Sydney FC have lost to Adelaide United in a well contested match up which saw the Sky Blues fall just short after a Fiona Worts brace.
Maddie Caspers opened the scoring for the visitors in the first half but it wasn’t enough in the final match of the 2024/25 Ninja A-League season.
Sydney FC 1 (Caspers 20′) def. by Adelaide United 2 (Worts 45’+1′, 76′)
Moments That Mattered
20’ | CASPERS GOAL – Mackenzie Hawkesby plays a delightful threaded pass into the path of Maddie Caspers who dinks the ball over the keeper to give the Sky Blues the lead.
45+1’ | WORTS EQUALISER – With a minute to go of the first half, Fiona Worts brings her side back into the match with a strike that was buried into the near post.
76’ | WORTS AT THE DOUBLE – Adelaide’s Lucia Leon delivers a cross into the danger area which Fiona Worts pounced onto to register her second goal of the match and give her side the lead.
90+2’ | LUCHTMEIJER FIRES WIDE – Kirsty Fenton wins the ball in the final third and cuts it back to Amber entering the box but her effort goes wide of the up-right.
Match Report
Sydney FC going into the game were not in contention for finals football however this match was a great opportunity for each player to fight for their positions heading into the next campaign.
They would ultimately fall just short despite taking the lead and will look to rebuild heading into the 2025/26 season.
After a tense opening, twenty minutes into the match we witnessed a fantastic display of one-touch football by the Sky Blues, leading to the opening goal scored.
The ball was worked into Mackenzie Hawkesby who played a perfectly timed pass into the path of Maddie Caspers who clinically struck the ball home over the top of the keeper.
As halftime approached, Adelaide launched a counterattack, swiftly moving the ball forward into the path of former Sydney FC striker Fiona Worts, who brought her side level going into the break.
The second half saw a multitude of chances for the reds however Adelaide could not find a way to leverage their team into the lead because of the disciplined defensive line of Sydney and Jasmine Black who made a number of key saves.
There was a great moment on the 60 minute match as Kirsty Fenton returned to the pitch for the first time since she ruptured her ACL last year against Wellington Phoenix following a 12 month rehab.
Going into the final 15 minutes of the match Adelaide’s Lucia Leon has possession of the ball out wide where she creatively produced a cross into the danger area which Fiona Worts took full advantage of to register her second goal of the match and give her side the lead.
Going into the dying minutes of the match Kirsty Fenton, on her return from an ACL injury cut the ball across the box perfectly into the path of Amber Luchtmeijer who unfortunately missed the target, meaning that the hosts took home all three points.
What They Said:
Ante Juric: It’s a disappointing way to end the season, though in saying that, tonight we played some fantastic football and deserved more out of the game.
“All in all, I am extremely proud of this team. A team that kept working hard at every training session, gave everything in every game and kept the culture strong through out all the difficult times we faced and went through this year. So so proud.
“We will come back stronger than ever next season.”
Sydney FC: 13. Jasmine BLACK (gk), 3. Faye BRYSON (4. Tori TUMETH 85′), 12. Natalie TOBIN (C), 14. Abbey LEMON (5. Kirsty FENTON 61′), 15. Mackenzie HAWKESBY (21. Lucy JOHNSON 61′), 16. Jordan THOMPSON, 18. Amber LUCHTMEIJER, 20. Princess IBINI, 22. Indiana DOS SANTOS, 23. Rubi SULLIVAN, 24. Madeleine CASPERS (9. Shea CONNORS 77′).
Unused Subs: 28. Bethany MASON-JONES (gk).
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Adelaide: 21. Claudia JENKINS (gk), 2. Emily HODGSON, 4. Matilda MCNAMARA, 5. Sarah MORGAN, 8. Emily CONDON (22. Erin HEALY 74′), 12. Nanako SASAKI (27. Sian DEWEY 45′), 13. Ella TONKIN, 14. Lucia LEON, 16. Dylan HOLMES (C), 17. Zoe TOLLAND (6. Tiarna KARAMBASIS 68′), 23. Fiona WORTS (11. Isabel HODGSON 81′).
Unused Subs: 30. Ilona MELEGH (gk).
Yellow Cards: 79’ Sarah Morgan
Red Cards: None
Venue: Coopers Stadium
Referee: Page Malau-Aduli
Attendance: 3,527
