Melbourne City continued our perfect start to 2026 with a composed and professional away victory over Wellington Phoenix on Saturday afternoon, climbing to the top of the Ninja A-League table with a fourth consecutive win.
Two goals inside the opening 20 minutes from Leticia McKenna and Aideen Keane proved decisive at Porirua Park, as we took control early and never relinquished it. While a late Wellington goal created a nervy finish in stoppage time, our growing maturity shone through as we saw out the contest and returned to Melbourne with all three points.
Team News
Head Coach Michael Matricciani once again placed his faith in consistency, naming an unchanged starting XI for the fourth straight match as we looked to build on our strong recent form.
The substitutes bench also remained unchanged from the previous fixture, highlighting the continuity and stability within the squad as we continue to gather momentum at the top end of the ladder.
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, 11. Deven JACKSON, 16. Karly ROESTBAKKEN, 17. Kaya JUGOVIC, 22. Bryleeh HENRY.
What happened?
We wasted no time asserting our intent, with Chinaza Uchendu firing narrowly wide inside the opening 30 seconds after finding space early in the contest. While the opening exchanges that followed were relatively even, it didn’t take long for us to seize control and begin dictating the tempo.
The breakthrough arrived through a moment of quality down the left flank. A clever interchange between Rebekah Stott and Danella Butrus opened up space, allowing Butrus to deliver a perfectly weighted cutback into the box. McKenna arrived at pace and unleashed a powerful strike that proved too strong for the Wellington goalkeeper, who could only get a hand to the effort as it found the back of the net.
We doubled our advantage just five minutes later with another well-constructed attacking move. Holly McNamara’s pass found Butrus in space on the left, and the winger went agonisingly close to a first Ninja A-League goal as her effort trickled towards the line. The Phoenix goalkeeper managed to keep it out initially, but Keane was alert at the back post to tap home the follow-up and make it 2-0.
The remainder of the first half saw us largely in control, though a brief setback came just after the half-hour mark when Leah Davidson was forced off through injury. Karly Roestbakken was introduced in her place, slotting seamlessly into the lineup as we maintained our structure and composure through to the break.
Matricciani made one change at half-time, with Bryleeh Henry replacing Butrus, and we resumed with the same authority that had defined the opening period. Our back four, unchanged throughout the season so far, continued to impress with its calmness and cohesion, comfortably dealing with Wellington’s attempts to find a way back into the contest.
The hosts did create a moment of danger midway through the second half when Pia Vlock forced a sharp save from Malena Mieres, but it proved to be a rare opening as we largely cruised through the second stanza.
We came close to putting the result beyond doubt in the 77th minute when McNamara found space at the back post following a corner, but her effort drifted just wide of the upright. Wellington made a series of tactical adjustments late on in search of a spark, and those changes paid dividends in the 90th minute when an early cross held up in the wind and was headed home by Makala Woods.
That goal created a tense finish, with bodies thrown forward and a flurry of late challenges in stoppage time, but the City defence held firm under pressure to walk away with a deserved three points.
What’s next?
We now return home to AAMI Park for our next fixture, with another doubleheader to come on Friday night.
The ALW clash will kick things off as we host Newcastle Jets at 4:50pm, before our Men’s side takes centre stage against Auckland FC later in the evening.
Click here to secure your tickets and be part of a big night at AAMI Park!
