Melbourne Victory produced an impressive fightback to earn a draw versus Heidelberg United from their first home match of the 2026 NPLW season.
The Girls in Blue wiped out a two-goal deficit to earn a point at The Home of The Matildas on Sunday afternoon, and were unrelenting in their high press, pushing for all three against last season’s regular-season ladder leaders.
Against the pattern of play, which had Victory in charge of possession, Samantha Curwood-Wagner and Aya Sasaki profited from direct play to put the visitors in a commanding position.
Heidelberg’s advantage would, though, be halved by the interval, thanks to an Ella O’Grady strike. The attacker collected a Poppy O’Keeffe pass, advanced into the penalty box and beat goalkeeper Mia Bailey at the near post.
In the 69th minute, Victory deservedly pulled level through Sienna Saveska. Collecting the ball on the edge of the box, the 19-year-old clinically picked out the bottom corner.
Match details are available by clicking here.
Speaking to MelbourneVictory.com.au, NPLW Head Coach, Santi Escudero, praised his team’s commitment to the game plan in the face of adversity.
“We were very dominant, especially in the first 20 minutes, and refused to let the goals we conceded alter the team’s setup. Naturally, the goal back gave us extra confidence, encouraging more players to take up advanced positions, but these were calculated risks.
“There was no let-up despite the natural fatigue of a big effort to make it 2-2, and even when we were level, the players kept pushing for a win, playing with admirable bravery.
“The challenge moving forward is to keep our composure and execute our decision-making in the final minutes of matches.”
