Late de Domizo strike stuns Sydney
by Joe Rosedon (8/12/24)
Above: Kiara de Domizio (facing camera) celebrates her late winner with Western United teammates Alana Cortellino (19) and Emily Roach (2). Photo: Western United.
Kiara de Domizio’s late winner gave Western United a dramatic second victory of the season against reigning champions Sydney FC.
A competitive first half saw both teams spurn opportunities to take the lead.
The away side had the first real chance of opening the scoring. Mackenzie Hawkesby’s corner was met by a rising Nat Tobin who headed the ball down to Tori Tunmeth. Tunmeth composed herself in the box and fired towards goal but was denied instinctively by newly capped Matilda Chole Lincoln who remarkably slotted back into the starting eleven less than twenty-four hours after making her international debut.
Western United responded well. Amy Medwin was given ample space to drive down the right-hand side with devastating effect and pick out Keiwa Hieda. Hieda’s first-time strike seemed destined for the net until Tahlia Franco intervened with a stunning save. Hieda could not believe she had not put Western into the lead.
Sydney’s front-footed pressure nearly resulted in the opener. Maddie Caspers secured the ball in a dangerous position, capitalising on a heavy touch from Alana Cerne. Caspers then played a delicate through ball to Shea Connors. Connors had Lincoln beaten but could not locate the top right corner.
The second half started brightly for Western. Kahli Johnson received the ball on the edge of the box and evaded her marker with ease. Her eventual scuffed attempt at goal was saved by Franco who did enough to keep the scores level.
Johnson was soon to have her goal against her former team, and it came in brilliant fashion. Receiving the ball with her back to goal, Johnson shrugged off Shay Hollman in the vein of an archetypal centre forward. Her next touch evaded the tackle of Tobin, creating space on the edge of the box and unleashing an unsavable shot into the bottom right corner. Based on the balance of play at the start of the second half, the goal was well deserved.
Yet Sydney were back in the game only three minutes later and only Western had themselves to blame. A poor pass back to Cerne put the defender under unnecessary pressure. Second-half substitute Amber Luchtmeijer was quick to pounce. The NPLW NSW golden boot winner muscled Cerne off the ball and squeezed the ball under Lincoln to equalise, scoring her first goal for Sydney.
It seemed as if both teams would have to be content with a point. After Sydney’s leveller, neither team could control the game or fashion a clear-cut chance.
This changed drastically in the 88th minute. With her first touch after coming on, de Domizio headed home tremendously at the near post from Melissa Taranto to win the game in sensational style.
Teams: WESTERN UNITED (4-4-2): Lincoln, Grove, Maher, Cerne, Sardo, Medwin, Eggesvik, Prakash, Taranto, Johnson, Hieda. Substitutes: Dall’Oste, Dehakiz, Roach, de Domizio, Cortellino.
Scorers: Johnson 55’, de Domizio 88’.
SYDNEY FC: (4-3-3): Franco, Tunmeth, Tobin, Lemon, Thompson, Hollman, Hawkesby, Caspers, Connors, Ibini, Dos Santos. Substitutes: Edwards, Bryson, Chauvet, Luchtmeijer, Tallon-Henniker.
Scorers: Luchtmeijer 58’.
Referee: Molly Godsell
Attendance: TBC.
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