On Sunday, Michelle Heyman etched her name in history as the first player to reach 200 appearances in the Ninja A-League, while Canberra United secured their spot in the Ninja A-League Finals Series.
In a landmark match for Heyman, Canberra triumphed over Wellington Phoenix with a narrow 1-0 victory during the penultimate round at McKellar Park.
This win guaranteed Canberra a place in the top six, knocking out both Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC as the capital club returns to the finals for the first time since the 2020-21 season after finishing in 11th place last year.
All eyes were on Heyman during her significant milestone, as Canberra aimed for their third consecutive victory against a Wellington side desperate to keep their finals aspirations alive.
Wellington made a strong start in the nation’s capital, with Annalie Longo’s free-kick striking the crossbar in the eighth minute, followed by another close call for the Phoenix 13 minutes later.
Canberra nearly took the lead in the 24th minute when Heyman had a one-on-one chance against Carolina Vilao, but the Phoenix keeper managed to deny the legendary striker with a well-timed save.
However, Canberra eventually broke the deadlock from a corner, with Ayson finding the back of the net.
It could have been 2-0 by half-time, but Heyman squandered a golden opportunity; after Aideen Keane’s shot was saved, she found herself with an open goal but somehow missed from right on the goal line.
Wellington exerted pressure in the second half, but Heyman and Canberra held firm on their home turf, setting the stage for finals football.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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