grabbed possession for the Queenslanders on the right of the box and hit a low shot with the outside of her foot which Richards pushed out for a corner. The flag-kick came in, Jessie Rasschaert got up at the far post, but the Canberra goalkeeper gathered for the home side.

Seconds later, Roar levelled after being gifted with an early Christmas present from Canberra. There was no imminent danger as Roestbakken played a pass back towards Richards. The Canberra keeper’s attempted clearance was an air shot with the ball trundling under her foot and into the net to loud gasps of disbelief from the home fans.

**Above:** Brisbane Roar’s Jamilla Rankin (5) challenges Michelle Heyman. **Photo:** Brisbane Roar.

Within three minutes, the Heyman-Toby partnership showed more positive signs as the latter was played in after a pacy run-through. The shot across the goal bounced off the far post. As the shot came in, Roar defender Rankin made contact with Toby’s ankle and there were claims for a penalty, but referee Rachel Mitchenson was unmoved.

With half an hour gone, Brisbane produced their best piece of build-up play to date. Along the right, Cannon Clough found Anna Margraf who in turn played a low crossfield pass to Shea Connors on the far side. Connors advanced and fired in a low shot which was well wide of her far post.

**Above:** Shea Connors (far left – 12) pictured after putting Brisbane ahead. **Photo:** A-League Women.

Brisbane were having the better of the midfield battle, and with seven minutes to play before the break, Hecher had acres of space to drive into before playing a pass to Margraf outside her who had room to advance into, ahead of finding Larissa Crummer on the right-hand side of the box before receiving the ball back. Margraf’s effort was heading wide as Richards got a hand to it, but the ball rolled on towards the far post where Connors was unmarked to slot home.

Canberra failed to learn their lesson, and from the resulting kick-off, Connors was found on her own once more on the right before the home side managed to gobble her up as the shot was got away.

The New Haven-born star, who hit 39 goals in 16 games in the Queensland Women’s NPL this season for Lions FC was on fire, and with the United defence caught square, she found Crummer on the left-hand side of the box. The Nambour-born Roar forward wasn’t picked up, but advantage couldn’t be taken.

**Above:** Chelsee Washington gets a shot away for Canberra United despite the close attention of Brisbane Roar captain Ayesha Norrie. **Photo:** Canberra United.

Brisbane started the second stanza on the front foot, and within two minutes, Hecher won a free kick from Grace Maher on the far left-hand side, parallel with the box. Rankin’s ball across found Ayesha Norrie. Once more Canberra allowed the opposition far too much time, and Norrie was able to get a shot away from a central position on edge of the box which Richards needed to leap to hold.

Canberra’s inability to create chances came back to haunt them with 65 minutes on the clock as the Roar extended their lead. Gorry’s corner of the right found Margraf who was standing unmarked centrally on the edge of the area. Her low shot took a deflection and flew in.

**Above:** Anna Margraf looks up at Katrina Gorry after putting Brisbane Roar 3-1 up. **Photo:** A-League Women.

Vicki Linton responded by bringing on Holly Caspers, but it was Brisbane who had two glorious opportunities in quick succession to hit their fourth. First, Connors received the ball centrally in the box and seemingly had the freedom of Viking Park, but she couldn’t take advantage. Shortly afterward Crummer got ahead of Ally Haran in a foot race but the shot went agonizingly wide.

The heat was taking its toll as the pace dropped off in the final fifteen minutes. Caspers was showing some promising pace along the right and there was a slight momentum shift. Crucially, Canberra took advantage of this with three minutes remaining. From almost 25 yards, Maher sent a typically sensational, if admittedly wind-assisted free-kick straight into the top corner between Worth’s hands. The home side had given themselves a chance.

**Above:** The view behind the goal as Grace Maher’s free-kick flies in. **Photo:** A-League Women.

Things got even worse for the Roar with two minutes of stoppage time played. Maher’s corner came in from the right and Brisbane initially cleared. Maher took up possession once more on the right and her ball in was directed home by Caspers to equalize – an incredible time to score her first-ever A-League Women’s goal.

This was the sixth goal that Roar has conceded this season after the 85th minute mark. It’s happened in all four of their matches this season. Today’s game was a microcosm of Brisbane’s season – tons of chances created and late goals conceded to lose a lead once more.

Speaking after the game, Canberra United’s Grace Maher said: “I would have liked to have kept the lead we originally had. We were doing well, but the Canberra spirit fight back was there. My goal was helped by the wind, but if you get it on target that’s the main thing, and anything can happen.”

**Above:** Scenes of joy for the home side as Holly Caspers hits Canberra’s late equalizer. **Photo:** A-League Women

Teams: CANBERRA UNITED (3-5-2): Richards, Haran, Keir, Ilijoski, Roestbakken, Maher, Washington, Middleton, Toby, Heyman, Taylor-Young. Substitutes: Vidmar, Hughes, Caspers, Kerrys-Stahl, Lincoln. No sub goalkeeper.

Scorer: Heyman 10′, Maher 88′, Caspers 90+2′

BRISBANE ROAR (3-4-3): Worth, Clough, Rasschaert, Rankin, Foletta, Hecher, Norrie, Gorry, Connors, Crummer, Margraf. Substitutes: Stamatopoulos, Kitano, Haffenden, Bailey (GK), McElligott.

Scorer: Roestbakken (OG) 24′, Connors 38′, Margraf 65′

Referee: Rachel Mitchenson.

Attendance: 957.

Impetus’ coverage of Australian Women’s Football is supported by The Chicken Salt Co. They are offering every Impetus reader 5% off all orders of Chicken Salt from their website. Go to https://www.chickensalt.co.uk/?mate=impetus and place your order – 5% will automatically be taken off of the cost. The coupon code is impetus.

Angie Beard: Hitting The Heights

In the latest of our #MidweekDub series of interviews, last season’s winning W-League Grand Final captain and current Matilda Angie Beard spoke to Ben Gilby about Melbourne Victory’s success and her move to Denmark with Fortuna Hjørring (22/12/21).

Above: Angie Beard in action for Australia earlier this year. Photo: Football Australia.

