McKenna brace beats Brisbane

Melbourne City 2-0 Brisbane Roar

By Emma Burke 11/1/25

Above: Melbourne City after taking on Brisbane Roar. Photo: Melbourne City

An early double to Leticia McKenna secured Melbourne City all three points in their top of the table clash against Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park.

A run down the line from Mariana Speckmaier set up McKenna’s first goal, the delivery into the box resulted in a goal-mouth scramble that the midfielder charged in on and scored at the far post.

Only minutes later, the Western Australian scored her second goal of the evening, an incredible top-bin finish on a free kick that curled into the top left corner out of the reach of a diving Olivia Sekany.

Later in the first half, Brisbane were awarded a means back into the game after Lourdes Bosch barrelled into Alicia Woods from behind in the box, leading referee Georgia Ghirardello to point at the spot for a penalty kick.

The spot kick was taken by Roar Captain and Matildas great Tameka Yallop, but her delivery showed too much to City keeper Malena Mieres diving correctly to her left to palm away the ball.

Brisbane came out in the second half much more defensively minded, looking to stem the bleeding and try and find a way back into the game.

While they managed to successfully keep City from furthering their lead, and quiet down Holly McNamara, who had been substituted on at half-time, they couldn’t get themselves on the scoreboard.

This result puts City four points clear at the top of the table ahead of the Roar, who sit in second place, equal on points with Melbourne Victory.

Check out our Instagram page – @impetusfootball to see two fantastic galleries of exclusive images from the game courtesy of Impetus’ Beck Hartley.

Teams: MELBOURNE CITY (4-2-2-2): Mieres, Apostolakis, Otto, Stott, Vlajnic, Davidson, Hughes, Speckmaier, McKenna, Bosch, Harvey. Substitutes: McNamara, McMahon, Roestbakken, Pollicina

Scorers: McKenna 5’, 9’.

BRISBANE ROAR (3-5-1-1): Sekany, Blissett, Varley, McQueen, S. Freier, Woods, Yallop, Kruger, de la Harpe, L. Freier, Popadinova. Substitutes: Kuilamu, Pringle, Hayashi, Hecher.

Referee: Georgie Ghirardello

Attendance: 2,340.

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Victory back on track with win at the Jets

Newcastle Jets 0-2 Melbourne Victory

by Isabelle Campbell (11/1/25)

Above: Emily Gielnik fires in a shot for Melbourne Victory at Newcastle Jets today. Photo: Melbourne Victory.

Melbourne Victory bounced back from their midweek loss at Brisbane Roar to claim the points at Newcastle Jets today.

Both sides were playing their second game in four days with the Jets looking to build on their last-gasp leveller at home to Adelaide United on Wednesday – an outcome that still left them searching for their first win in five games.

The visitors asserted their dominance early in the first half and wasted no time testing Jets goalkeeper Tiahna Robertson, as Sara D’Appolonia unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box. Robertson managed to get her hands on it, keeping the scoreline goalless. Moments later, Rachel Lowe followed up with another attempt, but Robertson once again stood firm.

The breakthrough came through Emily Gielnik, who scored her first goal since Round Three and her seventh of the season. D’Appolonia provided a perfectly weighted ball, setting the Matilda up for a composed finish to give Victory the lead.

Newcastle Jets looked for a way back into the game, with Lauren Allan finding space inside the Victory area, however, her shot went straight into the hands of Courtney Newbon.

Before the break, D’Appolonia continued her strong performance by delivering her second assist. This time, she found Lowe in position to tap in her first goal of the season, doubling Victory’s lead and giving them control heading into halftime.

Victory continued to dominate possession in the second half, but the home defence remained resolute.

Newcastle’s Lauren Allan had an opportunity to break through with a header, but her attempt failed to find the target. A few minutes later, the Jets had another chance, this time from Josie Allan, who took a shot at goal but sent the ball soaring over the crossbar.

The Jets seemed to gain some momentum, with Claudia Cicco taking another shot though despite her best effort, the ball remained off target. Victory’s defence was well organised and standing up strong to whatever Newcastle were throwing at them.

As the game progressed, both sides continued to battle hard, but neither was able to alter the scoreline.

The Jets will now look ahead to their upcoming trip to Wellington Phoenix, where they will be hoping to pick up some crucial points. Meanwhile, Melbourne Victory will return home to face Perth Glory, looking to continue with this momentum and extend their winning streak.

