A goal twelve minutes from time from Mackenzie Hawkesby was enough for Sydney FC to claim a narrow 1-0 win over Canberra Unsuited at McKellar Park In front of a bumper crowd of 2,194, denting home hopes of finals football in the process.
There was one change from the team beaten by the odd-goal in seven in Melbourne, as Antoni Jagarinec made an enforced midfield change, bringing in Mary Stanic-Floody for Bethany Gordon.
United started the brighter of the two sides and struck the crossbar after ten minutes when it appeared, amongst a cluster of players, that Aideen Keane met a corner, her header coming back off the top of the woodwork.
Sydney fired their first salvo from a set-piece. A corner swung into the penalty box caused problems, with the ensuing scramble seeing Tegan Bertolissio block a goalbound shot.
Michelle Heyman was looking lively up front for Canberra, her pace and movement proving to be a menace to the Sky Blues rearguard. In the main though there was little created by the home side in the opening half, Sydney confident defensively against the United raiding parties.
With nothing to separate the teams at the break, Sydney made a double attacking substitution, but it was Heyman who went closest early on, her shot smothered by the visiting defence.
The introduction of Sofia Christopherson in the 56th minute brought up her fiftieth appearance in green, however Sydney started to threaten, and Sally James made a world class save from Shea Connors, the offside flag raised, not that the United custodian would have known at the time.
At the other end Madison Ayson almost bundled a corner over the line, whilst James denied Millie Farrow, another Sydney substitute, as the game sprang to life after the hour.
Both teams continued to look to the bench for inspiration as Jagarinec sent on Jynaya Dos Santos and Alex McKenzie, the latter in an unfamiliar forward position, in an attempt to make the breakthrough.
It was Sydney who did just that though with twelve minutes remaining. Indiana Dos Santos burst away from the United defence and unselfishly squared for Hawkesby who finished with unerring accuracy, first time, past James.
ROUND 20
Saturday 22 March 2025
Canberra United 0 Sydney FC 1 (Hawkesby 78’)
(McKellar Park, Canberra, 16:00)
Canberra United: 1. Sally JAMES, 3. Elizabeth ANTON, 5. Madison AYSON, 10. Mary STANIC-FLOODY (7. Jynaya DOS SANTOS 69’), 11. Emma ROBERS, 12. Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG, 17. Maja MARKOVSKI (2. Alex MCKENZIE 69’), 21. Aideen KEANE, 23. Michelle HEYMAN, 25. Darcey MALONE (4. Holly MURRAY 87’), 28. Tegan BERTOLISSIO (13. Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON 56’)
Substitutes not used: 18. Coco MAJSTOROVIC
