Western United endured a night to forget in the Liberty A-League Women, falling to a 3-1 defeat against Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday.
Hannah Keane put United ahead after a dominant start to the game, but the American was later substituted with a serious leg injury in the most devastating moment of the night.
Despite the Green and Black’s command of the first half, the Wanderers equalised before the break and clinched the win after it.
Western United remains in third place on the table heading into the final game of the season against Central Coast Mariners on Thursday night.
Western United Team News
Kat Smith brought in Catherine Zimmerman for her first start in Western United colours after a trio of impressive substitute cameos.
That was the only change to the starting XI as Keiwa Hieda dropped to the bench where Kahli Johnson was also named having returned from international duty with the Young Matildas.
First Half
Western United got out of the blocks quickly as Zimmerman and Keane struck up an immediate connection up front with Prakash creating in behind them and Aimee Medwin and Tyla Jay Vlajnic stretching the pitch on either flank.
The visitors quickly settled into the ascendancy and controlled possession and territory. Prakash had a shout for a penalty but was bizarrely penalised with a free-kick in the other direction instead, though there was no booking for any apparent simulation.
The efforts on goal quickly followed and Keane had a big chance when Zimmerman played her through but Sham Khamis made a good one-on-one save.
Zimmerman had a strike of her own from long-range that was deflected out for a corner, and that was how Keane was able to open the scoring.
Vlajnic’s delivery was spilled by Khamis but United kept it alive and Keane was alert to poke the ball over the line amidst the scramble.
The Wanderers’ goalkeeper was in the thick of the action and made a remarkable stop to deny Keane a second, reacting quickly across her line to block the No.9’s close-range finish.
A corner following that somehow failed to produce a goal for Western United as Khamis dropped the ball again. Grace Maher had two goes at it, the second of which was goal bound before Amy Harrison made a last-ditch clearance off the line.
Western Sydney threatened a couple of times on the counter-attack but Alyssa Dall’Oste was largely untroubled in Western United’s goal until the hosts’ first shot on target brought about their equaliser before the break.
After a turnover high up the pitch, Danika Matos found space on the right wing and cut the ball back for Sophie Harding, whose mishit shot fell kindly for Ella Buchanan to finish at the back post. United players were left incensed by a lack of an offside call, though it seemed Alana Cerne may have played Buchanan on.
Second Half
Western Sydney started sharply in the second period and Dall’Oste was forced into an excellent save to deny Harding as she leapt to head a corner towards goal.
After that early scare, United looked to get on the front foot again and continued its quality play in possession.
Smith’s side creeped further and further forward but was unable to land the telling blow to in front of goal, allowing Western Sydney the chance to snatch the lead.
It came from a Western United corner as the Green and Black was left open at the back and Western Sydney countered decisively, working the ball to Harding to finish inside the box.
That began a nightmare 20-minute spell as Keane succumbed to injury and Harding scored her second to pile salt into Western United’s wounds.
There were 13 minutes of added time due to the injury stoppage and United never stopped searching for goals. Johnson hit the post from outside the box and Hieda and Medwin both had opportunities to throw United a lifeline.
In the end, it was just a night where nothing fell United’s way on the pitch with Smith’s side setting its sights on a bounce-back in the final game of the season next week.
