Canberra United will hope to keep its solid away record intact this weekend when it heads north in a bid to secure its first win of the 2012-13 Westfield W-League season in a round two clash against Newcastle Jets.
Saturday 27th October 2012
Canberra United v Newcastle Jets
Wanderers Oval, Kick off 2pm
Canberra United will hope to keep its solid away record intact this weekend when it heads north in a bid to secure its first win of the 2012-13 Westfield W-League season in a round two clash against Newcastle Jets.
Canberra began its campaign with a hard-fought 0-0 draw with arch-nemesis Brisbane Roar at McKellar Park last week, the result extending United-s unbeaten run to 13 matches after going through last season undefeated. Newcastle was, too, made to split the points as it surrendered a two-goal advantage and allowed Sydney FC to storm home and secure a well-deserved point.
With opening-round nerves now a distant memory and having spent another week together as a team, United will be confident it can vastly improve on its shaky opening-round performance when it takes to Wanderers Oval on Saturday afternoon. Jitka Klimkova-s women looked uncharacteristically wobbly in defence and lacked composure in front of goal, two areas of the game her side usually excels in.
Klimkova is optimistic new goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold and her back four will hit their stride, while Caitlin Munoz is confident her, Ariane Hingst and Jennifer Bisset will form an understanding in the mid-field and will establish themselves as a potent attacking force.
Saturday-s round two fixture looms as the eighth meeting between the two sides, with Canberra having enjoyed the better record of the pair. United has notched up six wins since the two clubs first met in round 1 of the W-League-s inaugural season in 2008-09, while Newcastle has only managed to achieve a single victory.
An average of three goals has been scored in each of the United/Jets fixtures since the two sides first met in 2008. If history is anything to go by, fans will be treated to a few more on Saturday.
Match Facts
•Canberra United and Newcastle Jets have met seven times previously, with United winning all bar one of the contests.
•Canberra-s sole defeat to Newcastle came in round 1 of the 2008-09 W-League season.
•United has scored 15 goals in this fixture, while the Jets have only netted six times.
•Michelle Heyman scored three of her 15 goals in the 2011-12 season in Canberra-s two clashes with the Jets.
•Five of the seven encounters between United and the Jets have been played in Newcastle.
CANBERRA UNITED 2012/13
1. Mackenzie ARNOLD, 2. Caitlin COOPER, 3. Georgia YEOMAN-DALE, 4. Christine WALTERS, 5. Grace FIELD, 6. Caitlin MUNOZ, 7. Ellie BRUSH, 8. Hayley RASO, 9. Grace GILL, 10. Snez VELJANOVSKA, 11. Michelle HEYMAN, 12. Sally ROJAHN, 13. Nicole SYKES, 14. Ashleigh SYKES, 15. Sally SHIPARD, 16. Catherine BROWN, 17. Arian HINGST, 18. Samantha WOOD, 19. Jennifer BISSET, 20. Trudy BURKE
