With the 2022/23 A-Leagues season drawing to a close, Western United can reflect on a campaign full of ups and downs and celebrate a number of special moments.
The Liberty A-League Women season brought with it so many historic and outstanding moments for Western United over a campaign that will be remembered forever.
It was a season of firsts as the Club ventured into the competition for the first time, adding a number of names and dates into the history books.
Jessica McDonald scores Western United’s first ever Liberty A-League Women goal
Saturday 19 November was the day, City Vista Pavilion and Sports Field was the venue and Melbourne Victory was the opponent for Western United’s first ever Liberty A-League Women match.
Six players made their Liberty A-League Women debuts – five of which were making their first ever professional appearance – against the competition’s reigning Champions.
After a cagey first half, the moment came not yet 10 minutes after the restart when Jessica McDonald poked home into an empty net after a scramble at the top of the six-yard box.
That became Western United’s first ever Liberty A-League goal and would secure the team’s first ever win in the competition, marking that day down in Western United folklore forever.
Record-setting win in Newcastle
Having lost to Newcastle Jets at home just two weeks prior, Mark Torcaso’s women had revenge on the mind when travelling to the Hunter region at the end of February.
Kahli Johnson got the ball rolling with her first goal in professional football just six minutes in before she struck again in the 34th minute with a stunning individual effort.
The floodgates opened from there with two more goals before half-time – one of which was a stunner from Tyla Jay Vlajnic – before Danielle Steer and Hannah Keane completed the 6-0 rout.
That result became United’s biggest winning margin in the Liberty A-League and its joint biggest A-Leagues win ever, helping the side secure a top two finish in the league.
Hannah Keane wins the Golden Boot with final day brace
United star Hannah Keane was one of the league’s best players all season and entered the final round of the season firmly in the hunt for the Liberty A-League Golden Boot.
With the Green and Black needing a win against Western Sydney Wanderers to boost confidence ahead of the Finals Series, Keane stood up to give her side the lead in the 23rd minute with a delicately flicked header from Vlajnic’s corner.
Keane did it all herself to score a second just before the hour mark, harrying the Wanderers defence to latch onto a clearance and finish clinically into the bottom corner.
That brace took Keane’s tally to 13 goals, ensuring she stood alone atop the Golden Boot standings to become the first player in Western United colours to win the award.
First Finals match, first Finals win
That win against the Wanderers was the perfect way for United to end the regular season before a huge Semi-Final against Sydney FC two weeks later.
The Green and Black brought confidence and hunger into that clash, standing up to a Sydney side that had edged United in the Premier’s Plate race.
The match-winning moment came from a predictable source as Keane popped up in the box to get on the end of a cross from Johnson and steer the ball into the net with a lovely side-footed volley.
A stout defensive display ensured United held onto the win and while Sydney would exact their revenge in the Grand Final, that Semi-Final will live long in the memory for Western United.
