Melbourne Victory have closed out 2022 in superb fashion, securing a fourth consecutive win as they edged out Canberra United 1-0 on New Year’s Eve.
SUMMARY
Victory head coach Jeff Hopkins was forced to make several changes to his starting lineup due to a combination of injuries and illness, with Rikke Madsen, Natalie Tathem, Paige Zois and Tiffany Eliadis all coming into the XI.
Victory started the game in electrifying form and looked dangerous from the very first passage of play.
An intense press forced Canberra into regular errors, as the home side asserted their authority at CB Smith Reserve.
Alana Murphy’s long-range strike was the highlight of Victory’s promising start, the ball narrowly going wide of the top corner after 13 minutes.
Canberra though were steadfast in defence and gradually began to pose their own goal threat as the half progressed.
Goalkeeper Casey Dumont had to remain alert in closing down chances for Michelle Heyman and Grace Jale, whose pace on the counter was difficult to contain for the Victory backline.
Despite Canberra’s efforts, it was the home side that would eventually find the breakthrough just before half-time.
A perfectly weighted through-ball from Paige Zois unlocked the Canberra defence, allowing Alex Chidiac to charge into the box unopposed where she calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper with her left boot.
An ideal time to open the scoring just minutes before the break as Victory headed into the sheds with a 1-0 advantage.
The second half was a tamer affair, owing in part to the hot conditions as well as the intensity at which the game had been played.
Canberra initially struggled to create as many clear-cut chances without the space afforded to them for counter-attacks in the first half.
Maja Markovski and club legend Amy Jackson were both introduced to the game in the 70th minute as Hopkins looked to ensure his team had enough energy to see out the remainder of the contest.
As the game edged towards its conclusion though, the visitors looked increasingly likely to find an equaliser as they called Dumont back into action on several occasions.
The likes of Jale and Nicki Flannery forced the Victory shot-stopper into several high quality saves in the final 15 minutes, but each time Dumont stood up to the challenge.
In the end, Victory were able to hang onto their lead all the way to the final whistle, capping off their 2022 with a hard-fought 1-0 win.
KEY MOMENT
A splendid ball from Paige Zois cooly finished off by Alex Chidiac proved to be the difference between the two sides.
PLAYER IN FOCUS
Canberra threw everything at goalkeeper Casey Dumont, demanding alert and high-quality keeping throughout the game.
Dumont though put in a performance reminiscent of her Grand Final heroics last season, putting her body on the line as she somehow kept Canberra’s dangerous attack at bay.
IMPLICATIONS
A fourth straight win means Victory will end 2022 inside the top four, just three points behind league-leaders Melbourne City.
RESULT
Liberty A-League 2022/23 Round 8
Melbourne Victory 1 (Chidiac 44′)
Canberra United 0
NEXT UP
Victory’s first game of 2023 will be back at AAMI Park when they host Perth Glory on 6th January at 5:05pm AEDT.
