The Round 1 Liberty A-League action rolled into Sunday, with Wellington Phoenix hosting Melbourne City at Sky Stadium and Sydney FC travelling to face Adelaide United at ServiceFM Stadium.
KEEPUP followed along LIVE to bring you all the goals, highlights, up to date scores and biggest talking points from the Liberty A-League double-header on Sunday afternoon
THE SUNDAY AGENDA
Adelaide United 1-0 Sydney FC
The priceless reaction of a scholarship player whose maiden ALW goal sunk the premiers
With Sunday afternoon’s clash between Adelaide United and Sydney FC locked at 0-0 heading into the final minutes of regular time, a cagey, hard-fought affair looked destined to end as a stalemate.
Unless either side was able to produce a game-breaking moment of magic, that is.
You might have expected the stars in red or sky blue to produce that moment – be it Cortnee Vine, Fiona Worts, Princess Ibini, Chelsie Dawber, Mackenzie Hawkesby or Dylan Holmes.
But in the end, it was a Young Matildas prospect on a scholarship contract who had the final say.
Emilia Murray, 18, signed on with the Reds for 2022-23 after making 10 appearances last season under Adrian Stenta. Between Liberty A-League seasons, Murray bagged 11 goals in 12 games in all competitions for Football SA NTC in the NPLW, and came into the new campaign at the Reds bolstered by captaining the Young Matildas for this month’s Four Nations Tournament in Canberra.
Murray described that experience as “a dream come true” – if the Reds teen was pinching herself then, there’s no doubt she’s doing the same in the aftermath of her winning goal against the Sky Blues.
The celebrations that ensued said it all: arms raised, eyes wide, and a look of both excitement and disbelief printed across her face.
Much akin to Wellington Phoenix teenager Alyssa Whinham’s priceless reaction to her first Liberty A-League strike in 2021-22, the emotional scenes caused by Murray’s well-taken winner showed how opportunities given to young players can produce moments of magic.
Wellington Phoenix 1-4 Melbourne City
Record Liberty A-League crowd gets its moment in Wellington despite comprehensive City win
The Phoenix aimed to make #herstory at Sky Stadium on Sunday afternoon – and that’s exactly what the homecoming club managed in their first game in New Zealand.
A crowd of 5,213 flocked through the gates at the Cake Tin to break the previous record of 5,159 for a standalone Liberty A-League fixture – (Adelaide United v Western Sydney, Coopers stadium round 13 2020-21).
The record-breaking crowd was in full voice despite the visitors putting four unanswered goals on the board through Bryleeh Henry, Rhianna Pollicina (x2) and Maria Rojas – but got their moment to celebrate when Ava Pritchard fired home the history-maker late in the piece.
REPORT: ‘HUGE SENSE OF PRIDE’ FOR PHOENIX DESPITE CITY LOSS IN RECORD-BREAKING HOMECOMING
“I think it was really awesome,” Wellington’s matchday captain Kate Taylor told Sky Sports post-match.
“It’s really nice to have our friends and family here, and obviously the rest of the crowd as well.
“It’s turned out to be a really nice day, and we’re really grateful to be here and be playing our first ever (home) game in front of 5,000 people.”
