There were upsets, goals and excitement during this round of the A-League Women – and as always, the CommBank Matildas were in the thick of the action.
The weekend began with a Saturday, 3 pm double header.
In the first game, Canberra United smashed the Newcastle Jets 5-1. Two goals to Michelle Heyman ensured that the women in green continue to shoot up the ladder and place themselves within striking distance of the top 4 as the second half of the season approaches.
Meanwhile, the Western Sydney Wanderers managed to cause an upset even greater than the defeat they had inflicted on Melbourne City the week before, shocking the previously flawless Western United 2-1 at Wanderers Football Park.
Chloe Logarzo came off the bench in the second half, but not even she could save her team from tasting defeat for the first time ever in the competition. It’s an astonishing turnaround from the Wanderers, and one that may well be the biggest talking point of the round.
Sunday’s action began with a 1-1 draw between Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United. Katrina Gorry and Larissa Crummer both played 90 minutes for the Roar but were unable to add to the scoresheet in an open and exciting contest.
The rescheduled Melbourne Derby was an important one for both teams, and while it ended in a 1-1 stalemate, it so easily could have led to a result for either team. Elise Kellond-Knight and Alex Chidiac started the game for Melbourne Victory, the latter scoring Victory’s only goal in the first half – on her birthday, no less!
The New Zealand international Hannah Wilkinson hit back for Melbourne City and, despite a golden late opportunity for Victory, it was enough for her team to secure a point. Emma Checker started in defence for City and played 90 minutes.
In the final game of the round, Perth Glory defeated Wellington Phoenix 2-0 in the first ever distance derby held in Perth. An incident in the first half that saw a player from both sides shown a red card was not enough to halt Perth’s momentum, and they ended the game with their second win of the season.
Next Week’s Action
There is one midweek game this week – Western Sydney Wanderers will hope to continue their winning momentum as they host Alex Chidiac and Elise Kellond-Knight’s Melbourne Victory on Wednesday, 6pm AEDT.
There are three games scheduled on Saturday afternoon. Katrina Gorry and Larissa Crummer will be hoping to be on the scoresheet as they travel to Melbourne to take on Chloe Logarzo’s Western United at 2.20pm AEDT.
At 3 pm AEDT, Melbourne City and Emma Checker will be hoping to enact revenge from a fortnight ago as they take on a high-flying Western Sydney Wanderers.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Victory travel to Adelaide in a battle pivotal to the top 4 race, that kicks off at 4 pm AEDT. Alex Chidiac and Elise Kellond-Knight will expect to start, but three games within six days may prove tricky for the women in navy blue to navigate.
Finally, on Sunday, Canberra United make their first trip across the ditch to take on the Wellington Phoenix at 10.15am AEDT.
You can catch all of the action live and free on 10Play, or on Paramount+.