When Princess Ibini’s shot deflected off Kathrine Larsen, Abbey Lemon found the ball at her feet and she thrashed it into the back of the net, slotting her first Liberty A-League goal.
In her 21st appearance for the club in front of a raucous Leichhardt Oval crowd, the 21-year-old’s opening goal for Sydney FC meant as much to the team as it meant to the people she loves most.
The all-rounder who signed with the club in the Championship-winning 2022/2023 season talked about those moments of ecstasy, saying:
“Scoring my first goal felt great,” she said.
“It just fell perfectly for me right in front of the goal, and when it hit the back of the net, I felt relieved and had a huge rush of adrenaline.
“It felt amazing playing in front of that crowd at Leichhardt. I really love playing there because it’s such a close environment.”
The goal was also unique to her as she scored it in front of family and friends, who sacrificed a lot for her to make it to this level, which made it as rewarding to them as to her.
“My mum was there, which was really special, and my cousins were there as well, so it was really nice to score and celebrate with them after the game.
“My family has made a lot of sacrifices to make me pursue football.
“From taking me to training and taking me to games throughout my childhood, it means a lot to me but a lot to my whole family,” she said.
The now-forward has played across the pitch this season, from wing to fullback and now striker in recent weeks.
And, to her frustration, against the Wanderers, she couldn’t score on her ‘striker-debut’ after Sham Khamis’ diving save denied her, and then she narrowly missed the left post with her head.
“I had a few chances the week before, but I felt like I had been building week by week and becoming more confident even after that game. I knew I was going to get close.
“I’ve played a few games as a striker, and I’m getting the hang of that. I’ve also really enjoyed playing on the wing, and I’ve also played fullback, which has been really good.” she said.
Lemon will look to feature in Ante Juric’s Sunday line-up against Wellington Phoenix where the Sky Blues will aim to climb to top spot.
Match Details:
Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC
Liberty A-League Round 20
Sunday 17th March, 2024
Porirua Park, Wellington, NZ
Kick-off: 2:00pm AEDT (4:00pm Local)
Broadcast Live: Paramount+ & 10Play
Tickets: Click Here
