Melbourne City were crowned Ninja A-League Champions for the fifth time in Club history on Saturday night, producing a memorable 3-1 win over Wellington Phoenix in front of a buzzing AAMI Park crowd.
A Holly McNamara double late in the first half put City in control of the decider, before Leticia McKenna’s stunning long-range strike early in the second half sent the home fans into celebration mode. Wellington did respond soon after through Makala Woods, but City stood tall under pressure to secure a deserved victory and complete the Premiership-Championship double.
Team News
Michael Matricciani stuck with an unchanged XI from both legs of the Semi Final against Melbourne Victory, rewarding the side that had booked City’s place in the decider.
The only change across the matchday squad came on the bench, with Danella Butrus returning after making a full recovery from concussion.
Starting XI: 24. Malena MIERES (GK), 16. Karly ROESTBAKKEN, 13. Rebekah STOTT (C), 5. Taylor OTTO, 3. Dan TURNER, 12. Shelby McMAHON, 18. Leah DAVIDSON, 6. Leticia McKENNA, 22. Bryleeh HENRY, 21. Aideen KEANE, 9. Holly McNAMARA.
Substitutes: 23. Melissa BARBIERI (GK), 2. Ellie WILSON, 7. Danella BUTRUS, 8. Alexia APOSTOLAKIS, 11. Deven JACKSON, 14. Laura HUGHES, 20. Caitlin KARIC.
What happened?
City settled into the Grand Final strongly and immediately looked dangerous in the attacking third. Just five minutes in, Bryleeh Henry appeared to be brought down inside the box after being played through by a brilliant defence-splitting pass, though after a lengthy VAR check, the on-field decision of no penalty stood.
We continued to dictate proceedings throughout the opening stages, controlling possession and pinning Wellington deep inside their own half. Leah Davidson came close to opening the scoring in the 16th minute when the ball fell kindly to her on the edge of the area, though her strike flashed narrowly wide of the post.
By the midway point of the first half, City had enjoyed the overwhelming majority of possession and earned a string of corners as Wellington struggled to work their way into the contest. Henry and Aideen Keane were particularly lively out wide, constantly threatening the Phoenix defence with their pace and movement.
McKenna nearly produced a moment of brilliance on the half-hour mark when her long-range free kick rattled the crossbar from a dangerous central position.
City thought we had finally broken through in the 38th minute when McNamara finished from close range following a dangerous Henry delivery, but celebrations were quickly cut short by the offside flag.
The breakthrough did eventually arrive moments later – and it was worth the wait.
In the 41st minute, McNamara produced a moment of pure quality, receiving the ball with her back to goal before shifting onto her right foot and curling a stunning strike into the far top corner from the edge of the box.
Just two minutes later, City struck again. Shelby McMahon drove brilliantly through midfield before threading a perfectly weighted pass into the path of McNamara, who surged into the area and fired clinically across the goalkeeper to double the advantage and send City into half time in complete control.
We picked up right where we left off after the restart. Henry forced a smart save early in the half, before McKenna delivered another spectacular moment just a minute later.
Given far too much time and space outside the area, the midfielder unleashed a brilliant left-foot strike that curled onto the inside of the post and into the back of the net to make it 3-0 in the 49th minute and send AAMI Park into raptures.
To Wellington’s credit, they responded almost immediately. Malena Mieres initially produced a sharp save to tip an effort onto the crossbar, but the rebound fell kindly for Malaka Woods, who reacted quickest to tap home and reduce the deficit.
The goal sparked life into the contest, with Wellington lifting their intensity and throwing plenty forward in search of a way back into the game. City’s defence, led superbly by captain Rebekah Stott, continued to stand tall under sustained pressure as the visitors pushed numbers forward.
Matricciani turned to his bench late in the contest, introducing Laura Hughes in the 78th minute as City looked to see out the result professionally.
Despite Wellington enjoying plenty of territory and possession throughout the closing stages, City remained composed and disciplined to close out the contest and secure another famous night in Club history.
What’s next?
With the domestic double now secured, City’s attention quickly turns towards Asia as the squad prepares to resume its AFC Women’s Champions League campaign next week.
The team departs for South Korea on Sunday morning ahead of Wednesday’s Semi Final clash against Tokyo Verdy Belaza. Kick-off is scheduled for 3pm (AEST), with the match available to watch live on 10 Play and Paramount+.