Teams: NEWCASTLE JETS (4-2-3-1): Wilson, Cicco, Davis, Dundas, Copus-Brown, Jackson, Allan, Hoban, Baumann, Walandouw, Robertson. Substitutes: Hammond, Gooch, Allan, Adams, Boertje.

MELBOURNE VICTORY (4-3-3): Newbon, Bunge, Murphy, Chidiac, Flannery, D’Appolonia, Gielnik, Morrison, Lowe, Pickett, Jancevski. Substitutes: Sakalis, O’Grady, Briedis, Curtis, Candy.

Goals: Gielnik 18’, Lowe 43’.

Referee: Mikayla Ryan.

Attendance: 1,753.

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Canberra come from behind to re-enter top six

Canberra United 2-1 Western United

by Jonathon Hagger (11/1/25)

Above: Catherine Zimmerman (pale green shirt), who put Western United ahead at Canberra today, shields the ball at McKellar Park. Photo: Western United.

Canberra United came from behind to record an excellent win over Western United at McKellar Park today.

Coming into the match both sides had mixed results in their previous matches. However, having the big boost of playing at McKellar Park worked a treat for Canberra as their 12th player, their fans, lifted their side to a well earned win over quality opponents. The domination of the Canberra United midfield in the first half and the quality of effort put in by Western United made for a thoroughly enjoyable match.

The nerves from each team were on display early as the players attempted to settle into a rhythm of play. The opening minutes saw Western United employ a high press which unsettled the Canberra defenders but not enough for a goal to be scored.

Neither team were able to assert any kind of ascendency and a majority of the play saw each teams midfield searching for ways to breach the oppositions lines. Well placed long ball deliveries, putting the strikers into open space, were unable to be converted.

An unfortunate bounce of the ball for Canberra inside the 18-yard box resulted in Chloe Logarzo taking possession of the ball and moving to her left. A tidy through ball to the feet of Zimmerman was converted into the opening goal after a lovely step to the left around her defender and clean shot into the net.

Michelle Heyman was gifted the first chance of scoring for Canberra off a lovely chip pass from the midfielder Emma Robers, which landed at the feet of the unmarked Matildas striker, but the angle of the shot was too tight to get the ball past the fingertips of the Western goalkeeper.

In the 21st minute, Canberra played the ball in a diagonal direction that crossed from one sideline to the other reaching Hayley Taylor-Young on the edge of the goal area. A crafty attempt at goal was blocked but went on to hit the Western defender, Claudia Mihocic, and crossed the white paint for an own goal.

Interestingly, Western United settled into defensive mode for long periods of the first half, thereby gifting Canberra a lot of time and open space to work with. Coupled with the home side applying one-on-one pressure in player marking, Western’s attacking strategies were nullified.

Besides the first goal going to Western United, a majority of the half was dominated by the Canberra midfield. Could Kat Smith, give her team the right encouragement at halftime to secure a win?

The second half started in a rush with the visitors playing the opening minutes with far more authority and direction. But it was Canberra who would strike first, against the run of play, off a wonder strike by Sofia Christopherson, who was left unmarked on the left-hand side of the Western goal area and turned the ball into the net.

Going behind seemed to spark the Western side into life. Increased time in possession, more accurate passing and building up their attack more constructively, built a strong foundation for the visitors to launch an all out offensive.

The change of momentum in Western’s favour required the Canberra defenders to become more involved and it was Liz Anton who repeatedly swept offensive plays clear of danger.

A memorable moment for 21-year-old Canberra attacker Tianah Miro then followed as she made her A-League Women debut, replacing her captain Heyman, making it an afternoon for her and her family to remember.

Repeated attacking forays into the Canberra half came up empty for Western despite their desperation to score again. Not all of the Victoria side’s shots on goals were on target or overly threatening with Sally James, the Canberra goalkeeper, easily collecting the ball.

As the clock ticked into the beginning of five minutes of stoppage time, Western heard the message loud and clear that it would be now or never if they wanted to secure a draw.

A shot from Aimee Medwin off a corner delivered by Grace Maher, supplied their final chance, but the shot flew harmlessly over the crossbar. In the end Canberra were able to hold on and secure only their second win at home this season.

Team: CANBERRA UNITED (4-3-3): James, Taylor-Young, Ayson, Anton, Bertolissio, Robers, Malone, Gordon, Stanic-Floody, Heyman, Christopherson. Substitutes: Majstorovic, Murray, Dos Santos, Markovski, Miro.

Scorers: Mihocic (OG) 21′, Christopherson 50′.

