Ninja A-League round-up: Melbourne Derby ends all square, Adelaide close the gap | OneFootball

Round 14 of the Ninja A-League season was headlined by a top-of-the-table Melbourne Derby. The spoils were shared between reigning champions Melbourne City and rivals Melbourne Victory.

Elsewhere, there was the battle for a literal piece of highway as the Central Coast Mariners welcomed the Newcastle Jets to Gosford in the F3 Derby. Let’s take a look at what unfolded this week across the Ninja A-League.

Sydney FC 2-3 Adelaide United

The weekend’s action got underway at Leichhardt Oval as Adelaide floored Sydney FC with a stoppage time winner.

Emily Condon gave Adelaide the lead after just 23 minutes. She took Lucía León’s pass in her stride and slotted home between Brianna Edwards and Margaux Chauvet. Condon doubled hers and Adelaide’s tally with ten minutes of the second half gone. Erin Healy’s initial shot was palmed back into danger by Edwards and Condon couldn’t miss, tapping home from yards out.

Sydney FC reduced the arrears with 25 minutes left. Princess Ibini lofted a ball across the box to Indiana dos Santos. She shifted the ball onto her left and fired through a crowd of red shirts to give Sydney a lifeline.

Millie Farrow levelled in stoppage time with a sublime finish having jinked one way and then the other. She curled past Claudia Jenkins for what Sydney thought would be a precious point. That hope was crushed with the last kick of the game. Chelsie Dawber took aim from the edge of the box to set the Reds’ a new club record of seven matches unbeaten.

Thanks to a draw in the Melbourne Derby, Adelaide close the gap on leaders City.

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Western United 4-1 Western Sydney Wanderers

Western Sydney remain rooted to the foot of the league after being soundly beaten at Ironbark Fields on Friday night.

The hosts took an early lead when Wanderers keeper Sham Khmais fouled Khali Johnson in the box. Chloe Logarzo stepped up and tucked home the spot-kick with three minutes played. Mel Taranto’s ripper from the edge of the box doubled the Western lead after just seven minutes.

Western United were running riot and made it 3-0 with ten minutes of the first half to play. Grace Maher’s corner was powered home by Sara Eggesvik at the far post.

Sienna Saveska got the visitors on the board in stunning fashion with an Olimpico that left Chloe Lincoln helpless in the United goal. However, Kiara de Domizio headed home late on to cap off an emphatic display for the Victorian side.

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Central Coast Mariners 5-1 Newcastle Jets

Central Coast demolished their F3 rivals in their latest outing, claiming a dominant 5-1 win.

Brooke Nunn opened the scoring from close range. Newcastle Jets goalkeeper Danielle Krzyzaniak could only parry Jade Pennock’s initial effort and Nunn was on hand to tap home her second goal of the season.

The Jets levelled on the half hour mark through Josie Allen. The goal owed a lot to the persistence of Sophie Hoban who muscled her way into the box and had the quality to play the ball off to Allen. From there, it was all about the 18-year-old. Her sublime lofted finish left Sarah Langman with no chance.

Parity lasted barely three minutes. Krzyzaniak was caught on the ball by the pressing of Tiana Fuller. The Newcastle goalkeeper played the ball straight to Bianca Galic for one of the easiest goals she’ll ever score.

Fuller bagged the Mariners’ third early in the second half. Krzyzaniak could only palm Annabel Martin’s cross back into danger and the 16-year-old made no mistake from six yards out.

Another Martin cross found Pennock, who’d eluded the Jets defence. Her initial effort was deflected onto the post, but the on loan Birmingham star reacted quickest to convert the rebound.

Things went from bad to worse for Newcastle when they were reduced to 10 players when Claudia Cicco was shown a straight red. Peta Trimis added the icing to the cake in stoppage time with a drilled finish across the face of goal to wrap up the coveted F3 Derby Trophy.

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Canberra United 1-0 Perth Glory

Canberra United kept within touching distance of a Ninja A-League top six place with a narrow win over Perth Glory.

In a game with little in the way of clear-cut chances, Canberra made the breakthrough from a corner in the second half. Emma Roberson’s corner wasn’t dealt with by the Perth defence, leaving Liz Anton to bundle home on the line.

Perth responded well. A Canberra giveaway in their own half allowed Sarah O’Donoghue to get a shot away. The ball took a slight deflection on the way through, forcing Sally James into a smart stop.

The Glory nearly equalised when Onyinyechi Zogg’s effort was headed onto Canberra’s own post by Bethany Gordon. That was as close as either side came to troubling the scoresheet as Canberra took the points.

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Melbourne City 1-1 Melbourne Victory

A top-of-the-table Melbourne Derby ended in a stalemate.

Rachel Lowe gave Victory the lead early on. She picked off a loose back pass and raced through on goal to fire home. City finished the first half the stronger of the two sides, but couldn’t find a way past Courtney Newbon.

Holly McNamara went close early in the second period, but could only find the side netting. Emily Gielnik had Victory’s best chance, but she dragged her effort just wide.

City’s unbeaten start to the season was saved in the dying moments. Mariana Speckmaier poked home Rhianna Pollicina’s cross to keep them top of the league after the Melbourne Derby.

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Brisbane Roar 1-0 Wellington Phoenix

Brisbane Roar’s fine season continued with a win over Wellington Phoenix at Perry Park.

The Phoenix created some good early openings. Alyssa Whinham had two shots on goal that were ultimately comfortable takes for Olivia Sekany. Grace Jale also drew a good stop from Sekany early in the second half as she took aim at the near post.

Brisbane’s Grace Kuilamu nearly broke the deadlock just before the hour with a fierce drive that smacked the post. The teenager wouldn’t have to wait long for her goal, though. Just five minutes later, she headed home from close range as Wellington couldn’t clear a corner. It was the fifth goal of the season for the 17-year-old.

Evdokiya Popadinova rattled the Phoenix woodwork in the dying moments. She wrestled the ball out of the corner and unleashed a rocket that crashed off the underside of the bar and away.

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Melbourne City 5-1 Western United

In a game brought forward due to Melbourne City’s AFC Women’s Champions League commitments, Holly McNamara celebrated her call up to the Matildas’ squad with a blistering hat-trick for City.

It took her a little over three minutes to break the deadlock. A clever one-two between her and Rhianna Pollicina set the former away. Her initial shot was well saved by Chloe Lincoln, but McNamara made no mistake with the rebound.

An absolute thunderbolt from Western captain Chloe Logarzo levelled the game in the 25th minute.

McNamara restored City’s lead ten minutes later, tapping home Lourdes Bosch’s cross. Two minutes later, she had her hat-trick. If the second was a simple finish, the third was straight out of the top drawer. It was another stunning through ball from Pollicina, and McNamara scooped the ball into the top corner over the advancing Lincoln.

Pollicina got her goal on the hour to make it four with a low finish past Lincoln. Bosch added a fifth to send City five points clear at the top.

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