Angie Beard was one of the stand-out players in the W-League for a number of years. She was hugely impressive as captain of the Melbourne Victory team that ended last season by winning the Grand Final and has finally begun to receive the international recognition that she so richly deserves.

Beard’s footballing journey began at the age of 12, and she takes up the story.

**Above:** Angie Beard pictured whilst playing for Brisbane Roar in what she describes as her “break out season” of 2016. **Photo:** Courier Mail.

“I went to my local club Bethania Rams. From there, I worked my way through the QAS NTC program before signing my first professional contract with Brisbane Roar at 17-years old. My break-out season was 2016 where I was called into a few Matildas camps at 18-years old and was awarded Player of the Year and Player’s Player of the Year for Brisbane Roar.

“After three years at the club, I moved on to Melbourne Victory to play under Jeff Hopkins. I also had an overseas stint in 2020 with KR Reykjavik in the Icelandic professional league Urvaksdeild Kvenna. We won the Premiership and made consecutive semi-finals before winning the championship last season.

**Above:** Angie’s spell in Iceland (pictured here after signing with KR Reykjavik) gave her an idea of what to expect when she moved to Denmark earlier this year. **Photo:** KR Reykjavik.

Last season, Beard was a major player in Melbourne Victory’s W-League success. It was a campaign that she looks back on with great pride.

“It was one of the most enjoyable and successful campaigns I’ve been involved in. From pre-season, the vibe and intensity of the collective group were unique. I remember in an interview at the A-League men’s season launch, I was asked on stage what I thought of the upcoming season. In my excitement and passion, I stated that I couldn’t see us not making the Grand Final.

“Whilst our season was relatively consistent, we definitely had a few bumps in the road. After losing the Premiership in a tight contest with Sydney FC, the disappointment in the group was high but it may have been a wake-up call for us as a team. We finished the season off with a 6-0 victory over Perth Glory before backing it up in the semi-final against Brisbane Roar with another big victory.

**Above:** Angie jumps for joy after a goal in Melbourne Victory’s game against Canberra United last season. **Photo:** @gomvfc

“Sydney FC gave us a tight contest in the Grand Final but fortunately, we took the trophy back home with us to Melbourne.”

Beard’s form and success eventually led to an opportunity to move back to Europe.

“After my history and captaincy at Melbourne Victory, it was difficult to leave the club. In the off-season, my agent Ryan Oostendorp was approached with an offer from Danish club Fortuna Hjørring.

**Above:** Angie in action for Fortuna Hjørring this season. **Photo:** M Madsen. **Provided To *Impetus* By:** Alison Foreman.

The Queenslander’s previous spell in Europe meant that she had an idea of some of the challenges awaiting her.

“As I had a stint in Iceland with KR Reykjavik, I already had an idea of what to expect in an overseas professional environment. However, the experience was heavily impacted by COVID-19. This made the decision to come back overseas a tricky but ultimately rewarding choice. Knowing I would be joined here by other talented Australian players (Clare Wheeler, Indiah-Paige Riley, and Alex Hyunh also played at Fortuna Hjørring this season), was a big factor in making my decision easier.

“Having a full-time program is a game-changer. Being able to be a professional footballer all year round and having that as my sole focus has elevated my football to the next level.”

Beard’s form with Melbourne Victory and then with Fortuna Hjørring meant that she was finally given an opportunity to play for her country, and made her debut in the friendly against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. “I am very grateful and honoured to be called back into camps with the national team. It has always been an aspiration and goal for me in my professional career. Tony Gustavsson’s passion and energy are contagious. I’m excited to be involved and am eager to see the growth and continuing success that Tony and the Matildas can achieve.”

**Above:** Angie is now a regular in the Matildas team and has high hopes of being part of the Asia Cup squad which will be announced shortly. **Photo:** Channel 10.

Impetus would like to thank former Matilda Alison Foreman for her assistance in arranging our interview with Angie Beard.

Chelsea Announce Capture of Defender Abdullina

By Ben Gilby (22/12/21).

Above: Chelsea’s new signing Alsu Adbullina. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Chelsea FC.

Chelsea this afternoon announce the signing of Russian international left-back Alsu Abdullina on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The 20-year-old joins from Lokomotiv Moscow and will start the New Year as a Blue ahead of the second half of the season. The defender has signed at the Club until June 2024 and will wear shirt number 27.

The versatile left-back has been at Lokomotiv Moscow since 2020 where she has enjoyed significant success playing in the Russian top-flight bringing her energy and physicality to the team, with 46 appearances and six goals to her name. Lokomotiv went on to win the Russian Cup and Silver medal in Abdullina’s debut year going one better to clinch all the domestic trophies last season including the Russian League, Russian Cup, and Super Cup, as well as competing in the Champions League.

Prior to Lokomotiv, the defender started her professional career at Chertanovo Moscow, joining their Academy at the age of fourteen. She played her first match for the senior team in April 2017, becoming the youngest player that season and went on to win the bronze medal in the Russian Championship league in 2017 with the team securing silver in 2018.

Abdullina also has considerable international experience having played for the Russian national team since 2017, making her debut against Belgium in a friendly. Since then she has gone on to make an impressive 30 appearances and scored three goals in that time for her country. Most recently the Russian defender has competed in the Women’s FIFA 2023 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2022 qualifiers and also participated in the 2019 World Cup qualifying stages.

Earlier this year, she was named in the Russian Women’s league team of the season which is organized by the Russian Football Union for head coaches and captains from the league to vote for their top players of the year.

Upon signing, Abdullina said: “I am so happy to join Chelsea. This is a big change in my life, a new challenge. I am very proud to be part of this team, which has so many great players.

‘I want to continue to develop as a player and progress in London. I want to help the team to win as many trophies as possible.’

Emma Hayes commented on the signing: “Alsu is a very good young player who has accumulated a lot of club and national appearances for her age, including winning the league a number of times with Lokomotiv.

“Alsu is a versatile player who can play any position on the left, adding more depth to the squad. We look forward to seeing how she develops in our environment over the next couple of years.”

Norfolk Women’s Cup Enters Last Eight Stage

By Darrell Allen (21/12/21).

Above: KLSC fire in an effort in their Norfolk Cup game at Caister last weekend. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Hardy Scott Photos.

