Melbourne Victory has kept in touch with the Westfield W-League’s frontrunners with an impressive 2-0 win over Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday.
Third-placed Melbourne dominated the first half and was rewarded with a 29th-minute goal to Katrina Gorry before second-half substitute Selin Kurulay doubled the advantage closing in on full time.
While Melbourne outclassed its opponent, the young Adelaide line-up was brave in defeat, blocking, tackling and chasing all day to keep the scoreboard damage to a minimum.
Nevertheless the Lady Reds will be disappointed they are without a victory or goal in the first three rounds.
The result increases Melbourne’s season tally to nine points – equal to Brisbane and Central Coast who meet in a top-of-the-table clash at Ballymore Stadium on Sunday.
Reds goalkeeper Sian McLaren had absorbed the pressure in the early onslaught but would have been dirty with the goal she conceded in the first half.
Gorry’s strike from outside the box was solid, although not particularly dangerous, but the bouncing ball went straight through a stationary and embarrassed McLaren.
Kurulay came off the bench in the 60th minute and proved a more than handy inclusion 21 minutes later. She pulled the trigger from outside the box and just cleared the vertical stretch of McLaren to find the middle of the net.
The first half belonged to Melbourne and with a bit of luck and some accurate shooting the visitors could have been three or four goals in front.
In the opening minutes a pair of United players cleared a bouncing ball from the teeth of goal while the Victory’s precise passing in and around the box had the home side’s defenders on a constant red alert.
Katie Thorlakson was sizing up the Reds’ goal like a shooting gallery and had strong attempts in the 15th, 34th and 35th minutes while Gorry and Laura Alleway were also off target in attack.
Melbourne threatened to go 2-0 up in the 41st minute but a brilliant diving save by McLaren denied Kara Mowbray.
Adelaide had limited opportunities but had some promising forays into attack too.
Angela Fimmano’s early free kicks were probing while Marijana Rajcic got her head to a Georgia Chapman corner but her attempt was misdirected.
The second half followed a similar script but the Reds made the Victory work harder for their attempts.
But the visitors still managed to get into great positions and were only denied a bigger lead by some desperate defending.
At the 59th minute Maika Ruyter-Hooley launched into a shot from 10 metres but Nenita Burgess took the ball on the body before the home side hastily cleared the danger.
In the 80th minute a sweet Gorry pass saw Mowbray staring at an open goal but
McLaren was decisive and got down low to block the kick.
Adelaide United 0
Melbourne Victory 2 (Gorry 29, Kurulay 81)
