Above:The squad in training. Photo: Ireland Football on Twitter.
By Alyce Collett (3/4/25)
It’s international break once again, and perhaps even more so than the one two months ago, this window is really pivotal for the Republic of Ireland, who is still in the early stages of life under new manager Carla Ward.
After defeating Turkey in a less than convincing fashion in game one of the last window, Ireland then copped a 4-0 loss at the hands of Slovenia that left plenty of people scratching their heads and feeling very concerned.
There were many reasons thrown around as to what may have been the cause of the drop in form against Slovenia, but no matter what the reason was, the Girls in Green have to turn around that form and fast. If they do not, a speedy return to League A may be in serious jeopardy.
This campaign sees two matches for the Girls in Green against Greece, who had two losses in the February window, so these matches have come at perhaps the best time for the Republic of Ireland. The April squad on paper appears to be stronger than the selected team in the February window.
The most obvious strengthening is the inclusion of Saoirse Noonan, who was remarkably left out of the February squad despite being in stellar form for club side Celtic.
She comes into a forward group that needs to get some confidence back into its game and by correlation start scoring freely again. From a group that scored 20 goals last time they spent a season in League B, they would love nothing more than to be scoring that freely again.
Although unlikely considering Ward is set in her plans for resetting this team, it would be good to see a change in the set up of the forward line. Kyra Carusa has been first choice central striker for some time now, but it would be perhaps worth changing things up to start someone like an Amber Barrett and pair her with a speedy type, for example an Abbie Larkin or a Leanne Kiernan.
The midfield is perhaps the most set section of the Irish line up, and the least likely to see any change. Denise O’Sullivan and Ruesha Littlejohn are absolute generals in the centre of the park for the Girls in Green, and with both in solid form at the moment there is no reason to suggest there will be anything out of ordinary from the pair. It will be interesting to see though if Aiobheann Clancy gets much of a go, with the Shelbourne youngster back in the Ireland squad after picking up a debut cap against Morocco two years ago.
The defence is also pretty well set, but does also come with some queries.
Firstly, Caitlin Hayes was surprisingly given no game time last window, despite seemingly having cemented her role in a three prong centre back formation alongside Aoife Mannion and Anna Patten. Will Ward persist with two centre backs and keep Hayes on the bench, or revert back to the trio of centre backs we have come to expect from the Irish?
Heather Payne is a vitally important part of the Irish set up, with her pace up the right side of the pitch critical for the creation of plenty of Irish attacking plays. However, after picking up a bit of an ankle issue in Everton’s loss to Manchester United on the weekend, she does come into the window under a bit of an injury cloud.
Then there is the eternal question of how to maximise the on field influence of captain Katie McCabe. What the Irish tried last window did not quite work, but something that has worked previously is starting Megan Campbell at right back and playing McCabe out wide but a bit further up the pitch.
Time will tell what Ward and the coaches decide to do.
The first match between the Republic of Ireland and Greece will take place in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, on April 4 at 3pm Irish time. The reverse fixture will then take place at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin at 7:30pm on April 8 local time. Both matches will be shown on RTE 2, but those outside the island of Ireland will need a strong VPN to watch RTE’s coverage.
Republic of Ireland April Squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton), Grace Moloney (Unattached).
Above: Sawa Matsuda. Photo: Adrian Geremia for Heidelberg United.
It is still early days in the 2025 season, but there is a bit of swagger about Heidelberg United. they are playing like a team that won the Grand Final, and while they may not be sweeping teams aside right now, there is an aura and confidence about them, they don’t mind being the hunted and their third consecutive win was another example of this.
Goals to Rosie Wild, Samantha Curwood-Wagner, Judy Connolly, Cameron Barreiro and Sawa Matsuda helped them to a 5-2 win over FV Academy. Ehva Gutszmit and Anika Dovaston scored for the home side.
Heidelberg did not take FV Academy lightly. Despite the development side’s big loss to South Melbourne in Round Two, they showed that they could be a dangerous side. That scoreline was harsh on them and The Bergers were taking no chances, especially Keely Lockhart who was full of running and purpose from the opening whistle.
Curwood-Wagner opened the scoring in the 10th minute. A surging Lockhart run helped the ball onto her, and the finish was calm to beat the well positioned Charlotte Hrehoresin. Gutszmit tried to find an equaliser for FV Acamedy, but her long distance effort, though well-struck swung wide of the target.
Lockhart then had her own attempt from outside of the box. The powerful drive crashed off the crossbar, and Matsuda was on hand to head home into an empty net.
