Our Wander Woman travel to the nation’s capital this weekend for a clash against Canberra United, where they are hoping to get a lucky break to finally fall their way.
It has been an unfortunately difficult season for the girls, who have had many circumstances outside of their control conspire against them.
They have been hit by a plethora of injuries that have disrupted their chemistry and who they can play, with two injuries in particular standing out.
Holly Caspers, who had a breakout 2023/24 season, has played just one match off the bench this season as two injuries have kept her on the sidelines, whilst defender Maddy McComasky suffered a shoulder injury in round two and hasn’t appeared since.
They have also had to deal with a mid-season coaching change, with Robbie Hooker’s departure meaning Geoff Abrahams has stepped in on a caretaker basis.
These factors have contributed to an underwhelming season to date, with the Wanderers unfortunately at the wrong end of the table despite their best efforts.
Their last match saw them fall to a 3-1 defeat at home to the Central Coast Mariners, where an Olivia Price goal in the second half came too late for a miracle fightback.
It marked the end of a frustrating week for the Wanderers, as they were unable to build on a positive draw against the Melbourne Victory on the road.
That result shows they do have what it takes to match it with any team on their day in the competition, which is expected when they have reigning Jule Dolan medalist Sophie Harding in their side.
A bright light from their season has been the form of Sienna Saveska. The 18-year-old has scored five goals in this campaign, including a catalogue of long range screamers that have won goal of the week awards.
Their opponents this weekend are in good form, having won their last two matches against Brisbane and Western United respectively.
They are looking to rebound from a tough season last year where they finished second from bottom amidst uncertainty surrounding their future.
They are led by veteran Matilda Michelle Heymann, who has four goals so far this season, and new signing Maja Markovski has also made her mark and scored three times so far this season.
United lost a few solid players in the offseason, including Vesna Milivojevic, Chloe Lincoln and Emily Ilijoski, but have replaced them with the likes of Jyana Dos Santos, import Madison Ayson and former Wanderer Bethany Gordon.
They also play this campaign with a new coach, as Njegosh Popovich was replaced by Antoni Jagarinec.
Things haven’t been perfect for Canberra, with a six game winless run in the middle of the season stalling their campaign somewhat, and they will also have less recovery time for this match as they must travel to face our crosstown rivals in midweek.
A young Wanderers side will look to take advantage of any fatigue as they chase a vital win for their season and their confidence.
The Wanderers had the better of the head-to-head meetings between the sides last season, securing a late, late 1-1 draw at McKellar Park thanks to a Maliah Morris goal.
In a unique quirk the return fixture took place just days later at Wanderers Football Park, where Western Sydney recovered from conceding in the opening minute to secure a big 4-1 win in front of their own fans.
A repeat result would be a fantastic result for a Wanderers side who has fought hard this season against the odds.