WESTERN UNITED (4-3-3): Dall’Oste, Maher, Grove, Mihocic, Sardo, M. Taranto, Logarzo, Roach, Zimmerman, Johnson, Medwin. Substitutes: Lincoln, Dehakiz, A. Taranto, de Domizio, Ibarguen.

Scorer: Zimmerman 15’.

Referee: Rebecca Durcau.

Attendance: 1,766.

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Dream return for Doeglas in fascinating Perth & Sydney tussle

Perth Glory 1-1 Sydney FC

Report by Ben Gilby, exclusive photography from Rob Lizzi for Impetus at the Sam Kerr Football Centre (10/1/25)

Above: Caitlin Doeglas (purple shirt) looks to get a shot in against Sydney FC tonight on her return to the A-League Women after three seasons away. Photo: Rob Lizzi for Impetus.

Honours were even at the Sam Kerr Football Centre after an engaging battle between Perth Glory and Sydney FC which saw a fairytale return to the competition for Caitlin Doeglas after three seasons.

The 28-year-old attacker, who had a standout season with NPLW WA champions and Top Four Cup winners Perth RedStar in 2024, marked her return to the purple shirt in style when she put her side ahead with 24 minutes gone, only for Lucy Johnson to equalise in first-half stoppage time.

Perth Glory boss Stephen Peters named a squad which included seven WA players, with one of them, Tijan McKenna making a welcome return to the bench after missing the last few games with injury.

Sydney recorded the first major opportunity of the game with 17 minutes played. Indiana dos Santos broke through the middle and found Shea Connors outside her with a perfectly weighted pass. The former Brisbane Roar attacker took the ball towards the edge of the box and let fly with a powerful drive that Glory keeper Casey Dumont pushed up and onto the far post before gathering.

Above: Two of the A-League Women’s next-gen stars, Grace Johnston (purple shirt) and Indiana dos Santos battle away tonight. Photo: Rob Lizzi for Impetus.

The visitors probed again shortly afterwards, enjoying success in this stage through the middle once more as Princess Ibini found Maddie Caspers inside the centre circle. Caspers then threaded a glorious pass through the eye of a needle that dissected two Perth defenders to find Connors who advanced into the area, but was met by Dumont diving bravely at her feet to repel the danger, allowing Nat Tathem to come in and tidy up.

Then came Doeglas’ dream goal. Miku Sunaga won possession along the right-hand flank just inside the Sydney half and turned Faye Bryson to loft a ball into the box. Sydney keeper Tahlia Franco was unable to gather, allowing Gabby Hollar to lay a pass back for the onrushing Doeglas to sidefoot home to the left of the penalty spot.

The attacker has the experience and uncanny ability to be in the right place in the right time in such circumstances. This could be just the additional attacking weapon that the Glory need over the coming weeks.

Perth were going all out to hold the lead in the interval but fell short. One minute into stoppage time at the end of the first half, Lucy Johnson received the ball stationed 20 yards from goal to lift a first time shot into the net.

Above: Sydney celebrate Lucy Johnston’s superb equalising goal. Photo: Rob Lizzi for Impetus.

The visitors created the first clear-cut opportunity of the second period when some mazy footwork and stunning close control from dos Santos allowed her to enter the box on the right-hand side, leaving three defenders trailing in her wake to fire a low drive into the arms of Dumont.

More superb individual skill saw Sydney in again with just over a quarter of an hour remaining. Johnson laid the ball across the field from the right for Caley Tallon-Henniker to play a smart outside pass for Mackenzie Hawkesby to go one-on-one with Dumont – but the Perth goalkeeper is the best in the business in such circumstances and made another brave save.

Moments later, Hawkesby broke through down the right and played an inside ball for Princess Ibini to hit a shot from just outside the box, which Dumont got down low towards the left-hand post to push away.

Above: Ella Lincoln (on the ball) broke through dangerously in the closing stages for Perth Glory. Photo: Rob Lizzi for Impetus.

Then, with seven minutes remaining, Perth pushed forward. Sunaga fed substitute Ella Lincoln, who had acres of space to exploit along the left. This is exactly the type of position she loves to take advantage of. She took on Jordan Thompson, and motored away, to hit a trademark powerful shot from a tough angle that forced substitute keeper Brianna Edwards to make a superb one-handed save.

The Glory continued their push for a late winner with Georgia Cassidy causing chaos with two free-kicks. The first curled in low from the right and was scrambled away at the front post by Edwards.