A mazy, persistent run from Judy Connolly earned Heidelberg a penalty before half time. She dusted herself off the dispatch the spot kick herself and make it 3-0. The game seemed fully in their control.
FV Academy came out after the break with undented confidence. Although Heidelberg had the first effort on goal through Matsuda, it was FV Academy who pulled one back. Dovaston earned her side a corner and Gutszmit’s delivery went straight in at the near post, dipping vengefully at Mia Bailey’s feet.
The tricky Curwood-Wagner tried to answer immediately with another dangerous run down the right, but FV Academy’s defence kept their shape and their feet to clear the danger.
The next clear chance fell again to FV Academy. Clancy Westaway intercepted an under hit pass and burst clear. She attempted to loft the ball over Bailey, but the champion goalkeeper stayed uncommitted to save what looked like a certain goal.
Momentum continued to swing as the game opened up, but a fourth goal to Heidelberg effectively ended this as a contest. Rosie Wild launched highest at a corner kick to nod home from close range and make it 4-1 in the 70th minute.
FV Academy were not finished though and Anika Dovaston scored a wonder goal on her 50th appearance in the league to make it 4-2. Westaway did very well to maintain possession and wait for attacking options to arrive. Dovaston did spectacularly well to rocket home the goal with a dipping, swerving shot from beyond 20 yards.
Another penalty kick gifted Heidelberg their fifth. It was an unlucky handball, but one right Infront of the referee. Barreiro scored from the spot to put an exclamation point on the game and keep Heidelberg in top spot on the ladder after three rounds.
In other results, Bentleigh Greens SC defeated Brunswick Juventus 1-0. Reagan Bridges’ goal gave Bentleigh their first win of the season and will come as some relief after a high profile recruitment drive in the off season.
South Melbourne continued on their goal scoring ways with a 3-0 win away to the normally consistent Alamain FC. The win makes it 10 goals in the last two games for South, with Meisha Westland particularly impressive for the second week in a row.
An Olivia Anderson brace helped newly promoted Spring Hills FC to a 3-1 win over last season’s semi-finalist Essendon Royals, and The Preston Lions did most of their damage late in a 3-0 defeat of Bulleen.
Preston led by a single goal for much of the game, but added two in the final minutes as Bulleen chased a point.
Katie Cox scored twice for Box Hill as they won their fixture 2-0 against Boroondara-Carey Eagles. With a game against the impressive Bentleigh Greens next round, getting a win and some much needed confidence was important, and this result should make next week’s match all the more intriguing.
Impetus caught up with Emily van Egmond this morning at the Matildas first press conference.
There were many questions about Sam Kerr’s return to the team and Van Egmond said, “I think she’s just really happy, honestly to be here. It’s been so long. She’s a big personality. She’s a great personality. She helps the team in positive ways. So, for us it’s really good. It’s nice just to see her here again.”
There was plenty of big smiles while talking about Kerr and their long and deep friendship was obvious.
Asked to pinpoint what happened during the She Believes Cup, Van Egmond said, “I think the She Believes Cup was a good tournament to be a part of. I think playing Japan in the first opening game was – you never want to go down like that to a team. But for us, it was good also to see the level now.
“And now we’ve been exposed to three different oppositions, Japan, Columbia and the USWNT and yeah, we have work to do and we welcome that challenge. You need to go out there and bounce back from that. And obviously Asia Cup is the short-term goal for us.”
The Asia Cup is fast approaching and will be the Matildas next major tournament. With it being held in Australia, less than a year away, it’s the current primary focus. Playing South Korea on Friday in Sydney and on Tuesday in Newcastle will be critical in the preparation for this tournament. And it was South Korea that knocked Australia out of the last Asia Cup in the final minutes of the Quarter Finals when Ji So-Yun slammed the match winner into the net. South Korea went on to be runners up to China in the final.
Reminded of that moment, Van Egmond reminisced, “It feels like years ago now it, but yeah, that was a heartbreak for us to conceive in the last couple minutes.
“The way that we did was obviously not a nice feeling, but we know what they’re capable of, they’re a great team.
“They’re a technical team. We need tomake sure we nullify what they do. To be honest with you, at the time it probably would’ve been devastating for us. But yeah, we have little time now to prepare, so every game counts for us and it’s really, really important. We’re doing everything that we can to get to the best possible shape that we can before that.”
Much to the annoyance of many genuine fans, the media continues agitate about Sam Kerr’s trial and return to the squad. Certainly, there’s been a shift in the way the team has been viewed, prompting the question, “Do you think all of Australia’s going to be in love with the Matildas again when there’s another home tournament to get around again?”
