A dominant second half display and an Alex Chidiac masterclass guided Melbourne Victory to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Adelaide United on Saturday afternoon.
SUMMARY
Jeff Hopkins made five changes to his starting XI, highlighted by a starting debut for young goalkeeper Miranda Templeman.
Victory started the game brightly, led by the pressing from young forwards Maja Markovski and Paige Zois.
However, it was Adelaide that delivered the first major blow of the contest when a Fiona Worts header following a set piece opened the scoring after just 7 minutes.
The Reds were energised by their early goal, controlling the game in the period after taking the lead, although Victory’s defence held up against the pressure and allowed the visitors to gradually work their way back into the contest.
Both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half though, with long-range shots and set pieces looking the most likely routes to goal.
As both teams headed into the sheds for half-time it was still just the single goal separating them.
Victory came out for the second half looking more likely to score, as some excellent combination play between Alex Chidiac and Beattie Goad threatened the Adelaide goal.
It took just over five minutes of the second half for that combination to unlock the Reds’ defence, as an assist from Goad teed-up Chidiac who displayed every ounce of her quality with her close control in the box before firing the ball into the back of the net.
A sensational finish which pulled Victory level, as the game continued to heat up following the equaliser.
Chidiac came desperately close to securing her brace when she found herself through one-on-one with the goalkeeper soon after, but an excellent save denied the playmaker.
Elise Kellond-Knight showed her own prowess in the box a few minutes later, setting up a shot for Markovski which rolled just wide of the post.
The chances continued to fall Victory’s way, before finally they charged into the lead thanks to Kayla Morrison.
Chidiac was yet again involved, this time delivering the corner which was met by a powerful header from the captain in the 85th minute.
A deserved goal after a dominant second half showing, Victory now faced a nervous final few minutes as they looked to hold onto their lead.
But Templeman yet again showed her quality, making a vital save in injury time to keep out Adelaide’s best attempt of the half.
Victory’s comeback was complete as they secured the 2-1 win in dramatic fashion at ServiceFM Stadium.
KEY MOMENT
A wonder goal from Alex Chidiac which sparked her side’s comeback…
PLAYER IN FOCUS
Miranda Templeman excelled on her starting debut, making several crucial interventions at big moments in the game.
Her save in the dying minutes of the match was probably her best, playing a pivotal role in securing the three points for Victory.
IMPLICATIONS
The win against Adelaide is Victory’s first in four games, moving them five points clear of fifth and extending their unbeaten run to eight matches.
RESULT
Liberty A-League 2022/23
Adelaide United 1 (Worts 8′)
Melbourne Victory 2 (Chidiac 51′, Morrison 85′)
NEXT UP
A huge Big Blue clash against Sydney FC awaits next time out, set to be played at AAMI Park on 26th January kicking off at 4:05pm AEDT.
