Two goals in the final twenty minutes saw Canberra United fall to a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Melbourne Victory at the Home of the Matildas in Victoria in Ninja A-League Round 18.
There was a pair of changes for Canberra from the team that earned a deserved point against Melbourne City as Tegan Bertolissio was recalled at full-back in place of Sofia Christopherson, whilst there was a switch in midfield with Emma Robers coming into the starting team in place of Holly Murray who dropped to the bench, alongside the returning Michelle Heyman.
In the picturesque setting of the prestigious venue in Bundoora, both teams were solid in their shape, the match evolving into a midfield battle with neither group able to seize the initiative to any great degree in sweltering conditions that precipitated two drink breaks per half.
Opportunities were rare, and when they did eventuate they were conspicuous by being half-chances at best. Victory winger Nickoletta Flannery fashioning one such opening that was cleared by the visitors, while midfielder Alex Chidiac fired high and wide when well placed at the top of the penalty area.
For Canberra, Aideen Keane made a couple of profitable runs into opposition territory with no end product to show for her work, but Victory custodian Courtney Newbon was untroubled, as much the same could be said of Sally James in the visiting goal, as the half petered out into a predictable stalemate at the interval.
It was a similar tale in the opening stages of the second-half, Rachel Lowe seeing a shot blocked by Robers when she pounced on a loose ball inside the area, before a looping header from Claudia Bunge bounced off the top of the Canberra crossbar.
United sought to impose themselves more in the attacking third with the introduction of Heyman for Jynaya Dos Santos, with Murray coming on for Darcey Malone in the midfield, both changes coming shortly after Maja Markovski had forced a full-length save from Newbon with their first meaningful attempt on target.
Victory responded to the Canberra replacements with some of their own and had the ball in the net in the 67th minute, skipper Kayla Morrison steering home from close range after a Lowe hit had cannoned off the heel of Anton into her path, only for the celebrations to be quickly curtailed by the offside flag.
Bethany Gordon almost flummoxed Newbon with a drive through a crowded penalty area before Victory struck through one of their substitutes with twenty minutes remaining. Holly Furphy, who added bite and pace to the front third, showed superb persistence to bustle past Bertolissio and slide a finish through the legs of James at the near post from an acute angle.
James then made a smart save from Furphy moments later, before Victory sealed the points with seven minutes remaining. A corner from the far side swept in by Alana Murphy found Emily Gielnik at the near post who, with a thumping header, steered the ball past James for her tenth goal of the season, a lead in the Golden Boot race and the points.
MATCH STATISTICS
ROUND 18
Sunday 9 March 2025
Melbourne Victory 2 (Furphy 70’, Gielnik 83’) Canberra United 0
(Home of the Matildas, Bundoora, 17:00)
Canberra United: 1. Sally JAMES, 3. Elizabeth ANTON, 5. Madison AYSON, 7. Jynaya DOS SANTOS (23. Michelle HEYMAN 62’), 23. Michelle HEYMAN 11. Emma ROBERS, 12. Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG, 17. Maja MARKOVSKI, 21. Aideen KEANE (13. Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON 73’), 25. Darcey MALONE (4. Holly MURRAY 62’), 28. Tegan BERTOLISSIO, 32. Bethany GORDON (10. Mary STANIC-FLOODY 71’)
Substitutes not used: 18. Coco MAJSTOROVIC