A big weekend of Norfolk Women’s Cup games took place over the weekend although sadly due to rising covid cases, two out of the four ties were cancelled.

The games impacted were the tie between Thetford Town and Stalham Town plus Gorleston against Mulbarton Wanderers falling victim, meaning Thetford and Mulbarton progressed to the next round and were the first teams to secure their place in Monday’s quarter-final draw due to their opposition not being able to play.

The two ties that did take place had a terrific feel about them with the all Norfolk Women and Girls League Division One (Tier Seven) clash at The Nest which saw Dussindale and Hellesdon Rovers take on Fakenham Town, and an all Division Two (Tier 8) clash between Caister and KLSC at The Allendale.

Due to Thetford’s tie being called off, my choice of game was the tie at The Allendale as Caister took on KLSC. It is always a joy to go to Caister as the welcome is friendly and there are lots of good people like manager Sophie Gillett and goalkeeper Laura Beevor.

Sophie was not there on Sunday but the friendly nature of the club was underlined by Caister follower Dave Roots introducing himself and having a chat. It is just little things like this that make a football experience positive and after the game, many Caister players said thank you to me for attending which was a really nice touch.

**Above:** Caister on the ball in their Norfolk Women’s Cup tie against KLSC on Sunday. **Photo** **supplied to *Impetus* by:** Hardy Scott Photos.

The game itself saw a comfortable win for the hosts who led 2-0 at halftime before the visitors got one back early in the second half but it was Caister who stormed victory and ran out 6-1 victors, hat tricks on the day from Ellie Hills and Beth Turner and a player of the match performance from Enya Tooke.

Over at The Nest in the day’s other tie, Dussindale and Hellesdon edged out Fakenham 2-1 in a tight encounter thanks to goals from Karolina and Vicky Leyer.

Attention then turned to Monday’s Quarter Final Draw made at Norfolk County FA Headquarters. Eight teams were in the bowl with the four giants of the local women’s game, FAWNL Division One South-East side Norwich City, plus the Eastern Region Premier (Tier Five) trio of King’s Lynn Town, Wroxham, and Wymondham Town all entering at this stage.

The Quarter-Final draw delivered four wonderful ties with a repeat of last season’s final with Norwich City vs Mulbarton Wanderers first out before Caister were rewarded for their efforts with a big home tie against King’s Lynn Town. Wroxham will also be happy as they face Dussindale and Hellesdon Rovers at Trafford Park and Thetford Town also have a big cup day to look forward to with Eastern Region Premier League leaders Wymondham Town to travel to Mundford Road.

The draw has something for everyone, with the four big clubs happy as they avoided each other, but also Dussindale and Hellesdon, Mulbarton, Caister, and Thetford have the chance to make headlines as Sunday 16th January 2022 promises to be a wonderful festival of Norfolk Women’s Football.

I will be carrying out my volunteering for Thetford, but if I were a neutral I would put Caister v Kings Lynn Town in the diary as it’s a game that has everything with a lower division team at home to a giant of the game.

**Above:** Goalmouth action from the Norfolk Women’s Cup tie between Caister and KLSC. **Photo supplied to *Impetus* by:** Hardy Scott Photos.

I fully expect Norwich City, Kings Lynn Town, Wroxham, and Wymondham Town to progress which will set up a wonderful late stage of the competition.

I wish all eight clubs well for the Quarter Finals, and I hope as many people as possible can go out and support one of these four great ties in mid-January. At Thetford Town, we will very much look forward to welcoming the talented Wymondham Town team and their huge backing of supporters, and seeing what we can do against one of the county’s best.

Thank you for your continued support to me in a year that had had many highs and lows and without the football family and in particular one special person I couldn’t have made it to the end.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

November Scottish Player of the Month Winners Revealed

From Scottish Women’s Football (21/12/21).

Artwork provided to Impetus by: Scottish Women’s Football.

Chelsea Cornet of Rangers has been voted as the winner of the Scottish Women’s Premier League One (SWPL 1) Player of the Month for November 2021 while Jade McLaren of Dundee United is the winner of the SWPL 2 award.

Both players received the highest number of public votes as well as securing the most votes from the Head Coaches within both divisions.

In the top flight in November, Rangers won three out of three games starting with a comfortable 5-0 midweek win over Motherwell. Their most significant result though came in the form of a 1-0 away win against rivals and title contenders Celtic the following Sunday. They then required a stunning Cornet strike to see off Partick Thistle 1-0 in their last fixture which kept them top of the table.

In her role in midfield, Cornet played the full 90 minutes in all three games. She provided one assist against Motherwell and scored the vital goal to defeat Partick Thistle. She also boasted an 87% successful pass rate in the month.

Cornet spoke of her pride in being the second Rangers player in a row to win the trophy: “I’m honoured to have picked up this award. I’m thrilled to be in the squad, playing regularly, and contributing to this team. It’s nice, on top of being in the starting 11, to have my hard work and contribution recognized.

“I didn’t realise at the time how important the goal against Partick Thistle would be and I didn’t think much of it. Watching it back, it was a pretty special goal and obviously secured us three points which is the main thing. I’m delighted to be playing my part and helping this team stay top of the table.”

Cornet also secures back-to-back SWPL 1 Player of the Month awards for Rangers after Rachel McLauchlan picked up the October 2021 award and it’s the club’s third award of the calendar year after Brogan Hay won April 2021.

**Artwork provided to *Impetus* by:** Scottish Women’s Football.

In SWPL 2 Dundee United’s Jade McLaren was voted as Player of the Month as her side also won all three of their games in November by a margin of at least four goals.

The versatile midfielder who previously played in defence, scored five goals in the month, including a hat-trick in their 5-1 win over Stirling University. She grabbed a brace in the 6-0 away win to Queen’s Park and while didn’t score against St Johnstone, McLaren played the full 90 in another 5-1 victory.

McLaren was thrilled to win the award: “I’m over the moon to win. It has been an aim of mine to even be nominated, so to win is extra special. I’m enjoying contributing to the team from midfield and it seems to be working well for me and the team overall.”

