Ninja A-League round-up: Melbourne Victory keep pressure on at the top as Wanderers woes continue | OneFootball

Week 13 of the Ninja A-League was highlighted by a Big Blue as Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC renewed hostilities. Victory remain two points behind rivals and reigning champions Melbourne City at the top of the table.

Elsewhere, it was bottom versus top as Western Sydney Wanderers hosted Melbourne City. Dive into the latest action with our recap of the most recent round of results.

Melbourne Victory 2-0 Sydney FC

A stunning free-kick from Alana Jančevski set Melbourne Victory on their way to their latest A-League win over their rivals at AAMI Park. With a little over four minutes played, Jančevski took aim from all of 25 yards with an absolute piledriver that gave Briana Edwards no chance in the Sydney goal.

Caley Tallon-Henniker nearly levelled for Sydney just before half-time, but her effort went just wide.

Nat Tobin was denied by a great reflex save from Victory’s Courtney Newbon in the 77th minute. It should’ve been a corner, but a goal-kick was awarded instead. From that, the Vuck went up the other end and sealed the points. Rachel Lowe’s through ball sent Holly Furphy through on goal. She made no mistake to mark her debut with a goal.

That keeps Melbourne Victory second from the top of the A-League table. Meanwhile Sydney FC slip back to second from bottom.

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Western Sydney Wanderers 0-1 Melbourne City

Melbourne City maintained their unbeaten start to the A-League season as they secured all three points in Sydney’s west.

City’s goal came just before the quarter-hour mark. The work of Mariana Speckmaier made the goal. Her pressing high in the Western Sydney half was too much for Milly Bennett. Speckmaier drove to the byline before squaring the ball for Holly McNamara, who tapped home.

McNamara should’ve doubled hers and City’s tally early in the second half. Lourdes Bosch sent her in on goal, but McNamara could only put it wide. The Wanderers were restricted to half chances, Talia Younis’s shot wide was about all they could muster in response.

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Adelaide United 1-1 Western United

A match between two Uniteds was settled by two Americans as Erin Healy and Catherine Zimmerman traded goals.

Healy’s goal was all of her own making. Turning inside her own half, she drove at the Western defence before unleashing a cracker that cannoned off the underside of the bar. After a brief pause, the referee gave the goal and Healy and Adelaide could celebrate.

Chloe Logarzo drew a good save from Claudia Jenkins as she looked to bring Western level. Zimmerman later latched onto Logarzo’s prodded pass to equalise for the visitors with an hour gone. Western pressed for a winner, but Jenkins remained largely untroubled in the Adelaide net.

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Newcastle Jets 2-2 Canberra United

Newcastle Jets and Canberra United played out an entertaining draw at McDonald Jones Stadium.

Lara Gooch capitalised on a poor clearance from Canberra goalkeeper Sally James to give the hosts the lead. James’ clearance was fired into Hayley Taylor-Young, and Gooch pounced to curl home from 20 yards.

Sofia Christopherson’s purple patch continued and she drew United level with 24 minutes on the clock. Cutting in from the touchline, her effort was too powerful for Danielle Krzyzaniak at her near post.

Michelle Heyman turned the deficit around on the half-hour. She latched onto Taylor-Young’s long through ball to slide home her fifth goal of the season. Taylor-Young then came to Canberra’s rescue at the stroke of half-time to clear a certain own-goal off the line.

Having hit the post early in the second half, the Jets eventually got the goal they deserved with 20 minutes left. Josie Allan drove into the box and laid the ball off for Sheridan Gallagher, who couldn’t miss from yards out. However, Gallagher’s evening was cut short as she saw red for two yellow cards, but neither side could find a winner in the end.

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Central Coast Mariners 1-0 Wellington Phoenix

Victory for the Central Coast Mariners saw them leapfrog Wellington Phoenix on Sunday.

The hosts started the brighter, and Carolina Vilão denied Tiana Fuller with a smart stop in the 16th minute. Grace Jale skied Wellington’s best chance of the afternoon right on half-time.

Where Vilão got the better of Fuller in the first half, Fuller exacted her revenge in stunning fashion in the second. Taking Brooke Nunn’s pass into her stride, Fuller let fly with a howitzer from 25 yards with ten minutes of the second half played. Not a bad way for the 16-year-old to make her mark.

Wellington struggled to make an impact on the game. That was summed up in the dying moments when Lara Wall was dispossessed by Taylor Ray when she was through on goal.

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Perth Glory 3-2 Brisbane Roar

A double from Perth’s Caitlin Doeglas set them on the way to a win over high-flying Brisbane.

The Roar took an early lead. Tameka Yallop was on hand to finish when Perth couldn’t clear a corner. Where better for Yallop to level Sam Kerr’s ALW goal tally of 70 than the Sam Kerr Football Centre?

Doeglas bagged her first of the afternoon with a neat turn and finish on the edge of the box. Parity lasted mere moments as Grace Kuilamu got free of two Perth defenders to slide home past Casey Dumont.

In a breathless end to the first half, Perth were soon level for a second time. Brisbane keeper Olivia Sekany completely lost concentration with the ball at her feet. Doeglas nipped in and rounded the stranded Sekany for her second of the afternoon.

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Sekany went some way to atoning for her error at the end of the half as she tipped an effort from Megan Wynne around the post.

Perth’s winner came in a dramatic finish to a pulsating clash. As Ella Massih raced in on goal, she was felled by Brisbane’s Holly McQueen.

McQueen was shown a straight red card and Massih finished the job with a drilled free-kick low in Sekany’s right-hand side to seal the points.

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