Melbourne City beat Sydney FC 2-1 to charge firmly into the race for the Liberty A-League premiers plate, but will sweat on a potentially serious knee injury to Matildas young gun Holly McNamara.
Kaitlyn Torpey slipped through in-form playmaker Rhianna Pollicina to score the opener in the 13th minute at AAMI Park and scored herself on the stroke of half-time.
Princess Ibini scored a 79th-minute penalty for the Sky Blues, but City held on to hand Sydney their first loss of the season in Sunday’s top-of-the-table blockbuster.
The win, however, was soured when McNamara went down in tears after a seemingly innocuous incident, receiving treatment on her left knee before being helped off the pitch 14 minutes from the end.
The 19-year-old overcame a horror injury run, including a ruptured ACL as a 15-year-old, to emerge as one of the A-League Women’s brightest stars and made her Matildas debut at this year’s Women’s Asian Cup.
City are now just two points behind the league leaders with a game in hand, while Sydney have taken just one point from their first two games outside NSW after a 2-2 midweek draw with Melbourne Victory.
City, without New Zealand internationals Hannah Wilkinson and Rebekah Stott, pounced when Ally Green turned the ball over to Torpey, who teed up Pollicina to score.
Pollicina’s sixth goal of the season marked the first time all season Sydney had gone behind.
City doubled their lead two minutes into first-half injury time when Tyla-Jay Vlajnic threaded an incredible ball through Sydney’s lines for Torpey, who made no mistake with the finish.
Sydney burst out of the break, with Mackenzie Hawkesby’s 49th-minute strike forcing a brilliant fingertip save from Melissa Barbieri, who also tapped away a vicious Cortnee Vine strike four minutes later.
Charlize Rule put a close-range tap-in over the bar in the 64th minute and Remy Siemsen did the same four minutes later.
Heatley clumsily tackled Siemsen in the 78th minute and Ibini made no mistake with the spot-kick, but Sydney were unable to find an equaliser.
