Round Ball Australia 
Melbourne City coach Michael Matricciani. Photo supplied by Melbourne City.
Each week during the A-League Women season, Round Ball Australia hands out a report card for the competition based on how the teams performed across the weekend’s fixtures.
Note: With Round Nine being a mid-week split round across several weeks, the grades for those games without a review of the match will be featured in the next Report Card to be written following those matches.
Perth Glory vs Sydney FC (1-1)
Perth Glory: C-
The lengths to which Stephen Peters’ side have improved has not been reflected in Glory’s season thus far. If you needed any indication as for why exactly that may be the case, Friday night provided the perfect sample.
The return of Caitlin Doeglas to goal scoring form was a massive upside in a side otherwise struggling to score in open play, though it is defensively where their dogged style has proven to be a vast improvement on a team looking to grow.
However they again became undone by an eighth goal from outside the box dispelling the hard work having ultimately failed to secure all three points in a game that should have been a chance to close the gap to the bottom and look towards the six, showcasing a missed chance but signs of potential.
Sydney FC: C
Never mind the current situation facing the club and its personnel, having had an assertive Perth start with energy and vigour to get going, Sydney almost started the opening proceedings looking out of touch.
They grew back into the contest with time on their side and with a better connection in their passing, topped by better methodology in where the route to goal would lie. This once again forced a set of demonstrative saves from Casey Dumont.
Whereas the game felt it got away from Perth, it actually began to feel this way for Sydney as well. The stalemate being one that has made their horror show continue on another weary day with wrongs to make right mid-week against Canberra.
Canberra United vs Western United (2-1)
Canberra United: B
The game started off in a bad way for the home side by conceding first before being forced into an early substitution after an injury to Tegan Bertolissio, before they clicked into gear and levelled the scoring with what would go down as an own goal to Claudia Mihocic.
Canberra would score the winner early in the second half through Sofia Christopherson, with the left winger scoring just the second goal of her A-League Women career in her third season.
The side now sit just two points outside the top six in seventh place, overtaking their opponents Western United with the win, and having now knocked off Brisbane Roar and Western United in consecutive weeks, announcing that they are a side to be reckoned with.
A quick turnaround however is required for Antoni Jagarinec’s side, as they play Sydney FC midweek at Leichhardt Oval, where a win would see them jump into fifth place.
Western United: C-
Consistency, or a lack of, is beginning to hurt Kat Smith’s side as we near the half-way point of the season, with the side unable to string two wins together, and their best run of results coming in the form of a draw which was followed by a win.
They now sit outside the top six with a poor goal difference after heavy defeats to Melbourne Victory (4-1), Western Sydney Wanderers (5-1), and Brisbane Roar (8-2).
The visitors started this game on the right foot, scoring first through Catherine Zimmerman, with Western capitalising on a defence who seemingly did not know how to shut Chloe Logarzo down.
From there, despite some strong attacking opportunities, they were unable to find a second, and it raises some questions over whether Western can perform to the demands of a side that can, and would be expected to, make finals football on their own without a need for other results as the season winds down.
Poletti
Newcastle Jets vs Melbourne Victory (0-2)
Newcastle Jets: C
Considering their side was missing a number of key personnel to injury and suspension this wasn’t the worst performance of the season for Newcastle but they were clearly out manoeuvred by their opponents and outplayed, in a rarity in football – a game where the scoreline accurately reflected what took place on the field.
The absence through suspension at either end of the pitch of Natasha Prior and Sheridan Gallagher took its toll in differing respective elements with Emily Gielnik noticeably out-muscling and out-playing the Jets defence, while up front they lacked a physical presence which allowed Melbourne to press and close them in from playing out of the lines behind.
Many of the Jets inexperienced youngsters were outclassed at times yet they also showed passages of promise that clearly filled coach Ryan Campbell with optimism.
Melbourne Victory: B
Did enough with their star studded line up against a depleted Newcastle side to never look in danger of anything but taking three points home from the Hunter.
Melbourne were composed if not ruthless, physical if not dominating, and their passing was cohesive if not free flowing, however we were left feeling like they could have done more and really put this match to bed.
With triple the shots on target of Newcastle (six to two) and almost 20% more completed passes it was easy to have been left wanting more of a Victory side replete with Matildas talent up against a Newcastle side that was without their one and only Matlida.
On a short turn around after their mid-week loss to Brisbane and on the road for their third match in six days, surely Jeff Hopkins will be happy enough with a key three points, however undoubtedly on reflection this game was the perfect opportunity for his side to put an exclamation mark performance in and show they are in the same class as sides like Melbourne City and Brisbane.
Chris Macpherson
Melbourne City vs Brisbane Roar (2-0)
Melbourne City: A+
The Leticia McKenna show, what more is there really to say!
Scoring a double, one of which is an outrageous free kick, to beat the team sitting just below you in second place during your 102nd game in the league, and all in the space of four minutes is kind of crazy. May this kind of crazy continue.
Outside of that, City did a great job of shutting Brisbane down, including having their goalkeeper Malena Mieres deny Tameka Yallop from the penalty spot. Lourdes Bosch giving up the penalty was the only real mistake City made all evening.