The second, as the clock ticked into stoppage time at the end of the game, was lifted in high, but rapidly dipped and only flew over the top by the narrowest of margins.

Whilst both sides were going full out for the win to earn three points to push away from the lower reaches of the table, neither could quite manage it. However, the two head coaches will have seen things that would make them pleased.

For the Glory attacking creativity and intent was there in a way that would have excited their fans, and overall, their defensive strength was good, with Dumont in superb form additionally.

Now is the time for both sides to use this as a foundation to push on and record victories on a more consistent basis.

For more of Rob Lizzi’s EXCLUSIVE photos from the match, check out the two galleries on our Instagram page – @ImpetusFootball

Teams: PERTH GLORY (4-5-1): Dumont, Tathem, Zogg, Chinnama, Johnston, Valletta, Cassidy, Sunaga, Wainwright, Hollar, Doeglas. Substitutes: Foletta, McKenna, Templeman (GK), Wynne, Lincoln.

Scorer: Doeglas 24′.

SYDNEY FC (4-3-3): Franco, Tumeth, Tobin, Thompson, Bryson, Johnson, Chauvet, Caspers, dos Santos, Connors, Ibini. Substitutes: Edwards (GK), Hawkesby, Lemon, Luchtmeijer, Tallon-Henniker.

Scorer: Johnson 45+1.

Referee: Rachael Mitchenson.

Attendance: 1,139.

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Whinham wonder strike sets Wellington up for win

Western Sydney Wanderers 0-3 Wellington Phoenix 

By Joe Rosedon (9/1/25)

Above: Alivia Kelly scored her first goal for the club against The Wanderers. Photo: Wellington Phoenix

Wellington Phoenix move above Adelaide United in the table to fourth after a comfortable 3-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.  

Wellington were the first to threaten the goal in the seventh minute. Olivia Fergusson received the ball with her back to goal, turned, and threaded a defence-deceiving pass to an onrushing Mebae Tanaka. Sham Khamis was quick off her line to nick the ball of the feet of the Wellington forward.

The following corner saw the Western Sydney goalkeeper called into action once again, palming away Mackenzie Barry’s powerful header. 

Fergusson and Wellington then got even closer to the opening goal. In a reverse of the previous chance, Tanaka turned attempted provider placing a delicate cross into the box for Fergusson who headed against the bar from point-blank range. 

The Phoenix attacker then forced another good save from Khamis after her intelligent movement in the penalty area fashioned space to get the shot away. Wellington were firmly on top and deserving of a goal.

Khamis impressive cameo was soon to be over. Following Western Sydney first real forward foray, they were hit on the counter and Fergusson found herself baring down on goal. In a move of desperation, Khamis rushed out of goal and collided with the forward. The Western Sydney goalkeeper gave referee Isabella Mossin no choice but to show a straight red card. 

Khamis’ replacement Keely Segavcic, who was making her debut, saved Annalie Longo’s seemingly goal-bound long-range effort, tipping the ball over the crossbar. Somehow Western Sydney made it to halftime without being behind.

Within seconds of the restart, the Nix finally grabbed a thoroughly deserved lead and it was achieved in spectacular fashion. Noticing that Segavic was off her line, Alyssa Whinham launched an audacious effort that looped over the substitute keeper and into the net. 

One soon became two for the visitors. Maya McCutcheon fired from distance and the initial attempt was well saved by Segavcic. However, she could only divert the ball into the path of Alivia Kelly who tapped home the rebound from close range and score her first A-League goal. 

It was inevitable that Wellington would further increase their lead and they made it three when Grace Jale’s lovely chipped through ball put second-half substitute Emma Main through on goal. Main did the rest, sliding the ball past Segavcic to conclude an excellent performance from Wellington.

Teams: WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (4-4-2): Khamis, Ferris, Bennett, Harrison, Matos, Chessari, Saveska, Harada, Harding, Rue, Younis. Substitutes: Segavcic, Buchanan, Price, Trew, Kapetanellis.

WELLINGTON PHOENIX (4-1-4-1): Vilão, Jaber, Barry, Kelly, Wall, McCutcheon, Jale, Whinham, Longo, Fergusson, Tanaka. Substitutes: Feinberg-Danieli, McMeeken, Elliot, Brazendale, Main.

Scorers: Whinham 46’, Kelly 59’, Main 83’.

Referee: Isabella Mossin.

Attendance: 425.

