Canberra United extended their unbeaten run to five matches with a creditable 1-1 draw against high-flying Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium in South Australia.
Antoni Jagarinec made two changes to the line-up from the team that drew 1-1 with the Central Coast Mariners at McKellar Park seven days previously as Madison Ayson was handed a first start since the Round 11 clash with Western United, coming into defence for Tegan Bertolissio, whilst further forward Holly Murray was deployed in midfield with Mary Stanic-Floody moving to the bench.
Adelaide entered the contest unbeaten in eight consecutive games, the last time they had tasted a loss was a pre-Christmas loss to Melbourne City, six wins and two draws subsequently offering the Lady Reds a more than respectable twenty points from the available twenty-four.
Adelaide, sitting in third place on the league table, started strongly forcing a series of corners inside the opening quarter of an hour, the delivery from both sides causing consternation for Sally James in the Canberra goal and her defence.
It was from one of those set-pieces that Adelaide threatened to open the scoring. James failed to deal with the first ball in but recovered sufficiently from a chaotic goalmouth scramble to turn away a low drive from Lucia Leon that found its way through a cluster of players inside the area, the Canberra custodian turning the shot away with her legs.
Canberra were struggling to create anything of note, a scuffed shot from Bethany Gordon in the 24th minute at the end of a flowing move that involved midfielder Emma Robers’ slide-rule pass releasing Hayley Taylor-Young to cross into the middle, the best the away team could muster in the opening half-an-hour.
Incredibly, there was a smash and grab for Canberra a minute before the interval. Robers sent over a corner into the area which Adelaide goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins could only punch into the air. It dropped invitingly for Darcy Malone who nodded nonchalantly into the corner of the net from just inside the six-yard box to open the scoring with her first ever A-League strike.
Gordon saw her close-range shot smothered away for a corner by Jenkins at the commencement of the second-half before Adelaide sent on leading scorer Fiona Worts in an attempt to rescue the contest. Canberra responded by introducing Aideen Keane for Maja Markovski just before the hour.
Adelaide were threatening an equaliser, and it duly arrived with seventeen minutes remaining. Erin Healy found Worts in space and her square ball was swept with vigour high over the head of James and into the net by the advancing Chelsie Dawber for her seventh goal of the season.
Heyman skimmed the roof of the net in response, before Keane, Gordon, and Sofia Christopherson all went close in a frantic scramble inside the box, Jenkins making two fine stops before the third effort from Christopherson was cleared off the line.
Taylor-Young did likewise in stoppage time at the other end, hacking a header from an Emily Condon corner away from danger when it appeared as if the home side would steal the points, however, both teams had to settle for a draw at the conclusion of ninety minutes.
MATCH STATISTICS
ROUND 16
Saturday 15 February 2025
Adelaide United 1 (Dawber 73’) Canberra United 1 (Malone 44’)
(Coopers Stadium, Adelaide, 16:50)
Canberra United: 1. Sally JAMES, 3. Elizabeth ANTON, 4. Holly MURRAY (28. Tegan BERTOLISSIO 78’), 5. Madison AYSON, 11. Emma ROBERS, 12. Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG, 13. Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON, 17. Maja MARKOVSKI (21. Aideen KEANE 59’), 23. Michelle HEYMAN, Darcey MALONE (7. Jynaya DOS SANTOS 90’), 32. Bethany GORDON
Substitutes not used: 10. Mary STANIC-FLOODY, 18. Coco MAJSTOROVIC