Not only did City avoid their usual pitfall of conceding first and then having to work their way back into the game, they took the lead, kept the lead, and kept a clean sheet too.
Keeping Brisbane from scoring, especially in the second half when they came out a bit harder, is no easy feat, but City sure made it look that way.
Brisbane Roar: B
Playing three games in seven days is a lot to ask of any team. It’s even more to ask that two of those three games are played against first and third on the ladder.
Despite the tight turnaround, Brisbane were able to put on a decent showing, but they were exposed by having to play a starting eleven that was definitely not their first choice.
The managing of minutes for players like Momo Hayashi, Grace Kuilamu, and Emily Pringle had a noticeable impact on the Roar and the way they functioned.
Their captain in Tameka Yallop being denied from the penalty spot also did not help, as a conversion at that point in the game just before half-time would have changed the game completely, especially considering the way Brisbane stepped out in the second half, playing much more aggressively.
But even having a much better second half wasn’t enough for Brisbane to get back into the game. They’re going to have to wait until Sunday when they face Perth for that.
Burke
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Central Coast Mariners (1-3)
Western Sydney Wanderers: D-
Despite a 93rd minute goal to avoid being shut-out by the Mariners, there was not a lot to salvage from this game for the home side.
They conceded an early goal through playing out from the back which went horribly wrong, and it was followed just a few minutes later by another scare as they played out of the back, which barely missed the goal.
It is something that their coach Geoff Abrahams believes is a key to success. If you watched Sydney Olympic in the NPL Women’s NSW competition, coached by Abrahams, they routinely welcomed the pressure of playing out from the back, but early indications are the current Wanderers players might not be able to deliver on that.
Elsewhere, the Wanderers lacked the ability to create any sort of sustained pressure in attack or defence, and the Mariners pounced.
It was a performance that in isolation could be written off as a bad day, but in a side which has changed coaches mid-season (Robbie Hooker departed via mutual termination for personal reasons), has only one win, several embarrassing defeats, and a history of not performing in the competition, it can not be viewed in isolation, with the performance once again raising more questions than answers for fans of the Red and Black.
Central Coast Mariners: B+
This was a game dominated by Emily Husband’s side for basically the entire 90 minutes and shows why they will contend at the pointy end of the season.
From looking calm and collected on defence, to educated tactical brilliance in midfield, and a quality attack that capitalised on errors, the Mariners picked apart the Wanderers in this game.
Defensive injuries have forced Husband to play captain Bianca Galic in a defensive role as opposed to the midfield for several weeks, but her quality shined through in particular here, a testament to both Galic’s skill set, and Husband’s coaching ability.
The competition gets both tougher and easier for the Mariners in the coming weeks, and some key victories will allow the side to solidify its place in the top six as they aim for back-to-back finals appearances.
Poletti
Adelaide United vs Wellington Phoenix (2-1)
Adelaide United: B+
Adelaide continued to show why they are in the conversation around contention for the top rungs of the competition as they played out a composed win over Wellington.
Despite a slow start for the Reds where Wellington had the best of the early opportunities, Adelaide did what they have done well in recent matches scoring quick back-to-back goals, this time just before half time.
While fatigue from their mid-week sharing of points in Newcastle clearly showed, Adelaide, despite a fight back and continued press forward from Wellington, showed they had improved from their disjointed finish in their last fixture.
Lucía León would undoubtedly love to have her time again after managing to put the ball in the wrong net despite little pressure and it is a situation that for some period of the game undoubtedly mounted more pressure from Adelaide, they did however show much more aptitude this time around to be dealing with it and it showed as they secured three points against another form side.
Wellington Phoenix: C
It was not a poor performance from the ‘Nix, but certainly one they would have wanted more from.
Chasing a third straight win, in a match that on ladder positions shaped as a titanic 4th vs 5th battle, Wellington came out of the blocks strong despite a less than 72 hour turn around, but once Adelaide saw off their initial forays forwards the Phoenix appeared to lose their momentum and a gap started to show itself between the two sides.
This result puts a real dent in any claims Wellington may have for being a team who can consistently threaten the top four teams and demonstrates a gap between the top four and the rest of the league.
The Phoenix on their day can challenge most of the league with the squad they have built.
The problem was that against Adelaide in Adelaide this time around was not their day, and their ‘days’ do not come frequently enough.
If Wellington are to keep grip with and challenge the top four on the run home they need to ensure they take close to maximum points from their next two matches against Newcastle and Central Coast.
The key to that as coach Paul Temple stated earlier this month is scoring.
“I want to see us continue to progress in terms of how we’re trying to play. I want to see us scoring more goals,” he said.
Chris Macpherson
Round Nine: Newcastle Jets vs Adelaide United (3-3)
Newcastle Jets: B
Adelaide United: B
Round Nine: Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne Victory (2-0)
Brisbane Roar: B
Melbourne Victory: D
Round Nine: Western Sydney Wanderers vs Wellington Phoenix (0-3)
Western Sydney Wanderers: F
Wellington Phoenix: A+
Listen to the latest episode of The Dubcast, Round Ball Australia’s Women’s Football podcast on Spotify, Apple, or watch on YouTube, with new episodes every Wednesday.