Gosford’s Central Coast Stadium was the venue for the Westfield W League match of the round between champions Canberra United and Melbourne City on Sunday, November 8.
Melbourne City underlined their credentials by defeating Canberra by four points to two in the round four clash.
Goals from Marianna Tabain, Larissa Crummer, Aivi Luik and Kim Little plus a player of the match display from Jess Fishlock proved too much for United in a pulsating contest.
High-flying City took the lead in only the fifth minute with a goal simple in its execution. Matilda striker, Lisa De Vanna helped create it with an inch-perfect through ball to Welsh international maestro Fishlock.
The midfielder may have been tempted to shoot herself, but decided on the easy option and slipped a pass past the onrushing keeper, Lydia Williams to allow Tabain the simplest of tasks to slot in her fourth goal of the season.
It was double-delight for Melbourne six minutes later as they went further ahead with another straightforward goal. De Vanna was the architect again, slicing open the square United back-four to allow another Matilda, Crummer a clear run on goal.
The Westfield W-League top scorer rounded Williams and rolled home her fifth of the campaign. Canberra settled after that nervy opening and fought back into the match as Matilda Caitlin Munoz tested Trudy Burke with a long-range shot that the City custodian did well to clutch.
The keeper could do nothing in the 29th minute though, as United pulled a goal back. Munoz played in Ashleigh Sykes and the forward picked her spot to bury her 18th Westfield W-League goal into the corner.
Stephanie Catley then hit the base of the post with a fantastic effort for Melbourne and Laura Alleway was wasteful when left free in front of goal, her header drifting wide, before De Vanna rattled the crossbar with a thumping drive that had Williams beaten as City upped the ante.
They got the third goal their performance deserved as Luik curled a stunner into the top corner close to halftime.
The Champions chances of getting back into the match were given a boost twelve minutes into the second half when De Vanna was given her marching orders for appearing to swing an elbow, off the ball, at United captain Nicole Begg.
With the player advantage, it took Canberra three minutes to get back into it as Begg squared for Michelle Heyman, to slot home from close range in off the far post.
But with United pushing for an equaliser, Melbourne hit them on the break and Scottish star Little clipped in the fourth, and deciding goal, to keep City’s 100 per cent record alive.
Media release, Nov 8, 2015
W-League media