“This is definitely the strongest Dundee United team we’ve ever had. We missed out narrowly on promotion last season but I think that has been a bit of a blessing in disguise. It has allowed us to build and I think we’re stronger for that. Here’s hoping we can push on and win the league in 2021/22 to gain a place in the top flight.”

Also nominated for the SWPL 1 award was Glasgow City’s Aoife Colvill while Georgia Hunter (Heart of Midlothian), Lisa Swanson (Kilmarnock), and Nicola Reid (Glasgow Women) were nominated for the SWPL 2 award.

Katriina Talaslahti: Rising Star in Goal

Impetus’ French editor Jean-Pierre Thiesset spoke to FC Flury ’91’s Finnish goalkeeper Katriina Talaslahti, a player with a rising reputation in a team challenging for their first-ever UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification (20/12/21).

Katriina Talaslahti who celebrated her 21^st birthday on September 21, is one of the youngest goalkeepers in D1 Arkema, the top flight of the French Women’s Football Championships. In a competition where the average age of goalkeeper is around 25 years old, only Chiamaka Nnadozie, Paris FC’s goalkeeper, is younger than Talaslahti and only by two and a half months. As a matter of fact, the two youngest goalkeepers in D1 Arkema are in the two teams who fight for third place in the table which gives a qualification spot for UEFA Women’s Champions League.

After two years with Olympique Lyonnais as their third goalkeeper, Katriina signed with FC Fleury 91 in early August 2021 willing to be number one in her new team. She started the third game of the season against Bordeaux away from home and Fleury won 2-1. Since, she kept the number one spot with three clean sheets (Soyaux 1-0 and Reims 1-0 at home, Saint-Etienne 4-0 away from home).

**Above:** Katriina during the game against Lyon on December 5^th. **Photo:** Jean-Pierre Thiesset for Impetus.

Interview:

Jean-Pierre Thiesset: Do you speak French now?

Katriina Talaslahti: I can communicate with my friends. I have been in France for two and a half years and it is still quite hard, but it is getting better, and it is good to communicate in French.

JPT: So, we can do the interview in French?

KT: No, let’s do it in English (laughs).

JPT: How was your arrival at Fleury?

KT: The welcome was very nice. The area where I lived is different than when I was in Lyon because I was in the centre of a big city and now, I am in a smaller town, but I like it and it is not so far from Paris. I am getting used to France and I like it.

The players were really welcoming to me, and they wanted to speak to me straight away. It took a little bit of time to get into the team, and it is normal, but now I have good friends here and it feels more like a home; it is nice to go out with the girls when we have one evening free.

From the staff, when I arrived, they had to see me and test me, and I think I gave them the trust that they needed. Everything is very well scheduled here. The training sessions are somewhere similar to what it was in Lyon, and it feels like a normal daily rhythm.

The facilities are different because Lyon is a bigger club, but it is fine, and we have everything we need to train professionally. The coaches bring good training sessions and for my part as a goalkeeper, my coach is very good, and I like his training sessions. They are enjoyable and I like to go there because I know something different is coming each day and because I am getting better by doing it. So, it is not a lot of changes for me, it is the same amount of training, and it is just a new staff and new players.

JPT: What makes Fleury a good club to play for?

KT: Most of the players are a little bit older and they are experienced, so they bring this atmosphere of confidence to the game. Fleury is a smaller club than the others I have been in, but it gives them even more motivation to get bigger and higher. You can see from the players, from the staff, and from the organization that they want to grow and learn; It does not need to always be the biggest but the mentality in the club is to progress and I like that.

Our President, Mr. Pascal Bovis, is very polite to everybody, he is caring about the women’s team, and he comes to watch the games.

JPT: How do you feel being the number one goalkeeper for FC Fleury 91, and one of the two youngest goalkeepers in D1 Arkema as well?

KT: Obviously, it takes a lot of work to be number one. When I came to Fleury, I did not play the first two games, so it was sad for me because I came quite late in the season; but I was happy when I arrived at Fleury and now, I get to play so it feels exciting. Obviously, I still need to do a lot of work because it is not a final status, as you all know no player has a permanent place in the team, and every day it is like a fight to keep the spot by doing hard work, and I like it. I am very happy, yes, I am very happy. I have a nice feeling about it, and it keeps the motivation on. I am very happy that FC Fleury 91 trust me and they want to put me in the goal, it is very nice from them. I heard that I am one of the youngest goalkeepers in D1 Arkema and it is a nice feeling.

**Above:** Katriina attentive to catch the ball during the game against Lyon on December 5^th. **Photo:** Jean-Pierre Thiesset for Impetus.

There are a lot of goalkeepers that are much older, and they are really experienced, but it also shows from the club that they want to put in the goal the girl that they think is the best one and I think it gave me the chance to show them that I can do the job, and it motivates me to be on the field. I want to show that even if I am young, I am capable to play in D1 Arkema because I think I have a good background from Lyon and Bayern.

JPT: FC Fleury are fighting for third place in the table. How do you feel about that?

KT: I think that for us it is a good challenge to try to reach third place because you can qualify for the Champion’s League so that gives the whole team even more motivation to push harder and to win the games and I am very happy at the moment.

The spirit in our team is that we are really motivated to win, and this is why you can see in the training sessions that we are giving one hundred percent because as a team we want to develop and to get better. To win the games to reach third place, we still have to work hard. There are good teams we play against and even for me it is better to have work to do as a goalkeeper; imagine I would be only standing in the goal and with nothing to do and that’s not work for me.

Most of the games, it is going back and forth, so it is a lot of work and I really like it because I am the last person on the field (laughs). And when we do not win, we want to win the next one. In this year’s team, since I arrived, I have noticed that when we start to win the games, the girls get more confident, and it is nice to see it from the team. This is what I like about the team. I think we are really capable and that we are a good team, a professional team in the D1 Arkema league. Everything comes also because we have confidence in the team, and that we have older players that bring confidence into our game. The average age in our team is around 26, I guess, and there are not a lot of young players, and I am happy to be one of them (laughs).

JPT: To reach the third spot you should beat Lyon in December?

KT: Oh yeah (laughs). It will be a difficult game but as I always like to say, it is difficult, but it is possible. I am really looking forward to it.

JPT: You can also beat Paris St. Germain; Lyon will like it.