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Kuilamu brace seals vital win for Roar

Brisbane Roar 2-0 Melbourne Victory

by Isabelle Campbell (8/1/25)

Above: Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Courtney Newbon engaged in an aerial battle with Brisbane Roar’s Evdokiya Popadinova. Photo: Richard Haines / Front Page Football.

Brisbane Roar clinched a huge three points in the battle of second against third at Perry Park today thanks to a brace from Grace Kuilamu.

The visitors had gone into the game looking to stretch their unbeaten run to eight matches. Both teams entered the match level on 18 points, separated only by goal difference, and just four points behind the current league leaders, Melbourne City.

All eyes were on the scoring form of Laini Freier, who has shone in her debut season with seven goals so far—more than any other player in the league. After back-to-back hat-tricks, Freier’s attacking prowess was expected to test Victory’s defense.

Brisbane Roar wasted no time making their presence felt at Perry Park. Just seconds after kickoff, Sharn Freier fired a shot at goal, forcing Courtney Newbon into an early save. Moments later, she threatened again, connecting with a well-placed ball from her sister Laini, but Newbon was once again up to the challenge.

Roar kept pressing and earned a free-kick in a dangerous area after Emily Pringle was fouled by Sara D’Appolonia. The ball bounced threateningly around the box, but Victory managed to clear the danger.

At the other end, Alex Chidiac tried to ignite her side’s attack with a left-footed strike from distance, but it flew wide of the target. Emily Gielnik later connected with a through ball from Claudia Bunge but couldn’t direct her header into the goal.

Possession soon swung back to Brisbane, and Pringle tried her luck from a tight angle, but Newbon was quick to shut down the effort. The breakthrough finally came as Grace Kuilamu, who was making her return from injury, rose to head the ball in from close range, giving Roar their well-deserved lead.

Victory’s defense struggled to contain the attack of Roar, and Newbon was called into action again to deny Laini Freier’s long-range effort with a sharp save. However, she once again couldn’t keep out Kuilamu, who netted her second to complete her brace.

Victory had one late chance before halftime when Nicki Flannery unleashed a long-range strike, but Olivia Sekany parried it to safety. Brisbane headed into the break as the more dominant side, recording eight shots on target to Victory’s one and holding a commanding 2–0 lead.

The second half began with both teams struggling to break through their opponents. Ten minutes in, Tameka Yallop took a chance from distance, but her shot flew just over the crossbar, keeping the scoreline unchanged. Brisbane had a series of corners shortly after, but none resulted in a clear-cut opportunity.

As the clock ticked down, Sharn Freier fired a ball from outside the box in an attempt to extend her side’s lead, but it drifted just wide. Moments later, the action quickly shifted to the other end, where Emily Gielnik tested Sekany with a long-range effort, however the keeper was up to the task and made a routine save.

Victory’s best chance came from Ella O’Grady, whose shot went wide after a scramble in the box. With more time taken, it could well have been the opening goal for Victory. Sekany again denied Gielnik, who found space inside the area but still was unable to beat the Roar goalkeeper.

In five minutes of added time, both sides had opportunities, but neither could make a change to the scoreline. The match ended 2-0 in favour of Brisbane Roar, with Kuilamu’s brace proving to be the match-winning difference.

Both sides play again in just three days with Brisbane Roar travelling to go head to head with table-toppers, Melbourne City. Melbourne Victory will be looking to regain momentum as they face Newcastle Jets.

Check out our Instagram page – @ImpetusFootball to view Richard Haines’ two galleries of images from the match at Perry Park.

Teams: BRISBANE ROAR (3-2-4-1): Sekany, Pringle, McQueen, Varley, Blissett, Kruger, Hayashi, S.Freier, L.Freier, Yallop, Kuilamu. Substitutes: Richards, De La Harpe, Hecher, Popadinova, Woods.

Scorers: Kuilamu 22’, 37’.

MELBOURNE VICTORY (4-4-2): Newbon, Wilson, Bunge, Murphy, Chidiac, Flannery, D’Appolonia, Gielnik, Morrison, Lowe, Jancevski. Substitutes: O’Grady, Curtis, Pickett, Sakalis, Candy.

Referee: Bec Mackie

Attendance: 2,965.

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Adams completes thrilling comeback for Jets

Newcastle Jets 3-3 Adelaide United

By Alyce Collett 8/1/24

Above: Claire Adams after equalising in the dying minutes for Newcastle Jets. Photo: A-Leagues.

In a game full of twists and turns, Adelaide have played out a thrilling three all draw against The Jets at the Number 2 Sportsground.

