Canberra United ended their three-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory at Adelaide United in the Liberty A-League on Saturday night.
Michelle Heyman and a Grace Maher stunner snapped Canberra’s skid at ServiceFM Stadium.
It was Canberra’s first win against Adelaide since December 2020 as the Reds slumped to back-to-back defeats.
The visitors were dominant from the outset and always looked the better side, with Adelaide struggling to keep possession for any long periods.
Canberra fired an early warning shot on six minutes, attacking fast from a quickly taken throw which allowed Heyman to burst down the flank before driving towards goal.
The striker’s shot was low and hard but well saved by Adelaide goalkeeper Annalee Grove.
It took Adelaide a while to work their way into the match but on 20 minutes they had their first decent attempt when Fiona Worts beat two defenders and cut the ball back for Chelsie Dawber.
Her shot was blocked and the rebound fell to Melindaj Barbieri who powered a shot from outside the area but her effort was also stopped.
Canberra continued their dominance and eventually broke the deadlock on 28 minutes.
Vesna Milivojevic latched onto a long throw, getting in ahead of Jenna McCormick and skipping past the Reds’ defence before squaring a pass to Heyman on the edge of the area.
Heyman took a touch and picked out the bottom corner of the net leaving Grove little chance.
A minute later and Adelaide created another chance when Dawber broke down the right and picked out Dylan Holmes inside the area but the Canberra defence was able to thwart the attempt.
The visitors quickly had a second, courtesy of a stunning effort from Grace Maher.
The midfielder dispossessed Paige Hayward in the middle of the park before driving forward and lobbing Grove from 35 metres with the Adelaide ‘keeper caught well off her line.
Adelaide looked to attack after the restart and Dawber almost pulled a goal back on 50 minutes when after her initial shot was blocked, the follow-up effort went inches wide.
Five minutes later and the visitors should have had a third.
Sasha Grove tore down the right wing and crossed into the area where Heyman controlled and teed up Milivojevic, but she put her shot wide from seven metres.
Just after the hour, Holmes slipped in a delightful pass behind the Canberra defence for Worts but her low, powerful drive was well saved by Chloe Lincoln.