Van Egmond was optimistic , “I hope they still are. We’ve come to town and everyone’s buzzing that the Matildas are back. So we don’t focus on the negative side.”
Above: Impetus’ Player of the Month for March, Izzy Gomez. Photo: Central Coast Mariners.
Each month, Impetus‘ team of writers and photographers who cover the competition will vote to decide their best player, head coach, and young player in the A-League Women. Here are the winners from March.
Player of the month
Izzy Gomez (Central Coast Mariners)
Izzy Gomez is the classs and the spark that takes Cebtrak Coast from “tough to beat” to “hard to stop” she is fast, combative and has an attacking streak that few central midfielders can replicate.
Gomez scores goals, sometimes spectacularly, but her workrate and pace mean that teams have to be on alert defensively when she has the ball or when they do. Gomez can pick your pocket, run half the pitch and slide it past the keeper.
She is currently the best player of her kind since Coates Wheeler was at Sydney FC and her return from injury has been a highlight of the last month.
A popular and likely recurring name in the Player of the Month category.
Young Player of the month
Alana Murphy (Melbourne Victory)
Above: Melbourne Victory’s Alana Murphy, Impetus’ Young Player of the Month for March. Photo: Melbourne Victory.
Following her Matildas debut in February, Alana Murphy has continued to be one of the dominant midfielders of the competition.
She patrols the Victory midfield with. Authority beyond her 19 years, screens the defence and is usually the first outlet for attack. Against Canberra United she was dominant and her absence was keenly felt against Newcastle when chaos set in after she was withdrawn with injury.
She always has time on the ball and her decision making is approaching an international standard. It is frightening that she will be eligible for Young Player of the year for many seasons to come.
Head Coach of the month
Michael Matricciani (Melbourne City)
Above: Melbourne City head coach Michael Matricciani who has guided his team to another sensational month. Photo: Melbourne City.
His side has completed yet another month of unbeaten results – extending their record-breaking run. But this time there is an additional achievement that Matricciani has guided his side to.
On 22nd March, his City team played the first ever Asian Champions League match on Australian soil, against Taiwanese side Taichung Blue Whale, and clinched a semi-final berth with a 3-0 win. This success sets up a semi-final against Korea Republic outfit Incheon Red Angels on 21st May.
On domestic duties this month, Matricciani coached his side to wins over Adelaide United, Brisbane Roar, and Wellington Phoenix on top of a draw against Canberra United.
Those achievements make Matricciani the first person to win an Impetus A-League Women monthly award more than once in a season.
Impetus‘ A-League Award Winners 2024/25:
November 2024:
Player: Tameka Yallop (Brisbane Roar).
Young Player: Sarah O’Donoghue (Perth Glory).
Head Coach: Alex Smith (Brisbane Roar).
December 2024:
Player: Laini Freier (Brisbane Roar).
Young Player: Tiana Fuller (Central Coast Mariners).
Head Coach: Michael Matricciani (Melbourne City).
January 2025:
Player: Leticia McKenna (Melbourne City).
Young Player: Alyssa Whinham (Wellington Phoenix).
Head Coach: Jeff Hopkins (Melbourne Victory).
February 2025:
Player: Chelsie Dawber (Adelaide United).
Young Player: Jessika Nash (Central Coast Mariners).
Above: Perth SC’s opening goal scorer Ruby Marshall (azure shirt) out to beat Murdoch University Melville goalkeeper Kaitlyn Mohan. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
After last weekend’s reduced set of opening matches due to extreme heat, this second round saw all eight sides in action for the first time.
However, before the Round Two action, one of last week’s postponed games was played on Monday night at the Sam Kerr Football Centre, and it produced an eye-catching result.
Hyundai Football West Academy (FWA, formerly Hyundai NTC) earned a superb 3-0 win over a Balcatta Etna side who a number of people believe will be pushing hard for championship and Top Four Cup success in 2025.
Pete Rakic’s side already have the Night Series Cup in their back pocket, but FWA took the honours in style with goals from Xuri Dalton, Nelli Johnson, and Sakura Leong.
Above: Xuri Dalton, who opened the scoring for Football West Academy against Balcatta Etna on Monday night. Photo: Football West.
Round Two
Fremantle City 2-2 Balcatta Etna
Week two of the action got underway on Saturday afternoon at Hilton Park with two sides looking for their first win of the campaign, despite being favourites for the top four this season.
Freo have shown in flashes what they are capable of across both the Night Series and during their opening week loss to fellow top-four favourites Perth SC. However, they face a devilishly tough set of fixtures across the opening month with the Football West Academy, and Perth RedStar ahead in the next fortnight.
