Canberra United have thumped fellow cellar-dwellars Western Sydney 5-0 to finally snare their first win of the Liberty A-League season.
Michelle Heyman ended her five-game goalless run in the 22nd minute, with American Chelsee Washington doubling Canberra’s lead 12 minutes later at the Wanderers Centre of Football.
Substitutes Chloe Middleton and Margot Robinne both scored their first ALW goals in the second half, with Robinne’s brace ensuring Canberra finally broke through in their 10th game of the season.
The loss was ominous for the one-win Wanderers, who went goalless for an eighth time in 11 games and have now shipped 10 goals in their last two outings.
Canberra struck when Grace Maher, wearing the captain’s armband in her 50th United game, played in a pinpoint corner for Heyman to glance a header past goalkeeper Shamiran Khamis.
It was the league’s all-time leading goalscorer’s eighth goal in 10 games against Western Sydney.
In the 33rd minute, Maher burst down the left and floated in a clever ball but Ash Sykes’ toe-poked her attempt just wide.
Khamis turned the subsequent goalkick over immediately, with Laura Hughes pouncing, intercepting and slipping the ball through to Washington to score.
Skipper Caitlin Cooper and Khamis both made desperate defensive efforts early in the second half but the Wanderers’ goal was breached again in the 62nd minute.
Cooper’s clearing header fell to United substitute Middleton, who took a touch then floated a lovely long-range effort over Khamis to give Canberra an unassailable lead.
Young Wanderers striker Rosie Galea tested Canberra goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln a couple of times without reward.
But Robinne rounded out the victory in the 84th minute, with Khamis saving her initial shot before the Frenchwoman reacted quickest to bury her follow-up.
Six minutes later Robinne broke away on the counter and coolly slotted her second past Khamis to complete the rout.
