Melbourne Victory Women aim to continue their hot form against the Central Coast Mariners on Friday, April 11.
Defeating the Western Sydney Wanderers last Sunday, Victory secured a club-record sixth-straight win that they will be keen to extend in their Friday night battle with the Mariners in Gosford.
Melbourne Victory:
Winning six games in a row while maintaining a historic 11-game undefeated streak – Victory are well and truly in flying form.
Travelling to Wanderers Football Park in a make-up fixture, Jeff Hopkins’ side grabbed an early goal and navigated the game well to come away with a well-deserved 1-0 win.
It was a crucial result for Victory, officially securing a top-two finish and trailing the league-leading Melbourne City by just two points on the Ninja A-League ladder.
Shifting focus onto Friday, Victory will aim to best replicate their fortunes against the Mariners in February in a strong 2-0 win at the Home of the Matildas.
Tied alongside Holly McNamara with 12 goals as the leaders in the Golden Boot race, Emily Gielnik has the opportunity to fire her way to the top of the charts in a crucial final two games for the club.
On top of the threats possessed going forward, the defensive solidity of the Navy Blues has undoubtedly been a standout this season.
Recording nine clean sheets so far, Victory leads the league in this regard; while conceding the second-fewest goals in the competition.
Returning from international duty with the New Zealand national team, Claudia Bunge will provide an added boost to the backline alongside captain Kayla Morrison.
Round 22 Squad:
3. Claudia BUNGE, 4. Sara D’APPOLONIA, 5. Sofia SAKALIS, 7. Ella O’GRADY, 8. Alana MURPHY, 9. Holly FURPHY, 10. Alex CHIDIAC, 11. Nicki FLANNERY, 15. Emily GIELNIK, 18. Kayla MORRISON, 22. Ava BRIEDIS, 23. Rachel LOWE, 24. Laura PICKETT, 27. Rosie CURTIS, 41. Jessica YOUNG, 50. Courtney NEWBON, 62. Geo CANDY, 66. Alana JANCEVSKI
Ins: 3. Claudia BUNGE
Outs: 2. Ellie WILSON
Unavailable: Nil
Central Coast Mariners
At the risk of falling out of the illustrious top six amid a five-game winless run, the Central Coast Mariners have successfully steadied the ship and all but confirmed their attendance in the 2024/25 Finals series.
Beating Wellington Phoenix 2-0 in New Zealand and then defeating Brisbane Roar 2-1 on home soil, an impressive two-game run saw the Mariners jump to fifth on the league table.
While the Mariners sit amongst the bottom half of the league for goals scored, they have conceded the third-fewest, with goalkeeper Sarah Langman a particular standout with an impressive 79% save percentage this season.