KT: Yes, for us also, we must beat all the Paris teams (laughs).

JPT: Could you tell us what is the strategy regarding your plays as a goalkeeper, when to go out for the ball, when to stay on the goal line?

KT: I think it depends on the team we play against. We also must follow what the coach tells us. More importantly, we must adapt regarding how other teams are playing. I am a very tall girl and for all the balls that come to the box it is just a matter of a lot of little details; Is it a high ball, is it a ball at the level of the head of the defence players, so you must always read it quickly to take the good decision. Obviously, for my first year as a playing goalkeeper in D1 Arkema league in France, I still have a lot to learn but I think it just depends on the situation.

**Above:** Katriina Talaslahti in the air to catch a ball against Ada Hegerberg head and avoid a goal during the game against Lyon on December 5^th. **Photo:** Jean-Pierre Thiesset for Impetus.

Furthermore, in each situation, you have less than one second to make your decision if you go out or not.

JPT: Against Guingamp, they scored twice, how do you feel about not keeping another clean sheet?

KT: It was unfortunate, we got a penalty, and we got an own goal. It happens in a game, it is a game, it is football. But at the end it was a good result (6-2); obviously, it was sad that we conceded two goals, but we keep going.

JPT: How do you feel about playing against your ex-teammates in Lyon in December?

KT: I would say … uh … exciting (laughs). It is going to be a difficult and hard game, and I think it will be a lot of work for me and for the team. But we are positive, and I would say we cannot wait to go to Lyon because it is a big game for both of us, the biggest for us; We want to get third place and Lyon want to stay in first place.

There has been a long time I have not been there, and it is also nice to see old teammates because I have a lot of friends there. It is going to be nice to say hello to all of them and to the fans because it is good to have all these fans around. So, it is lovely to be there soon; in one and a half weeks.

JPT: Is there something you want to say to your fans from Fleury and from Lyon?

KT: It is very important to have fans that support you because that makes your carrier more interesting. Thank you for the support, it has been nice to get to know you. I want to make time for you and if you come by, I would like to say “Hi”. Even when I do not have time, I try to make time to see you. And Merry Christmas to everybody.

Addendum:

On December 5, 2021, Fleury played in Lyon and lost 4-0 in a tough and physical game between the two sides. Fleury showed that they were not in fourth place in the table by chance and gave Lyon a stern test. Katriina produced another good performance but could not really do a lot on the four goals as the gap between her team and Lyon is still pretty large.

**Above:** Katriina in action to stop Ada Hegerberg’s shot during the game against Lyon on December 5^th. **Photo:** Guillaume Charton FFM.

Katriina told me at the end of the game that it was difficult but that they will continue to work and fight for third place in the standing. She was a little bit disappointed but at the same time very pleased to see all her fans in Lyon. Katriina spent a lot of time signing photos and taking selfies with her fans at the end of the game for the greatest pleasure of all.

Scottish Women’s Football Wrap

With an exciting draw for the Third Round of the Scottish Women’s Cup where the big guns meet the lower league sides plus the season launch details for the lower levels of the women’s game in Scotland – we round up all the news from today. Thanks to Scottish Women’s Football (20/12/21).

Above: The Scottish Women’s Cup. Photo: Scottish Women’s Football.

Scottish Women’s Cup Draw:

Today’s sixteen ties have brought about some fascinating ties. Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers both travel to lower league opposition with the Hoops going to Edinburgh City and Rangers to Stenhousemuir. Fourteen in a row league champions Glasgow City host second-tier Queen’s Park

Second-tier leaders Dundee United travel to lower-level opposition – either Westdyke or United Glasgow. In other top ties involving tier two teams, St. Johnstone hosts top-flight side Aberdeen whilst Kilmarnock travel to lower league Dryburgh Athletic or Harmony Row, whose second-round tie was postponed this weekend. There is also an all Premier League One tie between Partick Thistle and Motherwell.

Full draw:

Livingston v Montrose

Boroughmuir Thistle v Renfrew

Spartans v Morton

Gartcairn v East Fife

Partick Thistle v Motherwell

Dryburgh Athletic or Harmony Row v Kilmarnock

Edinburgh City v Celtic

Gleniffer Thistle v Heart of Midlothian

St. Johnstone v Hibernian

Sutherland v Falkirk

Hamilton Academical v Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Glasgow City v Queen’s Park

Glasgow Girls and Womens v Aberdeen

Stenhousemuir v Rangers

Westdyke or United Glasgow v Dundee United

Stirling University v BSC Glasgow

Ties to be played on or before 9th January 2022.

SWFL Season Launch Details:

The 2022 Scottish Women’s Football League (SWFL) season kicks off on Sunday 27th March and the 2022 SWFL Cup gets underway on Sunday 13th February.

The three SWFL regions remain in place for the 2022 season. Seven teams will enter the SWFL North/East, 13 teams will enter SWFL West/South West, and 14 teams will enter the SWFL Central/South East.

In SWFL West/South West and SWFL Central/South East teams will play each other twice and in SWFL North/East will play each other four times.

New teams entering the SWFL are Dalbeattie Star, Cumnock, Nitsdale Wanderers, Drumpchapel United (all SWFL West/South West), Clydebank, Dunipace, Livingston Development, and Edinburgh South (all SWFL Central/South East).

You can view the 2022 fixtures for the following leagues by clicking below:

SWFL Central/South East
SWFL North/East
SWFL West/South West

The format for the 2022 SWFL Cup has also been confirmed. Teams have been allocated into Regional Groups of four or five. Groups with four teams will play each other home and away, while groups with five teams will play each other once.

You can view the 2022 groups and fixtures by clicking here.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the Regional Round of 16 while a National draw will be conducted from the Quarter-Final onwards.

The SWFL Plate will also continue in 2022, offering opportunities for teams who do not progress in the SWFL Cup guaranteed games and an opportunity at silverware.

The dates for the SWFL Cup are as follows:

Sunday 13th February – Group Stage commences
Sunday 10th April – Regional Round of 16
Sunday 1st May – Quarter-Final
Sunday 22nd May – Semi-Final
Sunday 26th June – Final

Highlands and Islands 2022 Season Announced

The 2022 SWF Highlands and Islands League season kicks-off on Sunday 13th March and the 2022 SWF Highlands and Islands League Cup gets underway on Sunday 27th March. The cup final will take place on Saturday 18th or Sunday 19th June and the final round of fixtures will be Sunday 9th October.

