<\/p>\n
The timely return of international forwards Holly McNamara and Maria Rojas were big factors as Melbourne City returned to the A-League Women winners’ list with an emphatic 4-0 away win over struggling Newcastle.<\/p>\n
Playing their first ALW game in three weeks following the international break and a bye, City rebounded from back-to-back losses with a strong display.<\/p>\n
They had 67 per cent of possession and 22 shots to 10, with almost half of those on target, but only made their dominance count in the latter stages.<\/p>\n
Chile striker Rojas – the ALW’s outstanding player in December but who had not played a club game since that month – was back from international duty and looking very lively.<\/p>\n
She opened the scoring in the 25th minute, tapping in from close range after Rhianna Pollicina’s shot from McNamara’s cut-back rebounded off a post.<\/p>\n
“(Rojas) brings a lot, she’s something different as you can see today,” McNamara said.<\/p>\n
Matildas star McNamara, playing her first ALW game in more than a year because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury, constantly caused Newcastle problems with her direct running and shooting.<\/p>\n
“It was so good today, I had the most fun with all of the girls out there, it was a really good performance and we’re happy with it,” she said.<\/p>\n
City only wrapped up the points, and gave the scoreline a more accurate look, thanks to three late goals.<\/p>\n
Pollicina doubled their lead in the 80th minute with a delightful curling right-foot finish.<\/p>\n
Within two minutes it was 3-0 to the visitors when Bryleeh Henry slid the ball past Newcastle goalkeeper Georgina Worth.<\/p>\n
Hannah Wilkinson added a fourth from close range in stoppage time, pouncing after Pollicina’s shot came back off the bar.<\/p>\n
Emily Roach hit the bar for Newcastle just before the end and Cassidy Davis also struck the woodwork In the first half in a game dominated by City.<\/p>\n
“It was hot today, Newcastle aren’t a bad squad, they are actually a very good squad,” McNamara said.<\/p>\n
“They make every team work for it and they definitely made us work for it today.<\/p>\n
‘We were good enough to get the goals at the end.”<\/p>\n
Second-from-bottom Newcastle slumped to a third-straight loss, a run in which they have conceded 14 goals without managing a single one in return.<\/p>\n
They could thank Worth for keeping them in the game until City’s late flourish, with the 26-year-old making several fine saves.<\/p>\n
She pulled off six stops in the first half alone, most memorably in added time when she blocked a Leticia McKenna shot and smothered the follow up attempt from Rojas.<\/p>\n
The win lifted City into second above Sydney, who host ladder-leaders Western United on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n