Welcome to Made With Mitre Moments, where aleagues.com.au brings you all the biggest talking points from each round of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season.
Read on for all the biggest talking points from Round 13, thanks to Mitre.
BUY TICKETS TO THE NINJA A-LEAGUE!
Big Blue defeat but reigning champs remain defiant
Another Big Big and another loss for Sydney FC but the defending champions are still eyeing the 2024-25 Finals Series.
A debut goal from Holly Furphy and a goal-of-the-season contender from Alan Jancevski guided Melbourne Victory past rivals Sydney at AAMI Park on Friday, having also conquered the Sky Blues in December.
While Victory are second in the standings and only two points behind foes Melbourne City, the Sky Blues languish are 11th nine points outside of the top six.
MATCH REPORT: Debutant fires as Victory beat Sydney FC
“I was proud of the effort from my players, they worked extremely hard we’re again unlucky not to get a result,” said Sydney head coach Ante Juric.
“We know that this result makes things tough in terms of making the finals, but as a group that is still our aim.
“We will keep working on our attacking structure at training as we need to find a solution in terms of scoring goals.
“We still have 10 games left and will give everything to try and win every game and push as much as we can for the rest of the season.”
McNamara’s drought over as Wanderers skipper demands ‘respect’
There is just no stopping Melbourne City at the moment, and Holly McNamara is only making the reigning premiers are frightening prospect in the Ninja A-League.
MATCH REPORT: Melbourne City star caps 433-day wait with a goal to help unbeaten premiers return to summit
The Australia international made her first start in 433 days, having last been in the starting XI in November 2023 – the same game that saw her suffer a third anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and the Commbank Matildas attacker capped it with a goal against the lowly Wanderers.
“She’s been looking dangerous all games she’s been playing,” City captain Rebekah Stott told Paramount+ after McNamara’s third goal of the season.
“To get a goal today is helpful. She’s incredible for us and she’s so dangerous.
“You can just tell how much of a difference it makes for us.”
As for the Wanderers, they sit bottom of the standings amid a seven-game winless streak.
“We’re playing with a lot of young girls and they’re putting in absolute shifts and learning so much from these games,” Western Sydney captain Amy Harrison told Paramount+.
“Against the benchmark team, we can bring a lot of confidence within the group and hopefully a lot of people can put respect on us.”
She added: “We’re starting to see a lot of progress now.”
Moment of confusion after stunning headlines Adelaide-Western draw
Adelaide United made six games without defeat after drawing 1-1 against Western United – a match that saw Erin Healy score a sensational goal.
In a moment of individual brilliance after turning her opponent on the halfway line, Healy then found the back of the net with a thunderous strike but there was little celebration initially before her teammates realised the ball had crossed the line after hitting the underside of the crossbar.
MATCH REPORT: Adelaide extend undefeated streak in tense showdown with Western after stunning goal
“I can’t of just put my head down, kept going and hoped for the best,” she told Paramount+. “I don’t know if I was really thinking in that moment but when I struck it, I thought it went in so I kind of celebrated and then we kept playing. I’m glad it went in, I’m glad they decided that.”
Adelaide head coach Adrian Stenta added: “Erin’s goal was outstanding. She turned the player on the halfway line, and then she just drove forward with the ball, picking up pace as she went.
“I think she’s one of the highest-rated players in the league for her dribbling ability, and you saw that today. She just took control of the situation, and the shot was fantastic — it was powerful and placed so well.
“As a purist, I would have loved to see the ball ripple the net in a perfect way, but to be honest, it was a fantastic goal, and I’m really pleased for her. It was a great moment for the team.”
‘Probably not in the right sport’
Canberra United earned a point away to Newcastle Jets but the capital club could not hide their disappointment after the game.
MATCH REPORT: In-form Canberra held by 10-player Jets as Matilda’s substitution sparks concern
Canberra had led thanks to A-Leagues and CommBank Matildas legend Michelle Heyman, who put the visitors ahead heading into the interval following an own goal that cancelled out Lara Gooch’s stunning 10th-minute opener.
But Canberra had to settle for a share of the points and eighth position, a point outside the top six.
“Look, if you’re happy coming away with a draw after being in a winning position, probably not in the right sport,” frustrated Canberra midfielder Bethany Gordon told Paramount+.
“We’re not happy.”
She continued: “We’re just not being clinical, that’s all it is. We’re creating a lot of chances.
“We need to be clinical to come away with points.”
Mariners teen’s ‘dream start’ after wondergoal
Tiana Fuller, wow!
Fuller scored her third goal amid a breakout season as 2023-24 Semi-Finals Central Coast leapfrogged Wellington into fifth position in the standings.
The teenager’s moment of magic in her first A-Leagues start was the difference.
“Honestly, amazing. It’s like a dream start in the league,” Fuller told Paramount+. “Very happy with what I’m doing.”
MATCH REPORT: Mariners teenager continues breakout season with wondergoal to seal win over Phoenix
On the goal, she said with a smile: “Definitely practiced it many times at the park during training.
“When it hit the post, it scared me a little bit but happy it went in… I just thought in my head I could do it.”
Phoenix head coach Paul Temple told reporters: “It was a pretty even game I thought. There wasn’t too much between the teams.
“I thought Mariners started better, we were on the back foot a bit but rode out the wave and organised ourselves.
“We probably had a lot more of the ball in the second half, and certainly played a lot better in terms of what we were offering, but the moment of magic from Fuller ultimately settled the game.
“It’s a pretty stunning goal, which kind of makes it even more disappointing, that something like that stops you from getting a result. I certainly thought we were worthy of something from the game, but certainly could be a lot better as well.”
Revelation after Glory’s last-gasp winner
It is the conversation that led to Ella Abdul-Massih’s incredible goal and helped Perth Glory upstage Brisbane Roar on Sunday.
After result labelled a “miracle”, Perth captain Isobel Dalton revealed the conversation she had with 18-year-old team-mate and match-winner Abdul-Massih who opened her A-Leagues account in amazing fashion.
MATCH REPORT: Glory pull off A-Leagues ‘miracle’ as rising star’s first goal seals epic win in 5-goal thriller
“She works so hard. She’s such a nice girl and we absolutely love her here,” she told Paramount+.
“When she got that free-kick, I looked at her and wanted it. She said can I have it? I said as long as you hit it on frame. She did just that. It was honestly perfect.
“To come off the bench and do that, honestly incredible. She’s such a talent and she’s going to have a bright future.”
As for Roar skipper and Matildas star Tameka Yallop, she drew level with Glory legend Sam Kerr as the Ninja A-League’s second-highest goalscorer of all-time with her 70th goal in the league.
“It’s fitting given we’re we played today. Nice little nod to Sam,” Yallop told Paramount+.
The Roar have now lost three games on the bounce to sit third in the standings, while Perth are ninth and seven points adrift of the top six.
“It’s all us. It’s consistency. Being able to do it week in, week out,” Yallop said.
“We’ve definitely got the style of football we want to play and make sure we keep implementing it.”