Melbourne City hammered Western Sydney Wanderers 5-1 to secure a Grand Final date against Sydney FC.
City blew the Finals Series debutants to pieces in a first-half siege which saw Clare Emslie, Kyah Simon and Rebekah Stott goals establish a 3-0 lead inside 40 minutes.
The Wanderers got on the board through Courtney Vine but Simon sealed her brace and an own goal from Courtney Nevin helped Rado Vidosic’s Premiers move within 90 minutes of claiming the Westfield W-League double.
City will battle reigning Champions Sydney FC for the title, who edged Melbourne Victory 1-0 in Saturday’s first Semi Final.
The winner will become the first Westfield W-League club to win four Championships.
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Key moments
City sealed their Premiership with a 4-0 win over the Wanderers at the start of February and there were shades of that first-half demolition job from Rado Vidosic’s side in the opening 45 minutes at ABD Stadium.
Aivi Luik flashed a shot past the post and Simon headed over the bar after Ellie Carpenter’s cross as the hosts battered the goal of returning Wanderers number one Abby Smith.
Carpenter enjoyed supreme reign of the right flank and that was where City’s opener was constructed. The Westfield Matildas prodigy ran over half of the field before connecting with Emslie’s dart toward the near post.
Scotland international Emslie had no trouble finding the net from close range for her fifth goal of the campaign.
City soon established a two-goal buffer inside 21 minutes – and one foot in the Grand Final. This time Emslie was the provider, the cross was right on the money, and Simon was unmarked and planted a header past Smith for 2-0.
Cortnee Vine had a penalty shout dismissed after skipping past Lauren Barnes as the Wanderers attempted to gain their footing, but Dean Heffernan’s side were nearly swept off their feet by the imperious Carpenter.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6141703427001
Having seized on a turnover in her own half, the teenager steamed past a series of Wanderers defenders and thundered a shot off the crossbar, denying her what would have been one of the individual efforts of 2019/20.
Catley drew a fine stop from Smith soon after, but the Wanderers ‘keeper was culpable in the lead up to City’s third just before half time when the American could only palm van Egmond’s cross into Simon, with Rebekah Stott lashing in the rebound.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6141701322001
With a seemingly insurmountable mountain to climb in the second half, the visitors restored a glimmer of hope through Courtney Vine’s tidy effort.
The former Newcastle Jet found herself in space after receiving Amy Harrison’s ball, and a neat touch and finish curled past City shot stopper Lydia Williams.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6141707442001
Vine misjudged a swinging volley as the Wanderers enjoyed a brief spell of resurgence but City would swiftly deliver a knockout blow when Simon clinched her second.
Simon killed Catley’s cross before completely selling Caitlin Cooper up the river and firing a low shot past Smith.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6141706941001
It went from bad to worse for the Wanderers, and for teenager Courtney Nevin.
The Australian youth international had been given a torrid time by Carpenter and having give away a free kick and been yellow carded for a foul on Stott, Nevin’s miscued clearance from the resulting set piece was miscalculated awfully and flew into her own net.
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