It was a blockbuster Sunday of football in the Ninja A-League that featured three games, eight goals, a red card and a runaway dog on the pitch!
Kicking off at 2pm (AEDT), Canberra United made it two wins from two games to start the season with A-Leagues legend Michelle Heyman scoring her 100th goal for the club in what was a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Wellington Phoenix.
Western Sydney Wanderers and Adelaide United then went in search of their first wins of the season and it was the South Australians who came out on top thanks to an ‘Olimpico’ from Emily Condon and Fiona Worts’ third goal of the campaign, sealing a 2-0 away win.
Finally at 6pm (AEDT) Perth Glory and Newcastle Jets played out a five-goal thriller at HBF Park as the home team overcame a Jets side reduced to 10-players following the sending off of keeper Danielle Krzyzaniak
SATURDAY SUMMARY: City comeback queens again in Derby thriller, Roar extend streak against champs
“Who let the dogs out?!” Heyman scores the winner after ‘Pooch Invader’ makes cameo appearance
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for stats, updates, highlights and more!
Michelle Heyman scored her 100th goal for Canberra United but the Matildas legend’s match winning strike was overshadowed by a moment of madness involving Phoenix star Annalie Longo’s dog!
Breaking free from doggie day care at Porirua Park, Longo’s four-legged friend galloped onto the pitch at the start of the second half to chants of ‘Who let the dogs out?’ from the Yellow Fever.
Once the dog dilemma was rectified the home side set about banging down the door in search of an equaliser but routinely came up against an in-form Sally James in the Canberra United goal.
The win makes it back-to-back victories for new Canberra boss Antoni Jagarinec while the ‘Nix have now started the new campaign with two losses.
Outrageous Olimpico seals convincing Adelaide win
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for stats, updates, videos and more!
With the game evenly poised at Wanderers Football Park it was going to take something special to separate Western Sydney and Adelaide United.
Step forward, Emily Condon.
With the game deep in first half stoppage time, the Adelaide forward whipped a tantalising delivery into the box from a corner kick which flew over the head of Wanderers keeper Sham Khamis and into the net.
Not a bad way to score your first goal against the Wanderers in 10 years!
Lethal striker Fiona Worts then secured the 2-0 victory for the away side less than a minute into the second half to give Adelaide their first win of the campaign.
Brown bags another long-range belter as Perth down the Jets in a five-goal thriller
MATCH CENTRE: Click here for more stats, videos and highlights!
A stunning first A-Leagues goal from Josie Allan and a long-range rocket from Sheridan Gallagher weren’t enough to stop Perth Glory from dismantling a Newcastle Jets side reduced to 10-players.
The Jets handed 18-year-old Allen a new scholarship deal before the campaign began such is their belief in the talented youngster and her goal in the 13th minute of the contest showed why.
However Perth Glory certainly had their shooting boots on at HBF Park and, having seen their first minute opener cancelled out, duly set about securing the three points as the visitors were reduced to 10 players after keeper Danielle Krzyzaniak was sent off for handling the ball well outside of her area.
It’s now two weeks and two long range crackers for new Glory signing Kelli Brown and while NRLW Champion Gallagher added a late howitzer of her own, the home side held on to register their first win of the season.