In at times atrocious conditions, Adelaide were 3-1 up thanks to goals from Fiona Worts, Emily Condon, and Lucia Leon, but the Jets never stopped fighting and eventually evened up proceedings with mere moments to spare thanks to goals from Josie Allan, Deven Jackson and Claire Adams.

Both sides showed positive signs early, getting shots away early. Despite the horrible weather in Newcastle it was pretty free flowing football, with plenty of end to end action. 

However Adelaide did not take long to get on the scoreboard, with Worts ultimately chipping Tiahna Robertson in the Newcastle net mere minutes into the match, making the most of some excellent build up play from the Reds that involved Leon and Chelsie Dawber. 

As the half progressed Newcastle certainly did have its fair share of attacking chances, but the accuracy of their attempts proving to be a big issue for them.

Missing the crucial Natasha Prior was only making things harder for the hosts. They did have some very good chances at various points in the half, but thanks to the woodwork and some stellar keeping from Claudia Jenkins, the Jets were unable to slot any of them in.

Adelaide meanwhile had better accuracy in front of goal with their attacks looking more dangerous and they were more attentive on the ball in their attacking half, so when they did turn it over they were able to get the ball back quicker than the Jets were up the other end.

As the half progressed and the weather got worse the game evened up as both sides continued to rack up the attacking chances but could not convert any of them. For the Jets, Lauren Allen was really working hard to try and create chances for her side, while for the Reds Dawber and Worts continued to be really dangerous close to goal. 

Ultimately Adelaide went into half time with that one goal advantage, but the match felt a lot more even than it had earlier in the half. 

It was Newcastle who looked the more dangerous side early in the second half, racking up more of the attacking play. However, in the tough and unappealing conditions the Jets were struggling to get the power in their shots at goal to ultimately make the most of them, but they did have to battle against the wind. 

As the half progressed and the weather did not improve the match started to get a bit spicy, with tempers starting to flare and Matilda McNamara, Sarah Morgan and Sheridan Gallagher all picking up yellow cards as a consequence.  

For much of the half, it did not look like either side was going to change the scoreline, but suddenly out of nowhere Condon worked the ball round several Newcastle defenders and slotted through Adelaide’s second goal, which really was against the run of play.

Moments later Newcastle finally found the back of the net after Josie Allan – who had only been on the field for a couple of minutes – rocketed one into the back of the net from a pretty tough angle. 

Not even two minutes later Adelaide restored their two goal lead after Leon headed in a Condon cross perfectly. 

Newcastle never stopped attacking and were rewarded with a second goal after Jackson headed in the ball. As time wore on, it became simply a matter of could the Jets beat the clock to level the scores.

With just 90 seconds left in stoppage time, Adams slotted through the hosts’ third goal and rescued a point for her side. 

Teams: NEWCASTLE JETS (3-4-2-1): Robertson, Wilson, Cicco, Davis, Dundas, Copus-Brown, Jackson, L.Allan, Gallagher, Baumann, Walandouw. Substitutes: Hammond, Gooch, J.Allan, Adams, Boertje.

Scorers: J.Allan 76’, Jackson 84’, Adams 90+3’.

ADELAIDE UNITED (4-3-3): Jenkins, E. Hodgson, León, McNamara, Tonkin, Tolland, Condon, Morgan, Healy, Dawber, Worts. Substitutes: Grove, Sasaki, Kirkby, Mullan, Bowler.

Scorers: Worts 4’, Condon 74’, Leon 79’.

Referee: Kelly Jones

Attendance: 923.

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Ella Lincoln: “It’s always been a dream of mine…I’m proud of myself”

by Ben Gilby (7/1/25)

Above: Ella Lincoln talking at today’s media conference. Image: Perth Glory.

It’s been a heck of a year for Ella Lincoln. From being the NPL WA’s top scorer and winning the State Cup with Perth SC to now making her professional debut in the A-League Women. She’s done it all.

Lincoln’s substitute appearance against Wellington Phoenix on Saturday came with an additional landmark – she became the thousandth different player to play in the W/A-League Women since it began.

Reflecting on the achievement, the striker said: “It has always been a dream of mine to make my debut for my hometown club, and it was also great to achieve a huge milestone of being the 1,000th A-League Women player – it’s pretty cool. I thought I was getting closer (to being selected), but I didn’t realise it would be the trip to New Zealand. I’m proud of myself that I did get selected.

Any Glory away trip is a long one, but the one to Wellington is extreme. Lincoln revealed that the homeward leg was even tougher than usual.

