Round 5 of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League came to a close with a four-game frenzy on Sunday afternoon!
Read on as aleagues.com.au recaps you all the scores, highlights, goals and biggest talking points from Sunday’s matchday agenda.
Super sub! Western youngster takes 20 seconds to stun the Sky Blues
Western United substitute Kiara De Domizio scored with her first touch off the bench to hand her side a 2-1 win over reigning champions Sydney FC at Ironbark Fields on Sunday afternoon.
Former Sydney forward Kahli Johnson scored the opening goal for Western but the hosts were pegged back by 17-year-old Sky Blues substitute Amber Luchtmeijer, who bagged the first goal of her Ninja A-League career.
But there was one more twist in the tale, with De Domizio coming off the bench to fire the hosts back in the lead and ultimately, to a hard-earned three points in Tarneit.
De Domizio entered the field of play with 87 minutes and 16 seconds on the match clock; 20 seconds later, she supplied the bullet header from Western’s attacking corner that turned the game back in favour of the hosts.
Incredibly, Western United keeper Chloe Lincoln played from the start against Sydney FC, less than 24 hours after making her CommBank Matildas debut against Chinese Taipei in Geelong.
Returning home to her Victorian-based club made it possible for Lincoln to slot straight back into domestic action, and she was put to the test through the first half of her side’s clash with the Sky Blues on Sunday afternoon.
Tori Tumeth, Abbey Lemon and Shea Connors had big chances to score in the first half but through either inaccuracy or solid goalkeeping from Lincoln, the visitors failed to break the deadlock before the break.
Western had the best chance of the first half, however, when Aimee Medwin set up Keiwa Hieda to strike on goal from close range; teenage Sydney keeper Tahlia Franco produced a reflex save to keep the score level at 0-0.
Johnson was up against her former side on Sunday afternoon, and the rising Western star made her mark against the Sky Blues with a bullet strike into the bottom-right corner from range which put the hosts on top at Ironbark Fields.
But Western’s lead lasted just three minutes. Sydney substitute Luchtmeijer found the equaliser and the 17-year-old celebrated her first Ninja A-League goal in style.
Luchtmeijer joined Sydney after winning the NPLW NSW Golden Boot with Bulls FC Academy in 2024; the teenager scored 23 goals in a breakout season; on Sunday, the promising young forward ticked off another big achievement with her maiden Ninja A-League strike – but there was more drama to come.
De Domizio was bought off the bench by Western head coach Kat Smith and within a minute of her introduction, the young forward found the back of the net to earn Western a big win over the reigning champions.
A-Leagues’ penalty GOAT produces signature stop in milestone game
Casey Dumont and penalty saves: you’re unlikely to find a more iconic combination in the Ninja A-League.
The Perth Glory goalkeeper was at it again on Sunday evening, denying Melbourne Victory star Rachel Lowe a goal from the spot with a clutch save with the Round 5 Ninja A-League clash in the balance at 0-0.
Dumont made her 150th Ninja A-League appearance on Sunday – the all-time record for goalkeepers in the competition – and having developed a reputation as a penalty-saving expert throughout those 150 games, she put her signature skills on display in her home debut for Glory, thwarting Victory midfielder Rachel Lowe from the spot.
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Unfortunately for Dumont and Perth, a stunning stoppage-time strike from 19-year-old Victory midfielder Alana Murphy meant the game ended 1-0 in favour of the visitors on Dumont’s milestone outing at Sam Kerr Football Centre.
Dumont – a Victory legend – made her first appearance for Glory last weekend after signing for the club in the off-season; the dual-sport athlete’s arrival in Perth was delayed by her participation in Hawthorn Football Club’s AFLW finals campaign.
Following the end of the 2024 AFLW season, Dumont has quickly settled in at her new club and was just minutes shy of recording a match-winning performance in her second game for the club.
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Worts’ remarkable Reds return continues with equal-share of scoring charts
Adelaide United striker Fiona Worts moved level with Melbourne Victory star Emily Gielnik at the top of the Golden Boot leaderboard with a brace in the Reds’ 2-0 win over Adelaide United on Sunday afternoon.
