Welcome to Made With Mitre Moments, where aleagues.com.au brings you all the biggest talking points from each round of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season.
Why Newcastle are ‘disappointed’ after stoppage-time loss: ‘Hurt our season’
There are late wins, and then there is Melbourne Victory’s last-gasp triumph over Newcastle Jets on Friday night, which was not without controversy.
Victory extended their unbeaten streak to a club-record nine games thanks to Kayla Morrison’s 96th-minute winner in an outrageous 4-3 success against the Jets at the Home of the Matildas, where Newcastle had sensationally equalised four minutes earlier.
Sheridan Gallagher’s 92nd-minute strike had seen the Jets complete a three-goal turnaround in Melbourne before Victory captain Morrison broke the hearts of the visitors with the last kick of the match while Newcastle’s Sophia Hoban was down on the ground.
“It was a roller-coaster for sure. The second half felt like that the whole time. A lot of transition,” Victory goalkeeper Alana Jancevski told Paramount+.
“It was hard to cop that goal late and a big part of our team is never being beaten. It’s a big part of our mentality and why we can close out games.”
Victory ended the weekend within two points of rivals Melbourne City and Jancevski added: “You have to take it game by game. If we can bring the football we played in the first 40 minutes of the game. Just keep that mentality and keep fighting, and keep staying together.
While high-flying Victory celebrated, there was a lot of frustration in the Newcastle camp.
Victory had raced out to a 3-0 lead inside 22 minutes thanks to Emily Gielnik’s quick-fire double, including the opening goal after just 53 seconds as she moved clear atop the Golden Boot charts with 12 goals.
But two goals in quick succession prior to half-time turned the contest on its head as the Jets – who carried a three-game winning streak into the fixture – were suddenly within one goal of Victory.
The Jets did complete the comeback in the second minute of stoppage time, however, the 2023-24 Semi-Finalists came unstuck in the final moment, much to their frustration.
“The ball went out and everyone kind of stopped,” Newcastle’s Cassidy Davis told Paramount+.
“Ready to take a goal-kick and then the ref called it a goal. Just talking to the refs, they said it went out so I don’t understand why they gave it a goal. We’re pretty disappointed.”
Asked if he had anything to do with the potential foul on Hoban, Davis replied: “Look, I think ball out and a foul.
Phoenix left with ‘cup finals’ after Mariners blow
Wellington Phoenix’s chances of finals football are still alive but fading following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at home to Central Coast Mariners.
Quick-fire goals from Annalise Rasmussen and Isabel Gomez helped Central Coast snap a five-match drought as they moved up to fifth in the standings – four points inside of the top six, ahead of Canberra United and five clear of eighth-placed Wellington.
“We came into the game and it was going to be a six-pointer obviously at what point we are in the season and how close the ladder is,” Mariners head coach Emily Husband told reporters.
The Phoenix are running out of time to secure a Finals Series berth, with matches against Melbourne City, Canberra United and Western United to come.
Wellington are winless in four games (L3 D1), while they have only won one of their past home fixtures.
“I don’t know if it’s completely over but it obviously means we’ve got to win the next three games in a row to stand any chance,” head coach Paul Temple told media post-match.
“We’re down to must-wins and cup finals now.
“We won’t be resting people or rotating people. It’ll be the strongest team, get out there and try to win the games.”
Sky Blues end five-year hoodoo in the capital
Not since 2020 had Sydney FC celebrated a win over Canberra United at McKellar Park, but that all changed over the weekend.
Before Saturday’s 1-0 triumph, you had to go all the way back to January 2020 for Sydney’s last win in the nation’s capital. On that day, Ante Juric’s side were 4-0 victors thanks to goals from Remy Siemsen, Veronica Latsko, Chloe Logarzo and Sofia Huerta.
In Round 20 of this season, Mackenzie Hawkesby was the hero with her 78th minute goal to lead the two-time reigning champions to a narrow victory.
With back-to-back wins, the Sky Blues are still 11th but suddenly only six points adrift of the top six with three games remaining.
“At the moment we’re just trying to get three points every week and I haven’t actually won here in my five years at Sydney FC, so it feels good to win down here. It’s always hard to play here,” Hawkesby said.
“Every week we’re fighting for our pride, individually we want to do well.
“They are a great team and really hard to beat down here. They have a great fan base so it’s huge to win here. I’m thrilled to beat them here.”
