A Jessica Seaman equaliser with just five minutes remaining has seen the Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory share the points in the Westfield W-League on Sunday.
A Jessica Seaman equaliser with just five minutes remaining has seen the Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory share the points in the Westfield W-League on Sunday.
Looking for their fourth straight win, the Victory started brightly with Katie Hoyle going close to opening the scoring after 11 minutes, her shot sailing just over the bar.
The Wanderers’ two best chances of the first half came in quick succession and both fell to Michelle Carney.
The first was manufactured by Emily van Egmond, whose cross found Carney in space in the box but the striker’s header sailed wide.
Moments later Carney went close again when Brianna Davey in the Victory goal came and dived at the feet of an advancing Heather Garriock. The ball deflected to Carney whose shot again went wide.
Despite the pressure, two minutes later it was the visitors who were first on the board, and it came with some luck.
Some fast footwork from Lisa De Vanna left her in space in the area and she fired on target.
The shot drew a sharp save from Dimitra Poulos only to see the ball parry into a retreating Linda O’Neill resulting in an unfortunate own goal.
De Vanna should have added a second in the final minute of the first half when a Victory counter-attack left the winger with just one defender to beat.
Some more nifty footwork saw her dispatch the defender leaving her with just the goalkeeper to beat, but the Matildas regular opted for a chip which rebounded off the post and into the arms of a grateful Poulos.
Shawna Gordon went close to levelling the scores just minutes into the second half when the Victory defence failed to fully clear a Wanderers corner. The ball fell for Gordon whose strike flew just wide.
Moments later Gordon had another opportunity when a Heather Garriock cross found her at the back post. She outjumped her opponent but saw her header back across the goal again go wide.
The Victory’s best chance of the half came after 70 minutes and again fell to De Vanna, whose speed allowed her to breeze past her defender on a counter-attack.
De Vanna ran the ball into the box on an angle and shot only to see it canon back off the post.
With five minutes to go, the Wanderers levelled the scores to set up a dramatic finish.
Jessica Seaman was left in space 25 yards out with and she let fly, her strike flashing into the top corner for her first ever W-League goal.
In a frantic final five minutes, both sides had chances to take all three points.
For the Victory, a well-worked one-two between De Vanna and Jessica Fishlock left Fishlock with just the goalkeeper to beat, only to see her shot sail over the bar.
At the other end Carney nearly snatched a winner for the home side when a cross into a congested area ended up at her feet just a few yards out.
Her shot produced a great save from Davey to leave the sides sharing the points.
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Seaman 85’)
Melbourne Victory 1 (O’Neill og 34’)
Played at Campbelltown Stadium
Western Sydney Wanderers: 22. Dimitra Poulos, 2. Caitlin Cooper, 3. Shawna Gordon, 5. Emily Van Egmond, 7. Heather Garriock, 10. Servet Uzunlar (12. Jessica Seaman 64min), 11. Michelle Carney, 13. Catherine Cannuli (18. Helen Petinos 76min), 14. Alanna Kennedy, 15. Teigen Allen, 16. Linda O’Neill
Yellow Cards: Uzunlar 40’, Kennedy 62’, Carney 65’, O’Neill 90’
Melbourne Victory:Â 1. Brianna Davey, 3. Jessica Humble, 4. Katie Hoyle, 7. Stephanie Catley, 9. Caitlin Friend (6. Cindy Lay 74min), 10. Jessica Fishlock, 11. Lisa De Vanna, 12. Jessica Samuelsson, 14. Enza Barilla (16. Beatrice Goad 61 min), 15. Emma Checker, 17. Gulcan Koc