For Balcatta, this was a chance to get back on the horse and make a statement against a tough opponent after Monday night’s setback at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.
It was the home side that hit the front with just five minutes played. Great work from American Leyna Wood in the build-up play along the right earned her side a corner. Abbey Green’s flag-kick came in high at the near post. Rebecca Bennett in the Etna goal pushed it up, but her defence were unable to clear sufficiently, and the ball fell for Alex Poad to direct goalwards with Janice Kiama pouncing to strike home from just outside the six-yard box.
Above: Janice Kiama (holding ball), pictured here during the Night Series, scored both of Fremantle City’s goals against Balcatta Etna on Saturday. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
Freo’s lead lasted just six minutes. Abbey Meakins lifted a free-kick into the left-hand side of the box from just over 25 yards out, which Jamie-Lee Gale picked up to start a scramble which was ended by Alyssa van Heurck sticking out a leg to direct the ball into the left hand corner of the net, with Megan Phillips wrong-footed in the home goal.
Balcatta completed their comeback just over 15 minutes into the second half from a Freo corner. Zoee Spadano intercepted a loose pass outside the area allowing her to break free and run into space. Up ahead, Lucy Jerram battled with Sophie Meaden, the only home outfield player back, allowing Spadano’s pass to roll into Gale, who ran in unopposed to round Phillips and calmly place the ball into the net.
However, it proved not to be enough to win all three points. With seven minutes left, the impressive Wood raced into the Balcatta box for a one-on-one with Bennett in the Balcatta goal, but van Heurck got back superbly to block at the cost of a corner.
Siah’s resulting flag kick came in high from the right which made it hard for Bennett to claim, and rising highest towards the back post behind the keeper was Kiama to nod home her second.
In tough, hot conditions, this was an excellent game between two good sides. Balcatta may well rue that late equaliser that left them with a haul of one point from a possible six – albeit having faced two very good teams to open their campaign.
For Freo, this will give Sam Geddes’ charges confidence as they look to push on in the coming weeks. They may well need to find more cutting edge upfront as the weeks go by, which could well prove to be the difference in their vital matchups against top-four rivals across the season, but the spirited effort and fight back bodes well.
Above: Theodora Mouithys, who scored Football West Academy’s equalising goal at Perth RedStar. Photo: Football West.
The Football West Academy continued their outstanding start to the season with a come-from-behind win at the death away to champions Perth RedStar.
The teenage side were trailing into second-half stoppage time before last-gasp goals from Theodora Mouithys and Klaudia Houlis sealed an incredible win.
This victory was the FWA’s second win against a team likely to be established in the top four come the end of the campaign in just six days, after they dispatched Balcatta Etna earlier in the week.
All the goal action was condensed into a thrilling last 13 minutes of action. RedStar hit the front when Renee Leota pounced on a loose control from FWA goalkeeper Sofia Borg on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box. Leota turned a low pass for Caitlin Doeglas, who saw her first shot blocked by Daniella Santich, but her second was dispatched into the far corner of the empty net.
Nine seconds into stoppage time at the end of the game, Sakura Leong’s attempt at a tackle ricocheted through for teammate Theodora Mouithys to race ahead into open space and calmly dispatch the ball past Gabby Dal Busco to level the scores.
Three minutes later, Leong hit a perfectly weighted ball from inside her own half to release Lacey Hayes on the left. She broke forward but saw her shot blocked by the onrushing Dal Busco, only for the ball to fall for Klaudia Houlis, who got in ahead of a would-be tackler to shoot into the right-hand corner of the net.
UWA-Nedlands 2-6 Subiaco
Above: Subiaco’s Cass Harvey, who scored two of her side’s goals in another strong personal performance. Photo: Denyse McCulloch.
Subiaco produced a clinical display of attacking football to claim their first victory of the season in their opening game at UWA-Nedlands.
With their Round One game against Murdoch University Melville postponed due to extreme heat last week, Greg Farrell’s team shook the cobwebs off in style against the home team who built a 2-1 lead over Perth RedStar last week before succumbing in the second half.
UWA-Nedlands took the lead in this one as well. With just five minutes on the clock, Emily Dinsdale showed her quality on the right, and the ball went on to find Samara Riches at the back of the 18-yard box, who fired high into the net.
Subi levelled just under a quarter of an hour later. Tayna de Almeida Campos was fouled around 30 yards from goal, before dusting herself down to play the resulting free-kick high into the box. A back header came across for Kim So Yi to direct in at the left-hand post.
The visitors took control with a spell of three goals in less than 15 minutes before half time.