The nine teams featured in 2021 will participate again for the 2022 title, including reigning champions Inverness CT Development.

You can view the 2021 fixtures by clicking here.

The 2022 SWF Highlands and Islands League Cup competition remains as normal with teams featuring in a knockout format. The date of the draw for the Prelim Round and Quarter-Final is TBC.

The only change will see Lewis & Harris enter the cup competition, giving them a chance to win the trophy after success in 2019. However, reigning champions Sutherland will have something to say about that.

The dates for the SWF Highlands and Islands League Cup are as follows:

Sunday 27th March – Prelim Round
Sunday 10th April – Quarter-Final
Sunday 22nd May – Semi-Final
Saturday 18th or Sunday 19th June – Final

Impetus Achievers Awards

With Round Three done and dusted in the A-League Women, it’s time for the weekly awards given out by our team of writers covering the competition. For the first time, there was some divergence in opinion between Kris Goman, Kieran Yap, and Ben Gilby (20/12/21).

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Kris: For me, it has to be Lynn Williams. She scored a wonderful goal and an assist. Williams was all over the field showing her class for Melbourne Victory. Honourable mention to Cote Rojas who was fantastic when she came off the bench for Sydney FC. She’s got that South American flair and I love it.

Kieran: It’s Lynn Williams. One goal and two assists when Victory were being outplayed away from home and without Chidiac. Can’t argue with the stats.

Ben: I’ve found it really hard this week. I thought Rhianna Pollicina bossed the first half for Melbourne City against Adelaide United and then Fiona Worts was instrumental in the South Australian side’s second-half comeback. I was overjoyed to see Cote Rojas back in the Dub, she is just outstanding. Lynn Williams deserves a mention too, but I’m going with Cortnee Vine. She was unstoppable down the right for Sydney FC and scored a super goal. She’s back to her best after that dreadful injury.

COACH OF THE WEEK:

**Above:** Rado Vidosic pictured at this week’s press conference where he made a personal plea for improvements to the A-League Women competition. **Photo:** Melbourne City.

Kris: Wellington Phoenix’s Gemma Lewis. They really stepped up against Sydney and didn’t collapse under the pressure. The team looked solid and are clearly coming together well. They kept the pressure on during the game.

Kieran: Melbourne Victory’s Jeff Hopkins. Williams was the hero, but he’s maintained form and full results with a constantly shifting lineup. Adding Alana Murphy to the starting lineup was a bold decision that will pay off long term.

Ben: Melbourne City’s Rado Vidosic. Not necessarily for how his team performed against Adelaide United, but for raising his head above the parapet and stating with passion and belief what he believes has to be done between now and 2023 to get the A-League Women competition in a strong place. His follow-up comment that if the changes are not made by the end of 2023 it is too late is a warning to the powers that be.

EVENT OF THE WEEK:

**Above:** Western Sydney Wanderers’ Ashlie Crofts who had an incredible debut. **Photo:** @wswanderers

Kris: The psycho last ten minutes of the Wanderers v Jets match culminating in Ashlie Crofts debut ALW goal. End to end to end to end football that was both frantic and exciting.

Kieran: Ashlie Croft’s equalizer for Western Sydney Wanderers, not only a vital goal in a team desperately needing a good moment, but a childhood fan becoming a hero for her hometown club.

Ben: Ashlie Croft’s equalizer at the death for Western Sydney Wanderers. It’s an incredible story – goal on your debut to save a point for your hometown club that you were a member (season ticket holder) of as a kid. What a moment.

Sydney Take Points But More Plaudits For Phoenix

Sydney FC 3-0 Wellington Phoenix

By Ben Gilby (19/12/21).

Above: Wellington Phoenix’s Kate Taylor tussles with Sydney FC’s Remy Siemsen earlier today. Photo: @SydneyFC

Sydney FC extended their winning start to the A-League Women’s campaign with a comfortable victory over a game Wellington Phoenix side in difficult conditions at Kogarah.

The match was played in hot conditions with rain then arriving in the second half at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium with four drinks breaks throughout the encounter.

The pre-game team news for the home side centred around goalkeeper Jada Whyman making her 50th W-/A-League Women appearance. For Phoenix, Alyssa Whinham was named in the starting lineup for the first time and attacker Kelli Brown made her debut for the New Zealanders.

**Above:** Sydney FC’s Jada Whyman, who made her 50th W-/A-League Women performance today. **Photo:** @ALeagueWomen

Sydney started strongly with the in-form Cortnee Vine found on the right flank. She advanced towards the box, beating Saskia Vosper with something to spare and playing in Remy Siemsen, who couldn’t get any power into her shot and a combination of a deflection and the handiwork of Phoenix keeper Lily Alfeld cleared the danger.

Powerful runs along the flanks created another opportunity with nine minutes played when Ally Green’s cross from the left, got past Nix vice-captain Kate Taylor, who couldn’t get her head on the ball, and it fell towards Vine who couldn’t get an accurate shot away

Phoenix were having success in the middle of the park, asserting pressure on the home side. They also conjured up their first real opportunity when Whinham showed superb skill to turn away from Nat Tobin and Charlotte Mclean on the left of the box, but she couldn’t put in an effort to worry Whyman. The frustration showed on the teenage midfielder’s face, but it was further evidence that Wellington have some excellent creative players in their ranks.

It’s not just creativity that Phoenix possesses. They have some excellent readers of the game. 18-year-old Taylor was putting herself about physically on Siemsen with impressive results.

But for all that, Sydney still had the gun players to cause damage. With 24 minutes on the clock, in a move reminiscent of one of the early plays of the match, Jessika Nash’s throw saw Vine got free from Vosper on the right and have acres of space to drive into the box and curl home a beautiful finish from an acute angle between Phoenix’s would-be tacklers Grace Wisnewski and Taylor with the outside of her foot

**Above:** There was lots for Sydney FC to celebrate today. **Photo:** @SydneyFC

Wellington reacted well initially with Whinham again creating an opportunity after combining with Brown.

