At Sky Stadium, Wellington: Wellington Phoenix 5 (Milly Clegg 43′, Betsy Hassett 45′, 83′, Ava Pritchard 46′, Emma Ilijovski own goal 88′) Canberra United 0.HT: 2-0
Capital punishment.
Wellington Phoenix have ended their winless run in the Women’s A-League in the most emphatic fashion, crushing sixth-place Canberra United 5-0 in a result no one expected to claim their first win of the season.
Phoenix went on a rampage at Sky Stadium on Sunday, scoring twice just before halftime, one right after and another two in the final 10 minutes to give Natalie Lawrence her first win as an A-League head coach.
What a way to do it.
Football Ferns veteran Betsy Hassett scored twice, thriving in a more advanced role at the top of the midfield triangle.
Goalkeeper Brianna Edwards also saved a penalty midway through the second half to cap off a dream week for her after earning her first Ferns call-up.
Sunday’s convincing result, Phoenix’s biggest win in A-League Women’s history, snapped an eight-game winless streak, kicking off their campaign with half the season to play.
Phoenix had struggled to create clear scoring chances in their previous matches, but they didn’t have that problem against Canberra, playing off the field.
They put in 14 shots and scored more goals in 90 minutes than they had in their previous eight games.
Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Phoenix forward Ava Pritchard gives top scorer Betsy Hassett a bear hug.
At the end of the game, Phoenix fans were chanting “we want seven!”.
Milly Clegg, 17, was at the center of it all in the first half, scoring one goal and setting up another in a standout performance that should catapult her onto the Football Ferns radar.
Clegg gave Phoenix a deserved lead 43 minutes into the game, chipping the ball across the line from a Michaela Foster corner after Paige Satchell’s opening header was cleared by the defense.
Phoenix landed another punch before halftime with Clegg providing.
Ava Pritchard ran after a ball over the top from Marisa van der Meer, kept the game going very well and then put Clegg in goal.
Choe Lincoln made a big save to block Clegg’s shot, but Hassett was on hand to take advantage of the rebound, scoring Phoenix’s first goal in open play this season.
Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Milly Clegg battles for the ball with Hayley Taylor-Young.
The Phoenix made the best possible start to the second half, Pritchard extending their lead to three after landing Foster’s cross and sweeping from close range.
Canberra had a chance to win one back, which could have created a nervous ending, when Chloe Knott hit a handball in the box in the 63rd minute.
But Edwards guessed the right path, diving to her right, to save Vesna Milivojevic’s penalty.
Hassett scored the fourth in the 83rd minute after receiving a perfectly weighted pass from substitute Isabel Gomez.
The fifth was an own goal, Emma Ilijoski turning the ball into the back of her own net after failing to deal with another of Foster’s dangerous corners late in the match.
Desperate for a win to turn their season around, the Phoenix played the four available Football Ferns who were involved in Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the United States in Auckland.
The three who took the field at Eden Park — Satchell, Grace Wisnewski and Mackenzie Barry — started for Phoenix but were substituted at various stages of the second half.
Source: news.google.com