With 34 minutes on the clock, Cass Harvey found de Almeida Campos, who raced through and clipped a finish high into the net. Five minutes later, it was 3-1 as So Yi broke along the right and played in Harvey in the centre of the box to side foot home. Then, two minutes into stoppage time, de Almeida Campos found So Yi, and the 29-year-old midfielder from Korea Republic fired home from the right-hand side of the box.
UWA-Nedlands have been a side that never gives up and always look to create since they came into this league in 2024, and they showed that again by reducing the deficit just after the hour mark. Isabelle Dadswell played a ball over a defender for Melina Franklin who held off Greta Bailey and hit a low shot from the left-hand edge of the six-yard box.
Subi had the final say with another rapid burst of goals – two in as many minutes this time. With 14 remaining on the clock, Harvey strode purposefully through and slotted under the advancing home keeper Janina Sauer. Then, shortly afterwards, Harvey began a similar move before spreading play to the left for So Yi to hit a low effort, which Sauer parried, but de Almeida Campos was in the right place at the right time to score.
Above: Perth SC celebrate their opening goal at Murdoch University Melville. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
Murdoch University Melville 0-3 Perth SC
The Azzurri ran out comfortable winners at Besteam Stadium on Sunday afternoon thanks to goals from Ruby Marshall, Tamsyn Hannan, and Sam Mathers.
After seeing their opening round match against Subiaco postponed due to extreme heat last weekend, this was MUM FC’s first competitive hit out of the new season.
Tom Glavovic’s side were pressing hard from the very start. Any time the hosts looked to play out from the back, they were immediately put under huge pressure which was constant, and gave MUM only rare chances to break out of their own half. Perth were relentless, calm in possession.
With nine minutes played, Daisy McAllister broke through to get one-on-one with MUM goalkeeper Kaitlyn Mohan who saved.
Just three minutes later, the visitors hit the front when Ottobrino found Marshall on the edge of the box with a perfectly judged pass that dissected the Murdoch defence. Marshall was able to advance into the box with ease and slot home with aplomb.
Perth were creating a stack of chances, showed great energy and creativity in the heat, but were just not able to transfer the possession, territory, and shots on goal dominance onto the scoreboard.
Above: Perth break through at Murdoch University Melville. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
The second half was only 42 seconds old when the home side were reduced to 10 after an off-the-ball incident. From here, MUM looked to play the offside trap that bit more often in a bid to both break the game up and reduce the flow of Perth chances.
With 19 minutes remaining, Perth finally got the second goal that their dominance deserved. Marshall picked up possession on the right and fed the ball to Sam Mathers inside her who advanced and laid off a pass for substitute Hannan to fire high into the net.
Ten minutes later, it was three as Mathers’ claimed a stunning Olimpico from a corner on the right.
The visitors had chances to extend their lead further – one such attack saw a 20+ pass movement from inside their own half, which ended with a shot going narrowly wide.
There will be positives for the home side to take from a tough first game of the campaign – they worked incredibly hard and on the occasions when Sadie Lawrence was able to direct traffic and Ellis Glanfield got forward, they showed that they will be confident of picking up points to avoid a repeat of the challenges of 2024.
Ladder Round Two
Perth SC P2 Pts 6 GD: +5
Football West Academy P2 Pts 6 GD: +4
Subiaco P1 Pts 3 GD: +4
Perth RedStar P2 Pts 3 GD: +2
Fremantle City P2 Pts 1 GD -2
Balcatta Etna P2 Pts 1 GD: -3
Murdoch University Melville P1 Pts 0 GD: -3
UWA-Nedlands P2 Pts 0 GD: 7
Round Three Fixtures
Saturday: Hyundai Football West Academy v Fremantle City, UWA-Nedlands v Perth SC. Sunday: Perth RedStar v Subiaco, Balcatta Etna v Murdoch University Melville.
Above: Kiewa Hieda for Western United. Photo: A-Leagues
Western United has tightened its grip on fourth spot of the A League Women’s ladder after a 2-0 win over the Newcastle Jets this afternoon.
The visitors controlled much of the match, and although it took them a while they eventually did score their goals through Catherine Zimmerman and Kiewa Hieda. The result also ends Newcastle’s hopes of making the finals, with the Jets no longer able to bridge the gap between themselves and the top six even if they win all their remaining matches.
In blustery conditions up in Newcastle, the match started as a free flowing affair, with both sides generating decent chances. However, as the first half progressed, Western United started to wrestle control of the match, and started to bank some solid minutes in their attacking third. They were also not afraid to shoot from distance, with the likes of Chloe Logarzo willing to pull the trigger and test the keeper.
