Melbourne Victory recorded their third win a row with a 3-0 thrashing of reigning premiers Canberra United in the Westfield W-League at Wembley Park on Saturday.
Melbourne Victory recorded their third win a row with a 3-0 thrashing of reigning premiers Canberra United in the Westfield W-League at Wembley Park on Saturday.
Welsh captain Jessica Fishlock and striker Jessica McDonald scored Victory’s goals in the first half with winger Enza Barilla finishing off the rout with 10 minutes to go.
Both sides went into the clash missing key players with Victory’s Brianna Davey and Stephanie Catley on Matildas duty and Canberra’s Michelle Heyman and Sally Shipard ineligible due to refusing their national call ups.
Victory dominated the first half with Fishlock repeatedly looking to get in behind the Canberra defence. United resorted to a counterattacking style but struggled to create many clear-cut chances.
The game opened up in the second half with Canberra pushing players forward in a bid to get back in the game. But Victory put the game to bed with 10 minutes to play.
The dynamic Fishlock broke open the game on 28 minutes when she raced on to a Cindy Lay through ball and rounded United goalkeeper Trudy Burke, slipping the ball into an empty net.
On the stroke of half-time, Melbourne doubled their lead. Striker McDonald latched on to a pass inside the area and thumped the ball into the roof of the net.
Victory should have had their third just after the restart, but Barilla slipped her shot agonisingly wide after being released by Fishlock.
Canberra captain Caitlin Munoz had two great chances 10 minutes into the half, but she fired wide from a great position and shot straight at Victory keeper Cassie Dimovski from a tight angle.
After Fishlock drew a magnificent save out of Burke, Victory midfielder Jessica Humble thumped a shot against the crossbar from only a few yards out.
With Canberra pouring forward to try and get back in the game, Victory winger Barilla fired home from Larsson’s corner on 80 minutes to seal the game.
The win allowed Victory to jump above Canberra on the W-League table and feature in the top half of the standings for the first time this season.
Melbourne Victory 3 (Fishlock 28, McDonald 45, Barilla 80)
Canberra United 0
Melbourne Victory: 2. Danielle Johnson, 3. Maika Ruyter-Hooley, 4. Rebekah Stott, 6. Petra Larsson, 10. Jessica McDonald, 14. Enza Barilla (9. Tiffany Eliadis 85), 17. Gulcan Koca, 18. Cindy Lay (12. Jackie Vogt 61), 20. Cassandra Dimovski, 22. Jessica Fishlock (c), 23. Jessica Humble (5. Laura Spiranovic 78)
Canberrra United: 2. Caitlin Cooper, 3. Georgia Yeoman-Dale (10. Snez Veljanovska 85), 4. Christine Walters, 6. Caitlin Munoz (c), 9. Grace Gill (18. Samantha Wood 70), 12. Sally Rojahn, 13. Nicole Sykes, 16. Catherine Brown (5. Grace Field 90), 17. Ariane Hingst, 19. Jennifer Bisset, 20. Trudy Burke