“It was definitely very long, and coming back we got delayed and there was a plane stuck on the tarmac, so it was a really long journey! There were a few positives to take, but we have to just live from here.”

Lincoln’s debut was the culmination of months of hard work after her superb form in the NPL with Perth SC earned her an A-League Women contract. It’s been quite a step up, and the attacker revealed just how hard it has been.

“It was quite challenging just transitioning from a couple of days a week in the NPL to a full-time professional environment. It takes a big toll on the body physically and mentally, but I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it, so I’m super grateful for it.”

Above: Ella Lincoln (right) breaks through for Perth SC against Balcatta Etna in the NPL WA in 2024. Photo: Ben Gilby for Impetus.

Lincoln is one of a large number of stars from the NPL WA who have been given a chance with the Glory this season. It’s a source of real pride for the striker that she is alongside so many familiar faces from the local league, and the impact they are having this season is marked.

“Overall the girls and the coaching staff have been amazing, they’ve made it a great environment to be around. It’s pretty cool to see a lot of the local WA girls in the one team – a couple of weeks ago at HBF Park (against Central Coast Mariners), our midfield three consisted of Georgia (Cassidy), Tijan (McKenna), and Charli (Wainwright) that was our whole midfield three at Perth SC in the NPL, so that was great to see.”

Perth now have a big game on Friday night when they take on Sydney. The reigning champions haven’t made the start to the season that they would have liked, and the Glory are three points ahead of the Harbour City side. It’s a chance for the Western Australians to put real daylight between themselves and the bottom of the table.

Looking ahead to the challenge, Lincoln said: “I’m expecting a fast and transitional game. They have just come off a 1-1 draw with Melbourne City which I feel was a pretty close and intense game. Obviously, they are previous title champions, so we know what to expect and they have some individuals that we need to be aware of.

“We just have to dig deep. We have such a good squad with a lot of talent…we need to get the work done, and as long as we’re giving 100% we’ll definitely be able to grab three points off of anyone. The table is quite close, but anything’s possible…we’re all good players and we can do anything!

The game with Sydney will take place at the Glory’s new home of the Sam Kerr Football Centre – a venue where Lincoln played a prominent role for her NPL WA side in their State Cup Final win and Top Four Cup Final defeat in September 2024.

“I’ve had the privilege of being able to play at the Sam Kerr Football Centre during the NPL, and it’s such a great facility and we have great fans,” Lincoln said.

“When they get behind us, it’s amazing. I wasn’t part of the (Glory) squad for the last games there – but the energy, the vibes there is just insane.”

Lincoln is a player who thrives with a crowd giving her vocal support. If she gets on the pitch this weekend, don’t be surprised to see this potent finisher slot in home in style.

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Aitana Bonmatí: How is she so good?

by Ellie Clifford (6/1/25)

Above: Aitani Bonmatí in action for Barcelona. Photo: Barca Universal

Aitana Bonmatí has once again been one of the standout stars for FC Barcelona in Liga F this season, contributing six goals and the same number of assists so far. But what makes the Spaniard one of the best midfielders?

One of the key components of Bonmatí’s game is her technical proficiency. The box-to-box midfielder has exceptional ball control and dribbling skills which allows her to advance the ball from the defence to the attack. This season, Bonmatí has a successful dribble rate of 63.6% (in comparison to her team-mate Alexia Putellas on 42.9%) 

The Catalan’s high footballing IQ also contributes to her successful dribbles, often manipulating her style of dribbling depending on the scenario she is in. When given space to exploit, Bonmatí takes longer touches to drive into space.

However, as the available space becomes smaller, she takes more controlled and shorter touches. This change in dribbling draws the opposition closer to her, creating space for her teammates to exploit.

Above: Aitana Bonmatí celebrates after scoring for Barcelona at Chelsea in the Champions League last season. Photo: Sky Sports.

When playing for Spain under Montse Tome, the 26-year-old acts as a deep-lying playmaker. This role is more disciplined and causes her responsibilities to shift towards providing defensive support and stability during transitions of play. However, defense is one of the weaker aspects of Bonmatí’s game due to her lack of physicality and disadvantage in aerial duels.

Bonmatí has linked up brilliantly with many different players over her years at Barcelona, but it’s Alexia Putellas who has provided her with the greatest partnership. Putellas offers more of a defensive cover than Bonmatí, winning 75% of all tackles and 75% of all aerial duels this season.