Newcastle did certainly have its moments of attacking promise – with the likes of Libby Copus-Brown and Laura Allan being particularly dangerous – but as hard as that pair were working, a well ordered Western defence meant that their efforts came to no avail.
Neither side could get a goal on the board in the first half, but considering how dominant in position Western United had been, Newcastle probably would have been the happier of the two sides with that scoreline at the main break.
However, Western United did not take long into the second half to finally put a goal on the board – less than five minutes – with Zimmerman backheeling the ball into the back of the net after a mad scramble on the goal line. This was the spark of something for Zimmerman, who was a lot more influential in the second half than she had been in the first.
Another visitor who was also starting to become influential was Sasha Grove, who despite in an official sense was playing at left back, was in reality actually playing more like a winger and creating a lot of attacking energy for her side. Despite now finally having that much deserved goal on the board, Western did not drop their intensity, continuing to push hard for a second goal.
With their season now really on the line, Newcastle made an interesting first substitution in the 66th minute, replacing Natasha Prior with Sherridan Gallagher. Although it did seem to give them an initial boost, it ultimately did not give the side its desired outcome in the form of any goals. Western’s second goal came with about a dozen minutes to go when Hieda tapped the ball into the back of the net to convert a Zimmerman cross and further cement the lead.
Perhaps aware of the situation the game was now in, Western United went into game conservation mode after that.
WESTERN UNITED (4-4-2): Lincoln, Grove, Maher, Mihocic, Medwin, Logarzo, Dehakiz, Eggesvik,Hieda, A.Taranto, Zimmerman. Substitutes: Dall’Oste, Sardo, Ibarguen, de Domizio, M.Taranto.
Above: Central Coast celebrations. Photo: A-Leagues.
Central Coast Mariners have taken the points in a thrilling 2-1 win against Brisbane Roar at Industree Group Stadium this Sunday evening. The win has solidified the Mariners 5th place ranking, leaving them just one point away from claiming their place in the Ninja A-League finals.
This highly anticipated match was as exciting as expected from the start, with Laini Freier opening the scoring just 25 seconds in, putting Brisbane Roar in a dangerously early lead.
While Central Coast was quick to fight back and regain possession, a high press from Brisbane made it difficult for the hosts to find any real dominance, in what is already a contentious and physical game.
Brisbane found quite a few early opportunities, getting close to extending their lead just minutes in. A strike from Pringle tested Mariners keeper Sarah Langman, followed quickly with a second shot from Freier that ended too high, keeping the mariners on their toes as they fight for points in this crucial meeting.
A lost opportunity for Brisbane Roar to take a two goal lead came when Popadinova took and missed a free header that was just off target, much to the disappointment of the visiting side.
While in form, it seems that the Mariners side may have been shaken by Roar’s early lead, as they were unable to create any real opportunities, and appeared quite nervous on the ball. That was until Central Coast Mariners equalised with a fantastic solo goal from Izzy Gomez, who gained possession in the midfield, running the ball from the halfway line to the box and shooting directly to the back of the net as Richards was off the line.
Gomez’s goal shifted the momentum, instating a new energy into the hosts, as the match was now anyone’s game, after it seemed to be leaning in favour of Brisbane.
Another run from Izzy Gomez, passing to Peta Trimis, almost put Central Coat in the lead, and although Trimis’s strike was ultimately too high, it was enough to shake a confident visiting side.
There was no lack of action or aggression in the remainder of the first half, with the Mariners taking most of the big chances, however, the scoring was left even at the break, with no more goals to be found.
The impetus did not deplete at the top of the second half, with both sides desperate to take the lead, although it did take quite a while for any opportunities to be created, a far cry from how the game opened.
Brisbane took back the dominance in possession, but could not make a goal of their efforts, despite a few good chances, notably from Deborah-Anne De La Harp, who had a series of attempts early into the second half, none of which could be finished.
The 72nd minute, saw a strike from Annalise Rassmussen put the Mariners in the lead, as the tension of the match hit its peak, marking Rassmussen’s 6th goal of the campaign. The two goal lead was not satisfactory for the hosts however, as they continued to capitalise on any and all opportunities that arose, in search of a third.
The shift in energy for Central Coast appears to be largely due to a triple substitution, with Tiana Fuller, Leia Puxty and Tess Quilligan coming on in place of Jade Pennock, Peta Trimis, and Brooke Nunn, which bought a sense of unity in the midfield that was absent for the majority of play until this point.
