Canberra United meets Adelaide United at McKellar Park in Round 3 of the Westfield W-League heavy favourites to take all three points from a fixture that has been kind to the club in the first four seasons of competition.
Saturday 3rd November 2012
Canberra United v Adelaide United
McKellar Park, Kick off 4pm
Canberra United meets Adelaide United at McKellar Park in Round 3 of the Westfield W-League heavy favourites to take all three points from a fixture that has been kind to the club in the first four seasons of competition.
United has taken thirteen points from a possible fifteen against the Lady Reds since the inception of the Westfield W-League with their solitary slip-up being the inaugural meeting between the teams on 22nd November 2008 with the match at McKellar Park ending 0-0. The only notable incident in a low-key fixture was the dismissal of Thea Slatyer, the Canberra defender becoming the first, and to date, only player wearing the green to be sent off.
Since that match it-s been one-way traffic as Canberra has racked up the points, and the goals, whenever they have crossed paths with their South Australian opposition. In fact such is Canberra-s dominance of the fixture that Adelaide has only ever scored one goal against the team from the nation-s capital, that coming in the 36th minute of the match at Hindmarsh Stadium that kick-started Canberra-s unbeaten run to the title last season. Rachael Quigley netted the goal for the home team, but Canberra proved too strong and won the match 4-1. Michelle Heyman and Caitlin Munoz both bagged a brace in that fixture with Heyman netting the fastest goal scored by a Canberra United player when she found the back of the net after only 88 seconds in what was Jitka Klimkova-s first match in charge of the team.
Indeed, matches against Adelaide seem to bring with them all kinds of firsts. As well as a fastest goal and first sending off, the South Australians were the opponents when United confirmed their maiden league championship last term as the out-gunned Lady Reds were beaten5-0 by a rampant home team. Heyman struck twice, as did US recruit Taryn Hemmings in a convincing victory rounded off by a stoppage time goal from Ashleigh Sykes in front of a crowd of 892.
Season 2, 2009, brought first Canberra goals for midfielder Emily Van Egmond and Ellyse Perry in a 3-0 win at Deakin Stadium in what was Canberra-s first home match played away from McKellar Park. Ellie Brush had opened the scoring in that match before the late double from Van Egmond and Perry. And, if that wasn-t enough, Adelaide were the opponents the first time a Canberra match was abandoned! United met Adelaide at Deakin Stadium on 4th December and started the match as bright as the sunshine that bathed the ground following a week of rain in the Capital.
Canberra ran riot and netted four times in the opening twenty minutes through a Heyman double, Munoz and Brush as the home team threatened a rout. However, the rain started to fall shortly before the interval and a particularly heavy monsoon followed that washed out the second half and the match was called to a halt midway through the second half. United were awarded a 4-0 win and the players frolicked on the saturated turf! So, what-s the next first for this always intriguing battle?