Worts scored on either side of half-time to take her season tally to six goals in five games as Adelaide jumped up to third on the Ninja A-League table with their third win of the season.
Lauren Allan had an early chance to open the scoring for the Jets but her volleyed effort from an attacking corner was cleared off the line by Emily Hodgson.
In a first half bereft of big opportunities it was the Jets who posed a greater threat; Deven Jackson was next to put Adelaide’s clean sheet in danger when she was picked out by Sheridan Gallagher with a cross floated to the back post – but Jackson’s header went wide of the target in a let-off for the Reds.
Adelaide then launched a strong attacking push to end the first half – and took the lead after a desperate scramble inside the penalty area. The goal was awarded to Fiona Worts, although Matillda McNamara also had a genuine claim of goalscoring honours after the chaotic sequence.
But if there was any doubt about whether Worts got the final touch on Adelaide’s opener, there was no questioning her second at ServiceFM Stadium. The well-taken finish arriving at the near post put Adelaide out of sight, launched Worts to an equal share of the lead on the Golden Boot chart, and sent Adelaide up to third on the Ninja A-League table.
Captain fantastic! Longo strikes twice as Phoenix stun Roar
Two goals to Wellington captain Annalie Longo inspired the Phoenix to a surprise 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar at Porirua Park on Sunday afternoon.
Brisbane travelled to New Zealand without Matildas stars Tameka Yallop and Sharn Freier and, having recorded three consecutive wins leading into Round 5, the in-form Roar couldn’t keep the streak running as Longo stole the show with an unlikely brace.
Longo scored in the first half to put Wellington ahead before Emily Pringle found an equaliser just before half-time; Longo then wrestled all three points back into Wellington’s grasp with her second-half winner.
Longo had only scored one brace in her Ninja A-League career prior to Sunday afternoon’s win over Brisbane (for Melbourne Victory in 2022), and the Phoenix captain’s delightful double at Porirua Park sealed a second-consecutive win for the ‘Nix after three losses to begin the 2024-25 season.
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Wellington took the lead in the 34th minute and the opening goal was a result of the Phoenix press.
Brisbane attempted to play out from the back but Longo pounced to force a turnover. Olivia Fergusson took possession and gave the ball back to Longo to finish.
Wellington looked set to take their one-goal lead to the break but Emily Pringle had other ideas. The midfielder equalised at the end of a determined solo run which began with an intercept in midfield; Pringle drove past Zoe McMeeken and Daisy Brazendale before slotting the ball past Carolina Vilao at the Phoenix keeper’s near post.
Disaster struck for in-form Roar forward Evi Popadinova in the second half when the Bulgaria international pulled up with a hamstring injury whilst chasing down a loose ball in Brisbane’s attacking half.
Visibly distressed after succumbing to injury, Popadinova was helped to her feet and over the touchline as a substitution brought her afternoon at Porirua Park to a premature end.
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Brisbane were already without star duo Yallop and Freier due to Matildas duty and after losing Popadinova, the understrength Roar fell behind once again.
Longo doubled her tally with a shot through bodies that was misread by keeper Olivia Sekany; the shot squeezed past Sekany into the bottom-right corner to restore Wellington’s lead.
After the game, an “elated” Longo joined Sky Sports to reflect on the shock 2-1 win and the significance of keeping the winning run rolling after three losses to begin the campaign.
“I’m absolutely elated,” Longo said. “We had to fight and battle hard for that win. We wanted to keep that momentum from last weekend. It was nice to get another three points.
“The second (goal), I think we’ve been talking about (the) need to have more chances and more shots, and if you don’t shoot you don’t get the opportunity, and you can’t score.
“I kind of scuffed it and I was a little bit lucky! But it’s gone in, and we needed a bit of luck so it was nice.
“We spoke heavily about creating more opportunities in front of goal… we needed to be more proactive, we needed to get more bodies in the box, we needed to take our chances and get more shots – I think we showed that.
“Defensively we were excellent today; wind was a huge factor but three points, back-to-back wins for us, and they were a very good side (near the) top of the table so a very good win for us.”
