The Wander Women have been held to a 2-2 draw in their season opener fixture against the Newcastle Jets in Cessnock.
On a hot afternoon in the Hunter, the Wanderers started strongly in racing out to a 2-0 lead, but goals from Deven Jackson and Lauren Allan forced the sides to share the points.
Coming up against the team that denied them a finals place last season, Robbie Hooker’s Wanderers came out with a point to prove, and hit the front after just five minutes. No prizes for guessing who was the goalscorer.
Last season’s Julie Dolan Medal winner and top scorer Sophie Harding showed off her speed and predatory instincts in the box as she tackled goalkeeper Danielle Krzyzaniak in the box and scored into an empty net.
The home side may have had more possession and shots in the first half, but the Wanderers’ press forced them into mistakes, and Western Sydney were also clinical when they did go down the other end of the pitch.
Sienna Saveska – on her return to the Wanderers – weighted a brilliant corner to the back post, but Maddy McComasky couldn’t direct her header on target, though Saveska wouldn’t make the same mistake in the 27th minute.
Harding was once again involved as she used her strength to hold off defenders and tee up Saveska, who took a touch to the left and unleashed a bullet of a shot into the bottom corner to double the lead for Western Sydney.
It was a deserved goal for a talented young player who performed excellently in the first half alongside debutant Ena Harada in midfield.
Two chances in quick succession to Saveska and Amy Chessari were unable to hit the target, and the Jets took advantage of this and halved the deficit on the cusp of half-time.
Jackson’s header cannoned off the post after a corner, and despite being cleared off the line, the officials made the decision that the ball had crossed the line.
It was a tough blow for the Wanderers, who felt they deserved a clean sheet for their defensive efforts in the first half, and it also gave the home side the confidence they could get back in the game.
Saveska had two chances after the break, with one audacious volley effort going over the bar, and another failing to trouble Krzyzaniak.
The Jets equalised just after the hour mark as fullback Laura Allen made her way into the box and scored with a tidy finish.
In the heat of the afternoon the Wanderers were forced to do more defending then they would have liked in the second period, as the home side with momentum pushed forward.
Bronte Trew almost had a debut to remember by scoring with her first touch, but her lob attempt from well outside the box just drifted off the mark.
Wanderers custodian Sham Khamis made a couple of good stops to deny the home side, while young debutant Talia Kapetallanis almost scored on debut by getting on the end of Danika Matos’ cross, but she was unable to keep the effort down and it went over the bar.
A draw was probably a fair result in an end-to-end contest where both sides gave it everything; the Wander Women have their first home game of the season next Sunday as they host Adelaide.
