Canberra United have thumped fellow cellar-dwellars Western Sydney 5-0 to finally snare their first win of the Liberty A-League season and send the Wanderers deeper into the doldrums.
REACTION: Wanderers falling apart in ALW: ’I don’t know how they pick themselves up after this one’
Michelle Heyman ended her six-game goalless run in the 22nd minute, with American Chelsee Washington doubling Canberra’s lead 12 minutes later at the Wanderers Centre of Football.
Substitutes Chloe Middleton and Margot Robinne both scored their first ALW goals in the second half, with Robinne’s brace ensuring Canberra finally broke through in their 10th game of the season.
The loss was ominous for the one-win Wanderers, who went goalless for an eighth time in 11 games and have now shipped 10 goals in their last two outings.
Canberra struck when Grace Maher, wearing the captain’s armband in her 50th United game, played in a pinpoint corner for Heyman to glance a header past goalkeeper Shamiran Khamis.
It was the league’s all-time leading goalscorer’s eighth goal in 10 games against Western Sydney.
In the 33rd minute, Maher burst down the left and floated in a clever ball but Ash Sykes’ toe-poked her attempt just wide.
Khamis turned the subsequent goalkick over immediately, with Laura Hughes pouncing, intercepting and slipping the ball through to Washington to score.
Skipper Caitlin Cooper and Khamis both made desperate defensive efforts early in the second half but the Wanderers’ goal was breached again in the 62nd minute.
Cooper’s clearing header fell to United substitute Middleton, who took a touch then floated a lovely long-range effort over Khamis to give Canberra an unassailable lead.
Young Wanderers striker Rosie Galea tested Canberra goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln a couple of times without reward.
But Robinne rounded out the victory in the 84th minute, with Khamis saving her initial shot before the Frenchwoman reacted quickest to bury her follow-up.
Six minutes later Robinne broke away on the counter and coolly slotted her second past Khamis to complete the rout.
LIVE FEED
By Matthew Comito for KEEPUP
FULL-TIME: WANDERERS 0-5 CANBERRA UNITED
For the second time in a matter of days, Western Sydney have lost 5-0 – this time on their home deck, against a previously winless Canberra United.
Canberra were the last winless team in the league heading into this Tuesday-evening clash but end the day on the winners list.
Heyman returned to the scoresheet after six games, Robinne scored her first two goals at the club and teenage keeper Chloe Lincoln recorded a clean sheet and an assist as the visitors walked all over the Wanderers.
Watch all the highlights below.
GOAL! Robinne with the brace as Wanderers fall apart (7.15pm AEDT)
That was far too easy for the visitors.
A long ball from goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln soared over the Wanderers backline, allowing Robinne to stroll in on goal and finish past Khamis with ease.
That was a total switch off from the home side, as Canberra go five goals ahead.
GOAL! Robinne makes it four as it gets ugly for the Wanderers (7.09pm AEDT)
Margot Robinne has her first Liberty A-League goal of the season, putting her side four goals clear of the struggling Wanderers.
Robinne was played in behind Western Sydney’s defence and sized up Khamis in goal; the French midfielder feinted to shoot before taking a touch to the side of Khamis.
Her initial shot was saved but the rebound fell back into her path to touch, control and hammer the ball into the back of the net.
GOAL! Middleton puts result to bed with long-range strike (6.50pm AEDT)
It’s a former Wanderer putting the home side to the sword, with a strike from outside the box looping over the head of Khamis and dropping under the crossbar to put Canberra three goals ahead.
Chloe Middleton’s shot lacked power, but the accuracy and guile was what put the ball into the back of the net; Caitlin Cooper had done well to clear the danger with a header but the ball fell directly into the path of Middleton who struck truly.
End-to-end action as game opens up in second half (6.38pm AEDT)
Chances are flowing at both ends as the Wanderers and Canberra throw everything at each other.
Bryleeh Henry looked set for a one-on-one with keeper Chloe Lincoln when she isolated a singular Canberra defender with Libby Copus-Brown by the halfway line.
Copus-Brown had possession, but her pass to Henry pushed the young Wanderers forward too wide; a little less weight on the ball would have seen a genuine opportunity arise.
Instead Canberra got back to win the ball back, sparking a counter attack down the other end which ended at Heyman’s feet.
The first-half goalscorer shot low toward the bottom left corner but Khamis did well to get out and smother the danger.
GOAL! Sleeping Wanderers exposed by Hughes, Washington (6.01pm AEDT)
Sarah Morgan was caught on her heels waiting for a thrown pass from Wanderers keeper Khamis and Laura Hughes read it best, noticing the ball holding up in the wind and stopping short of where it was intended to go.
Hughes beat Morgan to the ball and drove toward the box, slipping in Washington for a simple finish.
It’s 2-0 to the visitors, and panic stations for the out-of-form Wanderers.
GOAL! Heyman ‘finally getting that elusive goal’ (5.48pm AEDT)
Canberra striker Michelle Heyman has put the visitors into the lead with a close-ranger header off a Maher cross struck into six-yard box.
Heyman has gone goalless in six leading into this one – but her headed finish breaks the trend. The Canberra legend now has three goals to her name this season.
Khamis to the rescue to deny rocket Washington strike (5.46pm AEDT)
Sham Khamis leapt to her right to palm away a venomous long-range strike from Chelsee Washington in the 20th minute of play.
The Wanderers keeper was picked up by the on-field microphone giving her teammates a spray, urging them to close the space to prevent Canberra finding space to strike.
Goalless after 15 minutes (5.30pm AEDT)
Sheridan Gallagher and Isabella Habuda have both fired wide for the Wanderers in the opening 15 minutes of play, with Canberra’s Grace Maher causing chaos in attack with an early free-kick.
TEAM NEWS
PRE-GAME
Two under-fire Liberty A-League teams will go head to head at Blacktown International Sportspark on Wednesday night(kick-off 5.55pm AEDT).
Western Sydney (eighth) host Canberra (ninth) with both sides looking to end their respective seasons on a high. The Wanderers lost 5-0 to Melbourne Victory last time out; a result Catherine Cannuli’s outfit will be desperate to bounce back from against a winless Canberra team.
Vicki Linton’s Canberra are having a nightmare campaign, with no wins on the board after nine fixtures. Their poor form was put under the microscope on Saturday night when Wellington Phoenix – on a run of nine consecutive losses and without a Liberty A-League win in club history – ventured to Viking Park to emphatically defeat Canberra 3-0.
Finals are off the cards for both of these sides – an especially disappointing reality for Canberra after ending their post-season drought last season. But a run of form to end the campaign could breed positivity for the future – and a streak of that nature could begin for either team at Wanderers Football Park on Tuesday night.
