Melbourne Victory secured a home Semi Final in the Westfield W-League with a 3-1 win over Sydney FC on Saturday.
Summary
Amy Jackson poked in a first-half opener at Marvel Stadium before a fine brace from Darian Jenkins in the second secured a deserved win for Victory despite Natalie Tobin’s late strike for Sydney.
The win clinched second spot on the table for Victory, which will host a Semi Final at Epping Stadium on March 14.
Victory was put under early pressure before settling into an entertaining first half.
Natasha Dowie almost opened the scoring in the 17th minute, the forward’s close-range header from Angela Beard’s cross saved by Aubrey Bledsoe after Jenkins’ superb work down the right.
Jenkins continued to cause problems with her pace before Dowie fired straight at Bledsoe from 20 yards.
The host opened the scoring in the 25th minute through Jackson’s third goal of the season and 13th for Victory, moving her into outright third for most scored for the club.
Dowie did wonderfully down the left before squeezing a shot into the post, the rebound poked in by Jackson to make it 1-0.
After Casey Dumont did well to deny Veronica Latsko down low, the Victory goalkeeper produced a brilliant save to tip over a long-range Amy Sayer effort on the half-hour mark.
Victory took its lead into the break and, after Melina Ayres headed a Dowie cross over, doubled it in the 49th minute.
Jenkins again attacked the Sydney defence and while she had an effort blocked, her follow-up was a powerful left-footed strike into the corner from the edge of the area.
Dumont saved another Sayer strike from distance, but Victory continued to look dangerous.
Dowie and Beard threatened before Ayres fired wide after a pass from the latter in the 78th minute.
But Victory would make it 3-0, Jenkins beating three markers down the right before drilling a left-footed strike past Bledsoe at the near post.
Tobin scored a late goal from distance from Sydney, which pushed, but Victory closed out a deserved win.
Result
Westfield W-League 2019/20 Round 14
Melbourne Victory 3 (Amy Jackson 25′, Darian Jenkins 49’/78′)
Sydney FC 1 (Natalie Tobin 90′)
Next up
Victory will host a Semi Final against either Sydney FC or the Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday, March 14 at Epping Stadium, kick-off will be 2.00pm (AEDT).
