Melbourne Victory Women host Wellington Phoenix in Round 18 of the Ninja A-League on Friday, February 20, kick-off 7pm AEDT.
There are four regular-season fixtures remaining, and it is still all to play for as the competition’s second-placed team travel to The Home of The Matildas.
Victory sit on the cusp of the top six, following their hard-fought point picked up in the Melbourne Derby last weekend.
Wellington are looking to keep on Melbourne City’s coattails at the top of the ladder, but lost ground when they lost at home to Central Coast Mariners in Round 17.
The Girls in Blue
With the current top six all holding games in hand, Melbourne Victory will likely need to pick up points in their two remaining home matches to steal a march in the jostling for a Finals football berth.
Jeff Hopkins’ side are currently seventh in the standings, a single point outside the top six and just three behind Wellington Phoenix, who got the better of them in November’s reverse fixture.
After taking on the Phoenix, there is a pause in Ninja A-League action to accommodate the start of the Women’s Asian Cup before Western Sydney Wanderers visit Victoria in the middle of March.
The campaign rounds out with trips to basement dwellers Sydney FC and a rising Perth Glory; opponents Victory collectively took four points off without conceding.
Last weekend saw Captain, Kayla Morrison, bring up her milestone 100th ALW appearance, the first Women’s player in Club history to reach the milestone.
Round 18 Squad: 1. Courtney NEWBON, 3. Claudia BUNGE, 4. Chelsea BLISSETT, 5. Sofia SAKALIS, 6. Taylor RAY, 7. Ella O’GRADY, 8. Sienna SAVESKA, 9. Holly FURPHY, 10. Rhianna POLLICINA, 16. Kennedy WHITE, 18. Kayla MORRISON, 23. Rachel LOWE, 24. Laura PICKETT, 27. Rosie CURTIS, 28. Sienna TECHERA, 30. Payton WOODWARD, 41. Jessica YOUNG, 66. Alana JANCEVSKI, 81. Grace MAHER
Ins: N/A
Outs: 14. Fiorina Iaria, 17. Poppy O’KEEFFE, 20. Leyla HUSSEIN
Unavailable: 11. Nicki FLANNERY (injured), 19. Zoe MCMEEKEN (injured)
Flying Phoenix
Four wins on the bounce as January crossed into February have propelled Wellington Phoenix into a healthy position, especially given they have half a dozen more opportunities to add to their points tally.
This comes with the challenge, though, of having five games in 20 days to complete their 2025/26 schedule, including trips to Sydney, Gosford and Adelaide.
The Phoenix are the competition’s leading scorers, and last drew a blank in mid-December, following up this 1-0 loss to Perth Glory by putting seven without reply past Sydney FC, including doubles for Nepal and New Zealand internationals Sabitra Bhandari and Grace Jale.
Wellington’s leading scorer, 17-year-old Pia Vlok, netted a treble in another big success for the Nix, when they won 1-5 away to Newcastle Jets. The ALW’s second-youngest hat-trick scorer was also on target when two late goals claimed three points in Canberra.
Bev Priestman saw the team’s run come to an end against Central Coast Mariners last Sunday, losing on home soil for just the second time this term, the first instance being to first-place Melbourne City.
Run it back
Wellington Phoenix edged Melbourne Victory by a single goal at Porirua Park in Round 4.
The visitors would dominate territory, possession and shots at their opponents’ goal, even hitting the crossbar late on when Kayla Morrison met Alana Jancevski’s free-kick delivery.
However, Pia Vlok’s 38th-minute finish, arriving at the back post to score, would be the game’s only goal.
Last time out
Melbourne Victory were held to a goalless draw by Melbourne City at The Home of The Matildas.
Attacker Holly Furphy had the hosts’ clearest opportunity of the 90, firing narrowly wide during the first half, which concluded with City having a Bryleeh Henry finish chalked off for offside.
The stalemate, despite both teams pushing for a winner, was just the second scoreless Melbourne Derby in 24 ALW meetings.
Wellington Phoenix’s winning run was ended by the Central Coast Mariners, who inflicted a 1-2 defeat on Bev Priestman’s team.
Peta Trimis’ superb free kick put the away team in front just after the quarter-hour mark in driving rain and extreme Southerly winds.
Mackenzie Anthony levelled up for the Nix 12 minutes later, but they would trail again before half-time when Tamar Levin, with what proved to be the winner, beat the goalkeeper in stoppage time.
