Round 17 in both the Isuzu UTE A-League and Liberty A-League drew to a conclusion on Sunday, with five games on the agenda.
There’s a new leader in the Liberty A-League after Western United surged to the summit with a 3-0 win over Wellington Phoenix whilst Melbourne City drew 1-1 with Adelaide United to give up top spot to their Victorian rivals.
In the Isuzu UTE A-League, Central Coast Mariners edged Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 in Gosford. Attention then turned to Macarthur FC’s clash with Wellington Phoenix in Campbelltown, where the league-leading Phoenix notched a 2-1 win.
Perth Glory and Central Coast Mariners capped off the Sunday action at Macedonia Park, with Matildas star Kyah Simon scoring her first goal since returning to the Liberty A-League in a comeback 3-1 win for the travelling side.
Liberty A-League
- Melbourne City 1-1 Adelaide United (MATCH CENTRE)
- Western United 3-0 Wellington Phoenix (MATCH CENTRE)
- Perth Glory 1-3 Central Coast Mariners (MATCH CENTRE)
Isuzu UTE A-League
- Central Coast 1-0 Western Sydney (MATCH CENTRE)
- Macarthur FC 1-2 Wellington Phoenix (MATCH CENTRE)
PHOENIX WIN: How Phoenix pulled off gutsy win with 5 big outs & captain’s warm-up injury
SIMON SCORES! Matildas star bags first goal of comeback season to inspire Mariners to comeback win over Perth
SUNDAY RECAP
ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE
Central Coast Mariners 1-0 Western Sydney Wanderers
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for highlights, stats and more
Central Coast Mariners edged past Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 thanks to a second-half penalty scored by Mikael Doka at Industree Group Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Doka’s first goal in the Isuzu UTE A-League was the difference in a hotly contested clash in Gosford, as the Mariners bounced back from a 3-1 defeat to Sydney FC last time out in the Isuzu UTE A-League to strengthen their grip on second place on the table.
There was controversy in the first half when Mariners defender Jacob Farrell collected Wanderers striker Marcus Antonsson on the foot with a late challenge, earning a yellow card.
VAR did not intervene to instruct on-field referee Daniel Elder to assess the incident on the monitor and the initial caution was not upgraded to a red card.
Antonsson was forced to come off in the aftermath of the challenge and was placed in a moon boot, with Paramount+ sideline reporter Glen Lauder confirming the Swedish striker would go for scans on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
Both teams hit the woodwork in the first half, with a superb save from Mariners keeper Danny Vukovic denying Nicolas Milanovic a finish into the top-left corner, before Brian Kaltak rattled the upright down the other end with a thunderous header.
Ryan Edmondson came close to opening his Isuzu UTE A-League account for the Mariners in the second half before fellow substitute Ronald Barcellos earned the spot kick that would decide the game, going down in the box under contact from Wanderers defender Gabriel Cleur.
Doka stepped up to finish with aplomb and earn the Mariners all three points.
Macarthur FC 1-2 Wellington Phoenix
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for highlights, stats and more
Wellington Phoenix held on to notch a gutsy 2-1 win over Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Stadium on Sunday night, surviving a persistent late charge from the Bulls to re-establish a five-point buffer at the top of the Isuzu UTE A-League table.
Kosta Barbarouses scored twice to put the visitors two goals clear but Bernardo Oliveira’s first goal for Macarthur since his January move from Adelaide; Macarthur pushed relentlessly for an equaliser but Wellington held firm to take three points on the road.
Second-placed Central Coast Mariners beat Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 to put pressure on Wellington to respond and the leaders did so in the narrow victory.
Barbarouses opened the scoring in the first half with his ninth goal of the campaign converted from the penalty spot, and doubled Wellington’s lead in the 73rd minute.
The Phoenix star’s second of the night proved all-important as Bernardo halved the deficit five minutes later to set up a blockbuster finish in Campbelltown.
The Bulls had a late, late chance to score a second but Ulises Dávila’s diving header went wide under pressure from new Phoenix recruit Youstin Salas, who made his debut in the 2-1 win.
LEAGUE-LEADERS WIN: How Phoenix pulled off gutsy win with 5 big outs & captain’s warm-up injury
LIBERTY A-LEAGUE
Western United 3-0 Wellington Phoenix
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for highlights, stats and more
There’s a new leader in the Liberty A-League after Western United’s 3-0 win over Wellington Phoenix at City Vista Recreational Reserve on Sunday afternoon.
Western began the afternoon one point off Melbourne City but leapfrogged their Victorian rivals to the Liberty A-League summit after the former league-leaders’ 1-1 draw with Adelaide United in Sunday’s simultaneous kick-off.
Matildas midfielder Chloe Logarzo opened the scoring for Western in the first half with her eighth goal of the campaign, before Grace Maher’s ‘Olimpico’ struck directly from a corner doubled the advantage over Wellington in the second 45.
Hannah Keane put Western out of sight shortly after to wrap up a comprehensive win and send Kat Smith’s side into top spot on the table.
TABLE SHAKE-UP: Big day in Premiership race as new leaders emerge after ‘Olimpico’ and 11th-placed revenge
Melbourne City 1-1 Adelaide United
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for highlights, stats and more
Melbourne City have surrendered top spot on the Liberty A-League table after a 1-1 draw with Adelaide United at City Football Academy Field on Sunday afternoon.
City began the afternoon as the league leaders but failed to beat the 11th-placed Reds; Daniela Galic opened the scoring for City but a Tijan McKenna own goal soon after saw Adelaide regain a level footing in the contest.
As the spoils were shared in the 1-1 draw, Western United defeated Wellington Phoenix 3-0 in the simultaneous kick-off to jump above City and onto the top of the table.
Perth Glory 1-3 Central Coast Mariners
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for highlights, stats and more
Central Coast Mariners star Kyah Simon scored the first goal of her Liberty A-League comeback season to inspire her side to a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Perth Glory at Macedonia Park on Sunday night.
Simon, starting for the first time this season in another major milestone on her road back from an ACL injury, found the equaliser for the Mariners after Millie Farrow put Perth one goal ahead in the first half.
Bianca Galic struck from range to make it 2-1 to the Mariners in the second half before Annalise Rasmussen put the icing on the cake for Emily Husband’s side with an 83rd-minute sealer.
SIMON SCORES! Matildas star bags first goal of comeback season to inspire Mariners to comeback win over Perth
