The Wanderers A-League Women’s side will look to bounce back from a disappointing opening round defeat when they host Wellington Phoenix in an exciting double header.
The Wander Women fought hard in their opening round Sydney Derby, and had many chances in the second half in particular, but two first half goals from the home side consigned them to a 2-0 defeat in front of a record A-League Women’s crowd of 11,471.
Despite disappointment at the result, there is lots of encouragement that coach Robbie Hooker can take from the performances of his chargers in Red & Black.
Debutant goalkeeper Kaylie Collins made a series of fine saves to deny the opposition, whilst Sophie Harding and new captain Amy Harrison had great chances in the second half to claw back the deficit.
Midfielder Melissa Caceres was also impressive as a half-time substitute, as she helped swing the momentum back towards the Wanderers, however the side couldn’t find the cutting edge in front of goal.
But they have the perfect opportunity to get their first goal and win on the board as they play at CommBank Stadium for the first time since January 2022 in front of what should be a large crowd.
Their record at home last season was largely impressive, with the side only tasting defeat twice at home, as they were unbeaten in their last seven home games of the season.
This included five wins, with the best of these coming in back-to-back games against Melbourne City and eventual grand finalists Western United.
The Wanderers upset the odds to defeat the highly fancied City side 2-0, before they repeated the trick against Western United with a 2-1 win as Amy Harrison scored the winning goal just after half-time.
They also managed to defeat Wellington at home back in February, as Sophie Harding’s goal five minutes before half-time proved to be the difference between the sides as the Wanderers secured a 1-0 win.
The earlier fixture saw the Wanderers travel to Wellington for the first time ever, where the side fell behind after a Michaela Robertson goal in the first half. The Wander Women fought back though and were able to secure a share of the points thanks to a Sheridan Gallagher goal midway through the second half.
Last season was tough for Wellington as they finished bottom of the A-League Women for a second season in a row, with only three wins and four draws to their name.
They have changed coaches in the offseason, with Natalie Lawrence making way for Paul Temple, and have seen a host of players depart, including Milly Clegg who is now at the Wanderers, as well as New Zealand international’s Ria Percival and Paige Satchell.
They have added experience in Annalie Longo, who was previously at the Melbourne Victory and has over 100 caps for New Zealand, as well as the talented Hope Breslin from Houston Dash in the NWSL.
Like the Wanderers, they also suffered defeat in their opening match of the season, as they were narrowly beaten by Melbourne City 1-0, with New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson scoring the only goal of the game in the 73rd minute.
Whilst the Phoenix struggled to keep the ball, they created more than enough chances to get something from the match, and will be encouraged by their performance.
The Wanderers will view this match as the perfect opportunity to get their season back on track after last week’s false start. In front of a passionate crowd in Parramatta, there will be high hopes the girls in Red & Black will be able to produce on the big stage.