This, in turn, allows Bonmatí to advance further up the field and join attacks, often with late runs into the box. However, this partnership does not seem as effective at an international level. This may be due to the players’ similar characteristics causing them to restrict each other. Despite this, both players play a pivot role in the heart of both FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team where they have contributed to major successes.

So, how do you stop Aitana Bonmatí? This is a question many teams have asked and have failed to answer. The most effective tactic is to dedicate one player to marking her out of the game. Even with this, Bonmatí still manages to exploit and create space by dragging this player out of the game. The Catalan star’s high skill level and good decision-making make her unpredictable, making it even harder for defenders to know how to cope against her. 

Aitana Bonmatí’s technical ability, footballing IQ, and adaptability make her one of the world’s best midfielders. Her ability to transition between roles for club and country highlights her versatility and value as a player. She has firmly established herself as a key figure for both FC Barcelona and Spain. As Bonmatí’s career progresses, her drive to further evolve her skill set shows the potential for her to grow even further in the coming years, solidifying her legacy within the sport.

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Last gasp Wanderers earn point in eight goal thriller

Melbourne Victory 4-4 Western Sydney Wanderers

By Alyce Collett 5/1/25

Above: Ellie Wilson celebrates her goal. Photo. A-Leagues.

Melbourne Victory and the Western Sydney Wanderers have played out a thrilling eight goal draw to round out the weekend’s A League Women’s action.

With goals to Claudia Bunge, Ellie Wilson, Alex Chidiac and an own goal off the foot of Gemm Ferris, the Victory looked home with matter of minutes to go. But, two goals in two minutes to the Wanderers from Talia Kapetanellis and Sophie Harding to compliment earlier goals from Harding and Sienna Saveska rescued some points for the visitors.

Although Victory had more of the ball than the Wanderers initially and looked more comfortable with ball at foot, it was the home side who landed the ultimate blow first. Only a matter of minutes into the contest, Harding pounced on a bad pass from Bunge, and worked her way towards the goal and snuck the ball into the bottom corner of the Victory net for the opening goal of the match.

After the goal the contrast between the sides was intriguing.

On the one hand, the Victory were doing more of the attacking play, but were unable to feed the ball to their strikers with much effectiveness, with the likes of Amelia Bennett, Amy Harrison and Gema Ferris working really well together to neutralise any dangerous movement close to goal from the Victory attack.

On the other hand, the Wanderers had less of the ball in attack, but the likes of Amy Chessari were feeding the ball really well into the likes Harding and Danika Matos, who were creating plenty of headaches for the Victory defenders.

One thing that was not helping the Victory’s cause was the wind, which gave through balls extra distance.

The Wanderers did almost have a second goal inside the opening half an hour but an offside call denied Matos a goal.

But with half time only a matter of minutes away, Victory found the equaliser after Bunge headed in an Alex Chidiac corner, and suddenly the game had taken an intriguing turn.

The home side started the second half like they finished the first, and were very much on the attacking foot early. They did eventually find some reward for effort when Wilson rocketed one in from outside the box to give the home side the lead.

But the Wanderers were not going to die quietly, and levelled things mere minutes later after Saveska countered with a long range bomb of her own.

As the second half progressed it was a pretty free flowing match, with both sides having a number of chances in their attacking third. 

Victory did catch a lucky break about halfway through the half when an unlucky bounce off the foot of Ferris and into the back of the net to restore the lead to the home side.

Victory found a fourth with a matter of minutes left in the match, where after a chaotic passage of play, Chidiac ultimately slotted a goal into the bottom corner.

Western Sydney weren’t done though, as Kapetanellis slotted one through in the 90th minute to give her side some hope.

Harding then slotted her second through minutes later to level up the game again.

The Wanderers kept pushing right until the dying second but ultimately could not find themselves a winner.

Team: MELBOURNE VICTORY (3-4-1-2):  Newbon, Wilson, Bunge, Sakalis, Murphy, Chidiac, Flannery, D’Appolonia, Morrison, Jancevski, Lowe. Substitutes: O’Grady, Gielnik, Briedis, Pickett, Candy.

Scorers: Bunge 45’, Wilson 51’ Ferris (O.G) 77’ Chidiac 87’

WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (4-1-4-1): Khamis, Ferris, Bennett, Chessari, Harrison, Harding, Saveska, Matos, Rue, Younis, Harada. Substitutes: Price, Trew, Kapetanellis, Lobo, Segavcic

Scorers: Saveska 54’, Kapetanellis 89’, Harding 4’, 90+2’

Referee: Caitlin Williams

Attendance: 725.

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