A-League Women round-up: Melbourne City go top, Adelaide United stung | OneFootball

The highly anticipated launch of the 2024/25 A-League Women campaign got underway last weekend following a long off-season. Reigning Premiers Melbourne City have taken the top spot in the table following a thrilling 5-2 win over Perth Glory.

An impressive total of 31 goals were scored across the first round of fixtures, with five of the clubs securing their first win of the season. Take a look below as we recap the first round of A-League Women action.

Western United 4-2 Wellington Phoenix

Western United and Wellington Phoenix played out an entertaining six-goal curtain raiser to the new season at Ironbark Fields on Friday night.

The New Zealanders took a 15th minute lead when Emma Main’s cross was turned into her own net by Sasha Grove with Mebae Tanaka waiting to pounce. Western hit back immediately through Chloe Logarzo. She slotted home after ‘Nix keeper Carolina Vilão had parried her initial effort.

Aimee Medwin rolled Western into the lead two minutes later. She was left unmarked in the box and made Wellington pay as she converted Kahli Johnson’s cross. Johnson bagged a third for the hosts with five minutes of the first half to play. It was another cross, this time from Catherine Zimmerman that was roofed into the net by 20-year-old.

Barely a minute later, Kat Smith’s side added a fourth. Vilão made a mess of a deflected Logarzo shot and Zimmerman bundled the ball home. Wellington bagged a consolation with 10 minutes to play through Main’s penalty after Lara Wall had been fouled. But Western held on to open their campaign with a win.

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Central Coast Mariners 3-1 Sydney FC

Jade Pennock bagged a goal and an assist on her debut as the Mariners shocked A-League Women champions Sydney FC in Gosford. The on-loan Birmingham City attacker calmly dispatched a spot-kick in the 41st minute, following a handball from Millie Farrow.

Shea Connors missed a glorious chance to equalise early in the second half. Farrow’s cutback was pinpoint, but Connors could only side foot wide. Pennock then turned provider for Isabel Gomez in the 62nd minute as she lashed home past Brianna Edwards.

Princess Ibini halved the deficit with a well-placed finish with eight minutes left. The Mariners restored their two-goal buffer just four minutes later when Edwards spilled Pennock’s cross into the path of Bianca Galic. She made no mistake from six yards out to wrap up the points.

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Canberra United 3-2 Brisbane Roar

Canberra United started their A-League Women season off with a win as they got the better of Brisbane at McKellar Park.

Maja Markovski was in the right place at the right time to put the home side ahead in the 15th minute. Goalkeeper Olivia Sekany was unable to hold Michelle Heyman’s shot and Markovski couldn’t miss from five yards out. Mary Stanic-Floody then scored an absolute piledriver to double the Canberra lead, volleying home at the back post.

Brisbane found a way back into the game in the 50th minute through Evdokiya Popadinova’s first goal for the club. The goal owed a lot to the tenacity of Sharn Freier to outmuscle Hayley Taylor-Young and keep the ball in play.

Markovski got her second of the afternoon to restore the Canberra buffer six minutes later. She did well to control Stanic-Floody’s ball back across the box before taking aim with a shot that was deflected just past Sekany.

Brisbane got a consolation through Deborah-Anne De La Harpe’s deflected free-kick with a minute left but they couldn’t find an equaliser.

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Adelaide United 2-3 Melbourne Victory

A double from the returning Fiona Worts wasn’t enough to prevent Adelaide United from falling to defeat against Melbourne Victory on Saturday.

The visitors struck first when Emily Gielnik turned home Nickoletta Flannery’s inviting cross with four minutes on the clock. Worts levelled two minutes later when Courtney Newbon could only parry Erin Healy’s cross back into danger. Gielnik then headed home her second of the day deep into first half stoppage time.

What Gielnik could do, Worts could match. She was in the right place again to tap home when Newbon couldn’t hold Emily Hodgson’s shot.

However, Ava Briedis broke Adelaide hearts in added time in spectacular fashion. Claudia Jenkins did well to push Flannery’s curling shot away, but Briedis picked the ball up at the top of the box and found the top corner to give victory for Victory.

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Melbourne City 5-2 Perth Glory

Melbourne City survived an almighty scare against Perth Glory as they came from 2-0 down to record an opening day win.

Two long-range stunners from new signings Kelli Brown and Miku Sunaga had put the Glory in control with 51 minutes played. City recovered and started their comeback just two minutes later. Rhianna Pollicina was quickest to react when Miranda Templeman couldn’t hold Leticia McKenna’s effort.

Kathryn Harvey notched a ten minute brace either side of a stunning second for Pollicina as the Premiers raced into a 4-2 lead. A deft finish from Laura Hughes in added time capped the comeback and gave Michael Matricciani a winning start as City boss.

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Newcastle Jets 2-2 Western Sydney Wanderers

Newcastle Jets came from two goals down to grab a share of the spoils on Sunday afternoon.

Sophie Harding gave the Western Sydney Wanderers an early lead. It was a goal all of her own making, pressuring the Jets’ defender and then the goalkeeper into mistakes and slotting home. Sienna Saveska doubled the Wanderers’ lead just before the half-hour mark with a crisp left footed finish past Danielle Krzyzaniak.

The Jets were given a lifeline just before the break through Deven Jackson. Her header was adjudged to have crossed the line despite the Wanderers protestations.

Lauren Allen squared things up on the hour. She ghosted past Paige Hayward and lifted the ball over Shamiran Khamis. Newcastle nearly snatched all three points, but Khamis denied Lara Gooch from point blank range as the points were shared.

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