With seven minutes of the half to go, Vine continued her rampage along the right before squaring the ball back to Siemsen but the Matilda’s effort went over the bar.

The right was Sydney’s most productive area of the pitch with crosses galore and a large number of set-pieces being awarded down this flank with Hawkesby and Vine causing untold damage throughout the half with Princess Ibini and occasionally Taylor Ray popping up to add additional pressure down that side.

Yet, it remained just 1-0 at the break as Phoenix’s block defence was largely well organised which ensured that despite having plenty of possession and opportunities, the Sky Blues could only force the ball into the net once.

Sydney created the first real chance of the second half six minutes in when Siemsen ran onto a perfectly weighted through ball. Her attempt to square it across to Vine was partially blocked by Taylor into the path of Hawkesby who fired a powerful shot straight into Alfeld’s midriff.

Sydney doubled their lead with 54 minutes played. Ibini won a free-kick down the left after being barged off of the ball by Isobel Gomez. The resulting set-piece was sliced out for a throw. Green then advanced along the left and won a corner from Zoe McMeeken. Hawkesby found Ibini in acres of space from the flag-kick on the left of the box. The striker turned Chloe Knott and side-footed what was most likely a shot that took a deflection into the path of Charlize Rule who was totally unmarked at the back post to tap home.

**Above:** Charlize Rule (centre) celebrates her goal with Nat Tobin (left) and Cortnee Vine (right). **Photo:** @ALeagueWomen

As the game approached the hour mark, whilst the temperature was dropping and rain began to fall, it was clear that the heat had impacted Phoenix with Sydney being able to find increased spaces to attack.

Vine had a great opportunity with 65 minutes on the clock as Ibini danced past McMeeken and a through ball came her way via interplay between Hawkesby and Siemsen, but Alfeld advanced quickly to push the ball away for a corner which was cleared.

Within seconds though, the Sky Blues grabbed their third. Ibini dispossessed Mackenzie Barry and played a 1-2 with Siemsen. From the return ball, Hawkesby hit a first-time effort with her left foot into the far corner.

With 20 minutes to go, Cote Rojas was brought on for her Sydney FC debut. The Chilean superstar had previously lit up the competition with Adelaide United and was in outrageous form for Salisbury Inter during the South Australia NPL this year. Shortly afterward, Paige Satchell entered the field to take on her fellow Kiwis, but her pacey battles along the right-hand side with Tabitha Kramer were largely won by the Phoenix’s former Western Sydney Wanderers defender.

With eight minutes left, the 22-year-old Katie Offer came on in goal to get some experience and she only had limited work to do in the period. When she was called into action, it was to prevent an own goal as Ibini sliced a clearance towards her own goal which the Sydney keeper had to palm away.

**Above:** Mackenzie Hawkesby (facing camera) joins with Princess Ibini and Remy Siemsen (right) to celebrate her goal that put Sydney FC 3-0 up. **Photo:** @ALeagueWomen

Rojas’s trickery and pace shone through in the final stages with one trademark curled long through ball with the outside of her foot towards Ibini highlighting just what she brings to the party. Her other stock in trades – those quick feet, swivel turns, and upper body strength were also well in evidence. The Chilean was certainly the last thing that the tiring Wellington youngsters wanted to face with the clock winding down.

Despite Sydney completely controlling the final part of the game, they could not add to their goal tally. With Rojas now an integral part of an attack that also contains Siemsen, Vine, and Ibini, the rest of the competition is on notice – the Sky Blues are coming for you.

Impetus heard from both head coaches after the game. Sydney’s Ante Juric was clear that he sees plenty of room for his team can get better: “I don’t think it was our best game but we are gradually getting there. Like last week we played in patches, when we did play well in patches we looked very good but I still think we are way off, however it’s nice to win. We’ve still go enormous growth left in us.”

Wellington Phoenix’s Gemma Lewis saw further positives from her team in what was their toughest test so far: “I definitely think there were better moments in the game. We were more organized. There were moments in the game where I think we had a little bit of momentum, a little bit more territory and we were trying to stick to the way we wanted to play.

**Above:** Wellington Phoenix’s A-League Men’s team, who were also playing Sydney FC at Kogarah today, pictured supporting the club’s A-League Women side. **Photo:** @WgtnPhoenixFC

“I’m really proud of them for still pushing, still playing through the 90, and still trying to look for a goal, even at the end. A three-nil result sucks but at the same time there were moments in that performance we can be happy with I think.”

Lewis believes that the hot weather at the start of the game had an impact on her young team, which has an average age of just 19.

“It was tough. We knew some of our girls were going to struggle with it. There’s a couple of our girls who do struggle in heat as you would have seen from that game. Even being over here hasn’t really helped us too much because the weather has been really rubbish up until this point.

“We actually haven’t had a lot of time to acclimatise to it either. The last couple of days have been the first days for us it’s really been above 30 degrees so it was tough conditions for the players. But they still pushed through, they were still professional, they knew it was the same for both sides, so they got on with it.”

Teams: SYDNEY FC (4-3-3): Whyman, Nash, Mclean, Tobin, Green, Hunter, Ray, Hawkesby, Vine, Siemsen, Ibini. Substitutes: Offer (GK), Lowe, Rojas, Satchell, Rule.

Scorers: Vine 24′, Rule 54′, Hawkesby 66′.

WELLINGTON PHOENIX: Alfeld, McMeeken, Barry, Taylor, Vosper, Whinham, Gomez, Wisnewski, Pritchard, Knott, Brown. Substitutes: Edwards (GK), Jasnos, Walker, Kramer, Martin.

Referee: Georgia Ghirardello.

Attendance: 1,045.

Williams X-Factor Seals Victory

Brisbane Roar 2-3 Melbourne Victory

By Kieran Yap (18/12/21)

Above: Melbourne Victory celebrate Catherine Zimmerman’s match deciding third goal with five minutes to play. Photo: @gomvfc.

Lynn Williams was the difference in a tightly contested attacking match between Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar.

The results of the first two rounds show that Brisbane had two losses and Victory two wins, However, the defending champions went into this game vulnerable.

