Adelaide United have closed on securing a maiden Liberty A-League finals berth with Chelsie Dawber and Fiona Worts leaping to the top of the Golden Boot race in a comfortable 4-1 win over Wellington.
REACTION: Dawber injury adds more intrigue to Golden Boot race
Dawber and Wellington’s Grace Jale traded goals in the fifth and 25th minutes before Wellington youngster Zoe McMeekin’s blindly overhit backpass handed Adelaide the upper hand in the 34th minute
Worts added a third Adelaide goal in the 55th minute, with Dawber’s second four minutes later putting the result beyond doubt.
In the process, the Adelaide duo drew level with Melbourne City’s Hannah Wilkinson on 10 goals at the top of the Golden Boot standings.
Adelaide sit third behind City on goal difference, with the three points important given they will finish their regular season with tough games against fourth-placed Melboune Victory and leaders Sydney FC.
The Reds will also sweat on a late injury scare to Dawber, who was substituted in the 78th minute after hyperextending her knee.
The game at WIN Stadium was pushed back from Thursday to Friday evening due to an electrical storm.
But the disruption didn’t affect Adelaide, who quickly snatched the lead when an advancing Dawber pounced on Mackenzie Barry’s hard-fought clearance and coolly lashed home the opener.
Wellington equalised in the 25th minute after Ava Pritchard forced a shallow clearance from Adelaide’s Isabel Hodgson.
The ball fell to Jale, who turned and hit a powerful first-time strike past Annalee Grove.
Adelaide regained the lead nine minutes later when McMeeken blindly hit a thumping backpass past goalkeeper Brianna Edwards, in her first start with Lily Alfeld on international duties, and into her own net.
United again cracked Wellington’s defence 10 minutes into the second half when Dawber found Worts, who burst past Barry and ripped a lovely strike across her body.
Four minutes later, Dylan Holmes brilliantly slipped through Dawber, whose shot just beat Edwards, with Te Reremoana Walker unable to clear the ball off the line.
LIVE FEED
By Matthew Comito for KEEPUP
FULL-TIME: WELLINGTON 1-4 ADELAIDE
It was 1-1 at half-time, but the Reds have cruised to the final whistle here at WIN Stadium to win by three goals against the ‘Nix.
Dawber scored two and Worts scored one, with a McMeeken own-goal filled the Reds side of the scoresheet. Grace Jale scored a magnificent solo attempt in the first half for the home side.
GOAL! Dawber joins Worts on 10 goals for the season (5.25pm AEDT)
Prior to this season, no Adelaide player had ever scored 10 goals in a Liberty A-League season.
Worts and Dawber have both achieved that feat with goals scored at WIN Stadium this afternoon.
It’s an incredible achievement by the pair of Reds strikers in tandem, as Dawber skipped past Barry to put her dribbling strike into the bottom-left corner of goal. Te Reremoana Walker got back to put a touch on the ball on the line but appeared to only help the ball on its way into the back of the net to make it 4-1 in favour of the visitors.
GOAL! Reds running away with it (5.51pm AEDT)
Worts draws level with Wilkinson in the lead of the Liberty A-League Golden Boot race with a shot across the box on her left foot which buries into the bottom-right corner of Wellington’s goal.
Worts won her one-on-one battle with Mackenzie Barry, driving into the box to add a crisp finish, putting the Reds into a 3-1 lead.
HALF-TIME: WELLINGTON 1-2 ADELAIDE
The Reds took the lead twice in the first half, once through Dawber before a McMeeken own goal cancelled out Jale’s brilliant equaliser.
OWN GOAL! Disaster strikes as McMeeken thunders ball into her own net (4.40pm AEDT)
That was a moment to forget for Zoe McMeeken.
The ‘Nix defender sent stand-in goalkeeper Brianna Edwards scrambling back toward her own goal in an effort to prevent the back-pass from flying into her own net.
McMeeken turned near the halfway line to distribute back to her keeper but the ball was hit with far too much pace, and out of Edwards’ reach as it crossed the line on the bounce.
GOAL! Jale on fire as the ‘Nix level (4.30pm AEDT)
How about that strike from Grace Jale – on the turn, with no momentum, Jale leathers the ball into the back of the net.
It’s an equaliser for Wellington and Jale’s fourth of the season as the New Zealand international hits her stride.
It’s 1-1 after 26 minutes in Wollongong.
GOAL! Dawber on fire as Reds take the lead (4.11pm AEDT)
She started the move with a pass out wide, arriving in the box to find the ball falling at her feet to put Adelaide on top with six minutes on the clock – Chelsie Dawber is on fire this season, benefiting from a consistent run of games without injury.
Dawber has her ninth goal of the season, drawing level with Reds teammate Fiona Worts to go one goal behind Hannah Wilkinson in the golden boot race.
KICK-OFF: Finally, we’re underway at WIN Stadium (4.05pm AEDT)
What a difference a day makes – It’s bright sunshine in Wollongong!
The whistle gets us underway in Wollongong as this postponed fixture kicks off on Friday afternoon.
TEAM NEWS
PRE-MATCH
Let’s try this again, shall we?
Last night’s meeting between these two sides was postponed after a hail storm hit Wollongong, preventing play from getting underway at WIN Stadium.
Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United will now meet behind-closed-doors at 4.05pm AEDT on Friday afternoon.
The ‘Nix come into this clash off the back of the club’s maiden Liberty A-League win: a 3-0 triumph over Canberra United. But with captain and first-choice goalkeeper Lily Alfeld away on New Zealand international duty, curtailing a ruthless Adelaide attack will be a difficult task for Gemma Lewis’ side.
Reds striker Fiona Worts bagged five goals in her side’s 8-2 rout of Brisbane Roar last time out, a result which sent both Worts and Chelsie Dawber flying into Golden Boot contention whilst cementing Adelaide’s place in the top four.
The signs are positive for Wellington after the club’s historic win against Canberra – and recording successive victories would be an enormous achievement considering the calibre and form of their Friday-night opponents.
Wellington Phoenix v Adelaide United
WIN STADIUM
Kick-off: 4.05pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
MATCH CENTRE | HOW TO WATCH