Brisbane Roar got dangerously close to equalising when a shot from Tanaye Morris, went straight to the hands of Sarah Langman , foiling what would have been a crucial goal for the Roar, as stoppage time approached.
After four minutes of added time, and as string of last-minute opportunities at both ends, neither side was able to find the back of the net, as Central Coast Mariners came away victorious with a 2-1 win in what was an exhilarating and crucial match.
The meetings of Round 22 will come with immense pressure, as the 2024/24 Ninja A-League season comes to a close in the coming weeks. Central Coast Mariners will host Melbourne Victory at Industree Group stadium in what will be an exciting battle against the current second place holders. Brisbane Roar will also head home to take on Western Sydney Wanderers as they fight to gain any last minute points they can, as the final rounds approach.
Central Coast Mariners (4-4-2): Langman, Nash, Martin, Gomez, Pennock, Galic, Ray, Rasmussen, Rowe, Nunn, Trimis Substitutions: Carmichael, Fuller, Quilligan,
Above:Holly McNamara (left) is congratulated by Leticia McKenna after her goal. Photo: Melbourne City
A Holly McNamara goal, her 12th of the season, has given Melbourne City a vital win away to Wellington Phoenix and maintained their lead at the top of the table with two games left to play.
City arrived in New Zealand in strong form, a 3-0 win the previous weekend in the Asian Champions League was followed up by a 4-0 thrashing of Brisbane Roar on Wednesday. With second placed Melbourne Victory closing in, another win here was crucial and would maintain a five point gap between first and second spot on the ladder.
Wellington needed a win to maintain any mathematical chance of reaching sixth place on the ladder, and even in the best case scenario would need other results to go their way. Still they began in aggressive style. Emma Main’s cross from the right almost set up Olivia Ferguson for the opening goal. The header flashed wide.
City played their usually possession game and looked to build through the midfield or Lourdes Bosch on the right wing. Wellington had some success in crowding the centre of the pitch rather than trying to press high up the pitch for the visitors to play through.
This made for a combative midfield tussle. Annalie Longo and Laura Hughes both looked to exert their influence and for the opening half hour, the strikers from either side were isolated.
The breakthrough came on the 35th minute. McNamara volleyed home the cross from Bosch with instinct and technique. The shot took Carolina Vilao by surprise, but was perfectly directed to beat the Portuguese goalkeeper.
McNamara would have two clear chances to double the lead. First after winning possession and shooting just moments after scoring, and again with a second half penalty that Vilao was equal to. The save lit up the home crowd and gave Wellington some added inspiration for the second half.
For the last 20 minutes of the game, a Wellington equaliser looked likely and may have been deserved. The Phoenix were pushing for a goal, maintained attacking pressure and delivered a series of promising attacks, but they were missing the cutting edge or composure to finish them. The introductions of Alyssa Whinham and Mebae Tanaka added some pace to the side, but neither was able to really test Malena Mieres.
For all their positive play, Wellington’s best chance of the match came in the first half when a corner kick looked to be headed directly for the net, only for City to scramble clear with the desperation of a side hungry for a second successive premiership.
It bodes well for City in the remaining matches of the home and away season. They can win with style, or grind out a result, and when it matters, luck is falling their way.
City next host The Newcastle Jets in a game that could possibly seal the premiership, while Wellington continue the fight with a trip to face Canberra United.
Above: Brian Sorensen in training. Photo: Everton Women.
Following the highs of a big win over Crystal Palace last weekend, Brian Sorensen’s Everton face a different challenge on Sunday as they face third-placed Manchester United.
After picking up the win last weekend, Sorensen said that his side “are all in good spirits” at the moment. He added that “we gave them two days off after that game because it was a Saturday game and now we play Sunday, so I think they also enjoyed that.”
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s match against Manchester United, Sorensen highlighted the squad that United manager Marc Skinner has at his disposal: “[Manchester United] have a very good team…some really good young players in it, but also some really experienced ones.”
Speaking further about his opponent, Sorensen picked out keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce for particular praise, admitting that he believes the Reds’ American goalkeeper “has done exceptionally well”.
Everton have been able to match top teams fairly well this season, however Sorensen reiterated that because his side is now better resourced than they were earlier in the year, the team is now “in a different place in terms of how we can approach the game.”
“For example the game plan, but also what does it look like in the last 30 minutes or 15 minutes of the game, depending on different scenarios and so on. So we feel more prepared to take the teams above us on.”
As much as all the talk around Everton recently has been the new signings in attack, one of the side’s best players in their win over Crystal Palace was defender Sara Holmgaard.