Brisbane were at home, in need of a win, and had played some great football in the opening games. Only a calamitous error and a deflected shot stood between them and at least a couple of points.

**Above:** Melbourne Victory’s Courtney Nevin (left) is beaten to the ball against the Roar. **Photo:** @brisbaneroar

Victory on the other hand, were stretched at the back. Kayla Morrison’s absence was keenly felt in the derby against Melbourne City. Their local rivals took advantage with long balls over the top. Claudia Bunge and Amy Jackson had trouble cutting out these attacks and Brisbane would have studied this.

The first clear chance of the game came from Victory. Kyra Cooney-Cross whipped in one of her trademark corner kicks. Bunge leapt at the back post and made clean contact. Her header momentarily looked dangerous but floated harmlessly beyond danger.

Anna Margraf had Brisbane’s best chance in the first half. She found herself in space, behind the Melbourne defence and with only Casey Dumont to beat. The Victory keeper made herself big and was decisive in coming off her line. It was a good save but a lost opportunity.

Victory did not waste their next opportunity. Cooney-Cross played in a deeper position, using her pace to carry the ball from deep and passing range to spread the play. For the opening goal of the game, she sent a perfect pass out to Harriet Withers. The new recruit picked out Lynn Williams with a perfect cross and the American bulleted a header in to take the lead.

**Above:** Melbourne Victory celebrate Lynn Williams’ goal. **Photo:** @gomvfc

Brisbane kept threatening. Throughout the game, they would have 15 shots on goal. Katrina Gorry’s class was evident in her first start of the season. Her whipped-in low ball was cleared by Victory but the Matilda was looking dangerous.

Shea Connors looked the most likely to score for The Roar, her battle on the left wing with Polly Doran was vital in this match. For the first half at least Doran was the winner, but Connors was a constant danger.

Brisbane came out in the second half in search of an equalizer but Victory scored first again. It was the same combination in the reverse order. Lynn Williams raced down the left-wing, twisting and bustling to the by-line. She hooked in a cross to the back post where Withers was waiting to knock it into the net.

If you were late back to your seat from the interval, you would have missed this goal. It was a quick rebuke to any of Brisbane’s halftime plans.

**Above:** Brisbane Roar’s Cannon Clough (left) battles against Lynn Williams. **Photo:** @gomvfc.

At 2-0 up, It would be safe to assume that Victory were cruising, but this was not the case. It has been the pattern of Brisbane Roar this season to attack easily, attack dangerously but struggle to score. They play some brilliant football and it would even be harsh to say they lack an edge upfront. As basic as it sounds, they have just been unlucky.

Shea Connors tried to break that streak. Her goal in the 65^th minute gave the home side hope and the home fans something to cheer about. It was the first goal by either the men or women’s teams at home this season and it was a deserved reward for her effort and endeavour.

Connors raced onto a long ball from Rie Kitano. She was goal side of Polly Doran and Bunge for the first time in the game with space ahead of her. Dumont came out to narrow the angle but Connors took her time to place the shot into the goal.

Brisbane had a chance and they threw everything at Victory to try and score another while the champions held on and defended sometimes desperately.

**Above:** Shea Connors (left) celebrates her goal for Brisbane Roar. **Photo:** @brisbaneroar

Connors had a penalty claim waved away and an equalizer disallowed for a very close offside call but a second Brisbane goal seemed likely.

It would come, but not until after Victory scored a third. Williams again was uncontainable. She slalomed her way past two Brisbane defenders on the right flank. Her low cut back made for an easy tap-in by Catherine Zimmerman. Victory were 3-1 up and it felt like game over.

That was until Larissa Crummer had a say in proceedings. Brisbane’s number nine raced through the middle of the pitch and out positioned Courtney Nevin. Her first attempt was well blocked by Dumont but she lifted the rebound over the sprawling keeper to make it 3-2 with about a minute remaining.

Victory were faced with similar circumstances to last week. A one-goal advantage, a tired defence, and a resurgent opposition. Maja Markovski deserves plaudits for her match awareness and composed footwork. The striker kept possession, moved the ball safely, and earned a free-kick as the clock ticked down.

**Above:** Victory acclaim their third and ultimately winning goal. **Photo:** @gomvfc

Victory held on again and Brisbane rued missed chances again. They had 15 shots on goal for the match and eventually more chances will start going in.

Melbourne have defensive reinforcements arriving soon. Until then they might just continue to try and outscore their opponents. It has worked so far and they have the attacking talent to do it.

Speaking about her team’s performance, Brisbane Roar’s Katrina Gorry admitted: “We’re creating chances, as we have in all three games now, but the finishing is not there.

“We need to be playing the ball around more, win our one on ones and start scoring some goals.”

**Above:** Shea Connors, one of the bright lights in Brisbane’s performance once more. **Photo:** @brisbaneroar.

Harriet Withers spoke of relief of getting the win: “It was a lot closer than it should have been at the end. When they got that first goal and got it back to 2-1 that was hard, but we got it out again to 3-1, then they came again. It was hard, but credit to the girls, they never give up.

“Kudos to Roar, they came back and never gave up. Everyone did really well. It was great to provide an assist for Lynn’s goal, she is an amazing player. I came off with a groin issue that has been niggling me all week. I just need to rest it and I’ll be back next week.”

Roar’s first goalscorer Shea Connors showed frustration at the outcome: “It’s disappointing again because I feel like we are a good side but we can’t get the results.”

Teams: BRISBANE ROAR (4-3-3): Worth, Clough, Rasschaert, Haffenden, Rankin, Gorry, Norrie, Hecher, Margraf, Crummer, Connors. Substitutes: Bailey (GK), Stamatopoulos, Kitano, Foletta, McElligott.

Scorer: Connors 65’, Crummer 90+4′

MELBOURNE VICTORY (4-2-3-1): Dumont, Doran, Bunge, Murphy, Nevin, Cooney-Cross, Withers, Barbieri, Privitelli, Zimmerman, Williams. Substitutes: Maizels (GK), Robers, Zois, Markovski, Iermano.

Scorers: Williams 36’, Withers 46’, Zimmerman 85′.

Referee: Lara Lee.

Attendance: 1,258.