Sam Kerr has picked up from where she left off last week, bagging a brace of goals and assists in Perth Glory’s 5-2 demolition of Melbourne City, while Alanna Kennedy returned to the Westfield W-League in style.
There were seven Westfield Matildas on show at Jubilee Oval as Melbourne Victory put Sydney FC to the sword, while Emily van Egmond and Ellie Carpenter had mixed results for their clubs.
Round 4 of the Westfield W-League had it all and - as per usual - our Westfield Matildas played a starring role.
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GOAL OF THE ROUND: Alanna Kennedy - Sydney FC
Kerr two good for Melbourne City
Round 2: Sam Kerr grabs an assist, and has a hand in two other goals.
Round 3: Kerr gets her first goal of the 2018/19 Season.
So what would Round 4 bring? More than fans could imagine.
At the end of the first half against Melbourne City, Kerr had one goal and an assist, and Perth were cruising at 2-0.
By full-time, she’d doubled both columns and returned to the form that saw her win Golden Boot awards in the Westfield W-League and NWSL in recent seasons.
Kerr’s immense showing wasn’t against a bunch of park footballers either. It came against her Westfield Matilda teammates Elise Kellond-Knight, Tameka Butt and Lydia Williams.
City’s Westfield Matildas played well, particularly Kellond-Knight, who slotted home a penalty and buried a sensational free-kick from 25-metres out.
However, it wasn’t enough as City have now succumbed to consecutive defeats and sit in second-last place on the ladder.
Kennedy back to her Sky Blue best
Alanna Kennedy announced her return to Sydney FC and the Westfield W-League with a sublime free-kick at Jubilee Oval on Sunday night.
Unfortunately for Kennedy and her Westfield Matildas teammates though, the unstoppable shot was not enough as the Sky Blues fell to a 3-2 defeat to Melbourne Victory.
It was a bittersweet return for Kennedy, though more sweet than bitter. She returned after a long lay-off with a foot injury, and to score for the club where it all began was a welcome boost.
Teammate Chloe Logarzo also got on the scoresheet and briefly restored parity for the Sky Blues. While at the other end of the field, Princess Ibini gave away the penalty which saw Natasha Dowie grab her second of the afternoon.
Lisa De Vanna and Caitlin Foord were unable to see the Sky Blues over the line, succumbing to their second consecutive loss of the 2018/19 Season.
It was all smiles for the other shade of blue though as Melbourne Victory’s Westfield Matildas pulled off a huge win on the road.
Laura Alleway and Emily Gielnik both played 90 minutes in Victory’s memorable win.
And it wasn’t just any win, either. It was a win which sent Victory to outright first in the Westfield W-League.
Van Egmond’s Newcastle two from two
Emily van Egmond returned to the starting lineup after pulling out at the last minute in Newcastle Jets’ Round 3, 1-0 victory over Canberra United.
Back and raring to go, van Egmond at her dominant best, controlling the midfield and stopping every Western Sydney Wanderers’ attack in their traps.
She was assisted by club and country teammate Gema Simon, who played the full 90 minutes and helped the back four earn their second consecutive clean sheet of the 2018/19 Season.
The Jets are still waiting on Larissa Crummer’s return after succumbing to an injury whilst in the Westfield Matildas camp.
Carpenter in the middle of it all
Notwithstanding the fact that Ellie Carpenter is only 18-years-old, one of the teenager’s most amazing assets is her ability to perform multiple jobs within the team.
‘Versatility’ doesn’t quite cut it as Carpenter does more than just fills in. Whether it’s at right-back, right-wing or central-midfield, the teenager slots in and excels wherever she plays.
This was again the case in Canberra United’s 2-0 loss to Adelaide United. Despite the loss, Carpenter showed the calibre of her football intelligence, anchoring Canberra’s midfield against a rampant, well-drilled Adelaide United.
She may take consolation in knowing she was able to deny her Westfield Matilda teammate Michelle Heyman a goal against her former club.
Heyman played the full 90 minutes against Canberra and is part of a Reds outfit who are unbeaten this season, and now have three consecutive clean sheets - a first in their Westfield W-League club history.
