Returning Melbourne City defender Steph Catley believes her team are ready to begin their customary charge towards finals after they defeated Newcastle Jets 3-1.
With only one win from their first five games City headed into Sunday’s Westfield W-League encounter needing not only a positive performance but all three points.
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Their victory eased pressure on coach Rado Vidosic and the 67-cap Westfield Matilda said she hoped it would be the catalyst for a run towards the finals.
“It was definitely coming,” Catley told Fox Sports post-match.
“We’ve been trying to sort out a few different things every game that’s kind of gone wrong and we’ve done it the past few years, we’ve started really slow.
“When you get a group of really experienced players together sometimes it can take time and usually around this time of the season we get it together.”
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The absence of several key players has not helped City’s cause as they seek a fourth consecutive Championship.
Catley made her first appearance of the season against the Jets after recovering from a long-term knee injury while Kyah Simon continued her strong return from an Achilles problem with an assist to add to her goal against Adelaide United last week.
While substituted at half-time, Catley was pleased with how her comeback had panned out.
“It went pretty well,” she said.
“I played 35 minutes of training yesterday so I knew I’d get somewhere close to 45 but physically I’m feeling great, the knee’s not just there yet, I’ve still got a bit of work to do but it’s feeling so much better and I’m excited to see where it can get to.”
City will enjoy a week off before taking on Canberra United in a rematch of their 2-0 loss in Round 1 while the Jets will look to get back to winning ways when they make the trip across the Nullarbor to take on Sam Kerr’s Perth Glory.
