Both Melbourne City and Sydney FC came up trumps in a weekend of derbies which saw the two sides break clear atop of the Westfield W-League table.
City romped to a 4-0 win over bitter rivals Melbourne Victory while the Sky Blues secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers as they attempt to keep in touch of first-placed City in heading into the Finals Series.
Perth Glory delivered the shock of the round beating Brisbane 4-2 in an entertaining affair while Canberra stopped the rot with a win over Adelaide which ended their four-game losing streak.
With big score lines highlighting a bumper weekend of Westfield W-League action, which of the league’s stars made our Team of the Week for Round 12?
Read on to find out who made it in our 3-4-3 formation.
Goalkeeper
Sham Khamis (Canberra United)
Canberra United arrested their slippery slope of form on Sunday afternoon with a 3-1 win over Adelaide United, putting an end to a run of four losses in which they conceded 15 goals.
Sham Khamis was in between the sticks once again for Canberra and showed she was not willing to let her side suffer a similar fate against Adelaide, making three saves from her four shots faced – conceding just one goal after some wonderful build-up play from the Reds – to help Canberra to a 3-1 win and stop the rot of their recent results.
Defenders
Steph Catley (Melbourne City)
With Melbourne Victory’s attack well and truly under wraps, Catley had the freedom to bomb forward from left-back and provide a consistent threat to Victory’s own defence, creating three goals for her side in the process.
Catley registered an assist for Emily van Egmond’s opener in the game before splitting Victory’s defence apart in the lead up to Claire Emslie’s second goal of the afternoon, and capped off her superb attacking display by striking an attempt through Casey Dumont’s legs in Victory’s goal which led to Kyah Simon scoring the simplest of tap-ins.
Catley laid 13 crosses and created seven chances for her side in their crushing 4-0 Melbourne Derby win, but City’s result would never have been so emphatic without the impact of their simply brilliant captain.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6132922020001
Ellie Brush (Sydney FC)
With Westfield Matildas teammate Alanna Kennedy absent from the line-up, the Sky Blues needed something special from their defence in the Sydney Derby and Brush delivered in spades.
While her 14th-minute goal against her former club commanding the highlights, she was also a steady presence in nullifying a Wanderers side that led the competition’s attacking returns coming into the round.
She won a team best eight of her nine duels, while also adding a tackle, three clearances and two interceptions in her 90 minute showing, also racking up 65 passes and creating four scoring chances.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6132779551001
Ellie Carpenter (Melbourne City)
Carpenter’s speed was just one of the frightening factors in her rampant performance down the right flank for Melbourne City against Melbourne Victory on Saturday afternoon.
Nobody could keep up with the Westfield Matildas full-back which allowed her to get in behind Victory’s defence and cause all sorts of problems in her 57 minutes of game time.
Carpenter notched an assist for Emslie’s first goal of the afternoon and created a further three chances whilst contributing to a rock-solid City defensive line which never looked like conceding whilst Carpenter was on the park.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6132917114001
Midfielders
Teresa Polias (Sydney FC)
The Sky Blues captain was again at her dominating best in midfield as Ante Juric’s side monstered their Derby rivals at Cromer Park on Saturday.
In a match of few scoring opportunities, her steady hand proved crucial in the central third with a match-leading four chances created from her 95 touches and 65 passes, while also pulling off an impressive seven interceptions to stifle her opponents’ flow.
She capped off her performance with an assist – her second of the campaign – with a well-placed curling corner kick to set-up Ellie Brush’s early headed goal.
Emily van Egmond (Melbourne City)
Fresh from scoring four goals in two games for the Westfield Matildas in midweek, Emily van Egmond returned to the Melbourne City fray to continue her goalscoring exploits as City mauled their bitter rivals in the Melbourne Derby on Saturday.
Van Egmond was the catalyst for the comprehensive 4-0 win, scoring the first goal in some style, and taking five shots on Victory’s goal, linking City’s defence into attack and inspiring her side to a comprehensive win.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6132916811001
Shannon May (Perth Glory)
The long-time Glory servant drew on her experience on Sunday to hold the fort in central midfield as the Glory upset the Roar at Dorrien Gardens for their second straight win.
Racking up 65 touches all told, she completed just short of a quarter of her 43 passes in an attacking contest that often required sharp reactions in transition.
Her tireless efforts put the dampers on more than one Roar attack across the 90 minutes too – winning both her tackles while also adding a match-best five interceptions and four clearances.
Morgan Andrews (Perth Glory)
The American claimed the bulk of the spoils with her maiden Westfield W-League brace as the Glory stunned Brisbane Roar on Sunday.
Her opener – a strong finish from a corner coming in just the second minute – set the tone for the Glory as they netted twice in the opening quarter hour, before she delivered her second from the penalty spot prior to the half-hour.
All told, Andrews was seemingly everywhere throughout her 90 minutes, leading the hosts’ returns with 78 touches and four chances created on the ball, while off the ball she was also ever-present in winning two of four tackles and nine of 11 duels in addition to three interceptions.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6132909549001
Forwards
Veronica Latsko (Sydney FC)
With Caitlin Foord departing the club, increased pressure fell on the American attacker at the pointy end of the Sky Blues line-up in the Sydney Derby and she did not disappoint as she thundered in a volley just two minutes into the contest.
From thereon she led the line patiently across her 90 minutes at Cromer Park and threatened the goal a further three times in a match of few scoring chances – her at times isolated role up front resulting in a match best 16 duels contested and four fouls won.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6132778956001
Claire Emslie (Melbourne City)
Two goals, ten shots and a seemingly tireless desire to score defined Claire Emslie’s terrific performance against Melbourne Victory on Saturday afternoon.
The Scottish striker scored on either side of half time to set up City’s comfortable Melbourne Derby win.
Emslie fired six shots on target and would have felt unlucky not to get her hat-trick in a game where every City attack seemed to end at her feet, but Emslie’s brace alone was enough to turn her side’s comfortable Melbourne Derby win into the equal-biggest margin in the fixture’s history.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6132917752001
Simone Charley (Canberra United)
With Canberra United’s clash with Adelaide United locked at 1-1, Simone Charley stepped forward to make the difference and fire her side to a drought-breaking win.
Charley set up Leena Khamis for the goal which put Canberra 2-1 up in the contest, then as the clocked ticked down and tension rose, the American attacker found her way onto the scoresheet herself to wrap up all three points.
To go with her assist and goal, Charley crafted a game-high five chances and laid five crosses into the box as she willed her side to victory.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6132923222001
