Melbourne City have done it again. Down 1-0 against Sydney FC at half-time, the league-leaders mounted a dramatic comeback to win 2-1 in a gripping Grand Final rematch on Saturday night.
Sydney FC returned to AAMI Park, the scene of their 2024 Grand Final win over City, and took the lead early in the first half through Mackenzie Hawkesby. But just 25 seconds after half-time, Mariana Speckmaier scored an equaliser that set the stage for substitute Bryleeh Henry to secure all three points with an 89th-minute match-winner.
Henry’s last-gasp goal was the CommBank Matildas forward’s first Ninja A-League goal in 714 days.
City are now unbeaten in 17 games this season, having won 11 games and drawn six as Michael Matricciani’s side continue their push for a second-consecutive Premiership title.
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Speaking after her drought-breaking goal, Henry was as candid as can be when expressing her relief.
“It took me bloody long enough, that’s for sure!” Henry told Network 10.
“But it’s good to get one, especially in a game like that to help the team win. Hopefully, they keep flowing from here, but I couldn’t score that goal without the ball from (Lourdes Bosch) and the team effort.
“Honestly, I (was thinking) nothing in the moment. I just didn’t want to stuff it up! I just wanted to hit it first time. I think if I took a touch, the defender was coming across, and it sort of went in from there.
“I think the belief is really high. No matter when we go down, as we’ve shown we’ve gone behind quite a lot of times, we keep fighting and there’s a lot of resilience in the team.
“The unbeaten streak is an amazing achievement, no matter what sport you’ve done it (in). So hopefully, we can keep that going. I think the resilience, belief and camaraderie within the team is really good right now.”
The Sky Blues took an unlikely lead just 13 minutes into the Grand Final rematch when Laura Hughes was caught in possession in the penalty box.
Sydney threw plenty of bodies into the box to pressure City as they attempted to play out from the back, and the pressure paid off as Hawkesby struck the early blow.
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The visitors continued to up the ante and almost repeated the actions that led to the opening goal when Hughes was pressed for possession on the edge of the box and coughed up the ball to Princess Ibini who fired just wide of the bottom-left corner.
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Midway through the first half, torrential rain began to pour at AAMI Park and amid the deluge, Rhianna Pollicina looked to beat Bethany Mason-Jones but the slippery conditions proved no issue for the Sydney keeper who made a strong save.
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City came out after half-time desperate to find a response to Sydney’s opening goal – and it took just 25 seconds for the hosts to fire back.
Speckmaier was the architect of an unbelievable equaliser; having won possession in midfield, the Venezuela international drove all the way to the edge of the box and dispatched a swerving shot into the bottom-right corner.
Amber Luchtmeijer came off the bench for the Sky Blues and almost restored her side’s lead with a venomous left-footed strike. The 17-year-old was denied, however, by the leaping Malena Mieres who produced a diving save to keep her side in the game.
With the game inching towards its conclusion, City were in search of a hero – and found one in substitute Henry, who fired the winning goal into the bottom-left corner to break Sydney hearts at the death.