“I think Sara’s just been consistent now for a long period of time, which wasn’t the case in the beginning with the injuries she had,” Sorensen said.“We know her qualities. She has a good engine. She can go up and down and she has a really good left foot, but in the box, she’s a threat on the header. So yeah, I would like to have her delivery, but I also want to have her in the box. But she showed both last weekend, so that’s good.”
Above: Sara Holmgaard for Everton. Photo: Everton Women
One thing that has been much talked about with the Everton side this season is its ability to adapt, but Sorensen was very adamant that “It’s not going to be any different from us in terms of we have a game plan and we see opportunities where we also can hurt them.”
“Of course we know our defence have to be at our best and we have to be very concentrated for the full 90 minutes because if we give them a bit, they will take advantage of it.”
Everton make the short journey to Manchester on Sunday. Kick off is at 12pm at Leigh Sports Village, and the match will be televised on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Above:Mary Stanic-Floody celebrates her goal, which put Canberra United 2-0 up from the penalty spot today. Photo: A-Leagues.
Perth Glory’s comeback effort fell just short as they were defeated 2-1 by Canberra United at Sam Kerr Football Centre.
Despite a second-half goal from Tijan McKenna, the hosts couldn’t find an equaliser, and Canberra ended their winless streak with an important victory between two sides looking to break into the top six.
Perth were looking to build on their recent strong form, and with the visitors enduring a tough six-match winless streak, the hosts were determined to take full advantage of their strong record on home soil. The Glory had extended their unbeaten run to three games following a 1-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers, and were eager to continue their momentum against a Canberra side struggling to find their momentum.
The Glory didn’t waste any time, with Kelli Brown firing the first shot of the match, a long-range attempt that was comfortably gathered by Canberra keeper Sally James. Perth’s Megan Wynne then won a free kick after being fouled. Captain Izzy Dalton stepped up, but her delivery failed to trouble James.
Canberra responded with a corner kick of their own, where Mary Stanic-Floody, known for her dangerous shots from distance, unleashed a strike that threatened but was cleared by Perth’s defence. Things then took a concerning turn when Glory’s Nat Tathem went down clutching her knee, forcing an early substitution that left the Western Australians without one of their strongest players of the season.
Perth continued to press and nearly found the breakthrough as the ball pinged around the goalmouth, but it was cleared to safety. However, it was Canberra who struck first. Stanic-Floody delivered a well-placed ball to the league’s all-time leading goal scorer, Michelle Heyman, who made no mistake in putting the ball past keeper Casey Dumont.
The visitors then doubled their advantage shortly after when Tijan McKenna fouled in the penalty area. Stanic-Floody stepped up for the spot-kick and, in her 50th A-League appearance, made it 2-0, sending Dumont the wrong way.
As the match settled into a quieter phase, both teams struggled to find any rhythm in attack. With just six minutes remaining in the half, Glory’s Georgia Cassidy won another free kick, but the opportunity came to nothing. Sarah O’Donoghue tried to line up McKenna, but James was equal to it once again, keeping her clean sheet intact. Grace Johnston then made a strong run down the right flank, only to see her shot narrowly miss the mark.
With no further chances, the whistle blew for half-time, and the players headed into the break to cool off, not just from the scorching Perth heat but also the intense emotions of the opening 45 minutes.
The second half set off in the same intense fashion, with Heyman going down in the box and being awarded a penalty. Bethany Gordon faced off against Dumont but sent the ball too high and missed the mark, much to the relief of the Perth crowd.
Perth’s luck finally turned in the 60th minute when Tijan McKenna fired a shot into the net, bringing the Glory back into the game and reigniting their hope of a chance at making the finals. Eyes were again on McKenna as she darted towards goal and laid it off for Brown, who was unable to keep her shot low enough to find the net.
Having only spent a short amount of time on the pitch, Susan Phonsongkham had an attempt at leveling the score, but couldn’t generate enough power on the ball to trouble James. At the other end, Canberra came close when Darcey Malone created a chance that rolled across the face of goal, but no one was there to tap it in.
Perth fans were left holding their breath once again when a ball delivered by Izzy Foletta found a purple shirt in the box, though the shot rebounded off the woodwork and was quickly cleared by Canberra’s defence.
Despite their best efforts, the home side couldn’t find an equalizer, and the match ended 2-1 in favour of Canberra. The victory provided them with a crucial boost in their own finals chase.
Perth now need to beat both Sydney FC away and Melbourne City at home on the final day to have any hope of making the top six – but after this defeat, the gap is now five points, which makes it almost impossible to make up.
Canberra United will now have another huge game in the finals race against a fellow top six hopeful next week when they play host to Wellington Phoenix.
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