Melbourne City FC will be looking to overcome any momentum lost due to match postponements and continue its strong early-season form in the Liberty A-League as the team prepares to face Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park later this afternoon.
The team couldn’t have been any higher on confidence following its 5-1 win in the Melbourne Derby on Boxing Day, with Kiwi striker Hannah Wilkinson starring with five goals.
Holly McNamara was also exhilarating throughout the contest, teeing up her strike partner on three occasions and was unlucky not to net a goal herself.
The record-equalling four-goal Derby win was a deserved reward for the performances City had been putting in throughout the early stages of 2021/22, with Wilkinson similarly compensating for her missed chances in Round 1 and 2 where she’d been impressive in all facets of her game but her finishing.
Whilst the City girls would have liked to carry that momentum straight into the next round’s fixture against Newcastle Jets, positive COVID cases within the team forced the game to be postponed, Sunday’s clash with Wellington serving as the team’s return to play following that Derby win.
In their first season in the A-League Women’s competition, an extremely young Phoenix side has struggled to acclimatise to the league, currently occupying last place with just a single point from its opening five games.
Following a scoreless draw in Round 1, Wellington has conceded 14 goals in its last four games, with Sydney FC the most recent team to come away from its encounter with the Phoenix with all three points.
The damage was all done in the first half when those teams met on December 30, with goals to Rachel Lowe and Cortnee Vine supplementing a Mackenzie Hawkesby hattrick to ensure a 5-0 half-time scoreline that remained unchanged by the final whistle.
Rado Vidosic’s squad are currently league leaders for shots (16.50) and shots on target (7.75) per 90 minutes and coming up against the Phoenix’s league-worst defence, the City girls will be confident in their ability to secure another three points to continue their good start to the season.
Match Details
Liberty A-League: Round 6
Melbourne City FC vs Wellington Phoenix FC
Sunday 9 January December, kick-off 4pm
AAMI Park
