What a start to this season. Fresh off a fantastic performance against Wellington, we are sitting pretty in second with a game in hand over Sydney FC, not to mention the massive goal difference we hold!
Since the undeserved loss in the first Derby at the end of last year, our City girls have had no issues at all scoring their way to victory, with Hannah Wilkinson leading the line with eight goals from five games.
Jamie Maclaren, who?
Coming up against Adelaide for the second time in 2021/22 this weekend, our position in second can be solidified with another win on the cards. With the form that the girls are in, head coach Rado Vidošić will no doubt request a ruthless display.
Therefore, here are the three things we’re looking forward to this Saturday afternoon:
Hannah Wilko is Unstoppable
Eight goals in five games. You would honestly think the New Zealand international is playing 5-a-side with stats like that, but no… she’s just that good. According to FBRef.com, Wilkinson has scored a whopping 1.6 goals per 90 minutes this season.
We all saw her five-goal haul against the Victory in the second Derby last year, but last week Wilkinson had backed that up with a lovely piece of pressing football which ended up with a deft chip into the back of the net.
With a keen eye for goal, and the ‘tekkers’ to pull off finishes like that, there is no reason she can’t add to her brace scored last time out against the Reds on Saturday.
Back to the Glory Days
Finishing outside the Finals places for only the second time and recording our lowest finish in our history after having our core squad gutted by European leagues, last season was an absolute disaster.
After all this, our club was able to cop that season for what it was, and rebuild by only making seven re-signings, but 14 new signings. The most notable of whom are now leading the line in Hannah Wilkinson, Holly McNamara and Rhianna Pollicina.
With a free-scoring squad, and if the strong general play continues to improve, there is simply no limit to where this season can take us.
A True Six-Pointer
Adelaide United, although having lost to us in a form-building climax to 2021, are hot on our heels with only three points separating the two squads. Hence, this is a massive opportunity to not only gain ground on the leading Sydney FC, but also place six points between us and the Reds, further pushing them down the table.
If we are to battle for the right to be called Champions this season, we need to ruthless; and getting the double over Adelaide early in the season truly is the way to do that.
With all the trouble that the horrid five-letter C-word has provided us over the past two years, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to remember just how good the A-Leagues can be. Get your Uber Eats orders in, this double-header in the Southern state should be a big one.
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