It wasn’t easy, but Melbourne City produced a memorable come-from-behind performance to claim a dramatic Ninja A-League Christmas Derby win on Tuesday night.
After falling behind against the run of play in the first half, City showed composure and belief to turn the contest around, with Aideen Keane playing a pivotal role after the break.
Her dangerous delivery midway through the second half forced an own goal to level the scores, before a superbly executed set-piece in the dying moments saw Holly McNamara fire home the winner and spark jubilant scenes at AAMI Park.
Team News
Michael Matricciani made two changes to the side that last took to the pitch ten days earlier, with Shelby McMahon a notable omission after picking up a minor knee injury.
The change prompted a slight reshuffle across the front third, with Chinaza Uchendu handed her first City start and McNamara shifting into an advanced midfield role. Aideen Keane also returned to the starting XI on the wing, replacing Deven Jackson in an attacking tweak from the City Head Coach.
Starting XI: 24. Malena MIERES (GK), 8. Alexia APOSTOLAKIS, 13. Rebekah STOTT (C), 5. Taylor OTTO, 3. Danielle TURNER, 18. Leah DAVIDSON, 6. Leticia McKENNA, 9. Holly MCNAMARA, 21. Aideen KEANE, 7. Danella BUTRUS, 15. Chinaza UCHENDU.
Substitutes: 23. Melissa BARBIERI (GK), 2. Ellie WILSON, 10. Izabella RAKO, 16. Karly ROESTBAKKEN, 17. Kaya JUGOVIC, 19. Keira SARRIS
What happened?
The opening stages were cagey, with both sides taking time to settle into the contest and feel their way into possession. City earned the first corner of the match inside ten minutes after some positive work from Danella Butrus, who showed confidence early with several neat touches to beat her defender and stretch the Victory backline.
City began to grow into the game through the middle of the park, and a sloppy turnover from the visitors in the 23rd minute almost proved costly. Leah Davidson pounced on the loose ball and attempted to catch the goalkeeper off her line, forcing a scrambling save that turned the effort behind for a corner.
Leticia McKenna then tried her luck from distance as City continued to probe, before Davidson again went close moments later, dragging her shot wide after finding space in the box. Despite controlling possession and registering the opening flurry of chances, City were punished when Victory struck against the run of play to take a one-goal advantage into the break.
There was little change to the pattern after halftime, although Victory dropped deeper in an attempt to protect their lead, making it difficult for City to find clean openings.
Patience eventually paid off in the 65th minute, when Keane found space down the right and whipped a dangerous ball across goal, with Claudia Bunge turning it into her own net under pressure.
The equaliser lifted the tempo, and City almost struck again immediately, with Keane again the architect as she slid McNamara through on goal, only for the attacker’s effort to sail narrowly over the bar from a tight angle.
Keane continued to cause problems out wide, flashing another effort across the face of goal late on as City pushed relentlessly for a winner. That decisive moment finally arrived deep into stoppage time, when Davidson won a free kick in an advanced position.
McKenna stepped over the ball and rolled it perfectly into the path of McNamara, whose first touch set herself before a composed left-footed finish across the goalkeeper found the back of the net.
City then showed our professionalism in the closing moments, managing the game smartly to see out the win and cap off a memorable Derby comeback.
What’s next?
City will close out 2025 with one final fixture, returning to AAMI Park on Sunday 28 December for the second of back-to-back home matches.
It will be another doubleheader at the venue, with City Women kicking off proceedings against Perth Glory at 4:15pm, before the City Men take to the pitch at 7:00pm to round out the night. Click here to get your tickets!
