3 minute read

Canberra United have defeated Sydney FC for the first time since 2018 after an 87th-minute Ellie Brush header lifted her side to a 2-1 ALW win.

Canberra United star Michelle Heyman says her A-League Women side had an extra point to prove in their 2-1 win over Sydney FC.

Goals to Heyman and Ellie Brush, the latter a dramatic 87th minute winner, lifted United to an upset win over the Sky Blues at McKellar Park, keeping their hopes of finals football alive and throwing a new wrinkle in the race for the A-League Women premiership.

It was the first time the side from the nation's capital had downed Sydney since 2018 and Heyman, whose fourth-minute strike helped set the tone for the day, revealed her side had been granted extra motivation during the week's preparations.

"There was something said in the media earlier this week and we wanted to come out and prove a point," she said.

"To show Sydney that we are a good team and that we can play football.

"Today we went out there and we gave it our all and we came away with the win.

"I'm feeling happy and excited for the girls because it shows us where we are and what we can do."

Coach Njegosh Popovich's side moved into fifth place on the table with the upset win but will nervously monitor the status of Hayley Taylor-Young after the 20-year-old defender was subbed off in tears late in the first half with a leg injury.

The Sky Blues, conversely, missed out on the chance to take advantage of Melbourne City's loss to Western United and move into second, albeit while still retaining two games in hand on the top two.

After being honoured for her 150th ALW game before kickoff, Heyman struck in the fourth minute when she received the ball from Grace Jale on the edge of Sydney's area and placed an effort beyond Jada Whyman.

Sydney boss Ante Juric turned to his bench at halftime and was almost immediately rewarded when substitute Rola Badawiya picked the pocket of Canberra keeper Chloe Lincoln and scored her first ALW goal into an empty net.

But in the heat of the moment - both figuratively and literally as the temperature reached 32C at kickoff - Brush rose highest to meet a Grace Maher corner and steal a late win.

"The heat is terrible, we need to change all 3pm kickoffs to later," said Heyman.

"But we trained well this week, we had a gameplan, we stuck to it, and it worked."