“ALW Report: City Edge Out Canberra in Nail-biting 2-1 Victory”

### A Nail-Biting Victory for Melbourne City

In an exciting home opener match, Melbourne City FC secured a 2-1 win over Canberra United in the A-League Women’s season. Rhianna Pollicina stole the show with two spectacular goals, while Canberra managed to pull one back to keep the game tense until the very end.

### Dominant Display by Melbourne City

Melbourne City FC started the match with a fast and fluid style of play that immediately caught the eye. Laura Hughes, making her debut for the club, quickly settled into her role as a commanding presence in midfield. Her control over the tempo of the game allowed Melbourne City to dictate the flow and put pressure on Canberra‘s defense.

On the wings, Holly McNamara and Daniela Galic had outstanding starts, consistently troubling Canberra‘s fullbacks. Their combination play with Rhianna Pollicina and Hannah Wilkinson showed promising signs early on. In fact, the trio came close to opening the scoring after 20 minutes, with Wilkinson narrowly missing the target with her effort on goal.

### Pollicina Breaks the Deadlock

The deadlock was eventually broken in the 26th minute when Galic’s cross from the left took a deflection and found its way to Pollicina in the box. With a lethal volley, Pollicina showcased her clinical finishing to give Melbourne City the lead.

Throughout the first half, Melbourne City continued to dominate play, with defenders Rebekah Stott and Taylor Otto snuffing out any potential threats from Canberra. The home side had two excellent opportunities to extend their lead just before half time, with Wilkinson testing the goalkeeper and Galic hitting the post with the follow-up.

### Pollicina Completes her Brace

Shortly after the second half began, Melbourne City was awarded a penalty after a surging run by McNamara into the box. Pollicina stepped up to take the spot kick and confidently dispatched it into the bottom left corner, increasing Melbourne City’s lead to 2-0.

Canberra, however, managed to find an answer against the run of play in the 63rd minute when Michelle Heyman headed the ball over Melbourne City goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx. The goal injected some life back into the match and set the stage for a thrilling finish.

### Pollicina Denied a Hat-Trick

Showing her hunger for goals, Pollicina came agonizingly close to completing her hat-trick a few minutes later, but her close-range effort struck the crossbar and bounced away. Despite the missed opportunity, Melbourne City maintained their defensive resilience and quality to see off Canberra‘s late surge and secure all three points.

### Looking Ahead

Melbourne City FC will now enjoy a week off during the international break before facing Western United at City Vista Reserve on Sunday, 5th November. This victory puts Melbourne City in a strong position early in the A-League Women’s season and provides a solid foundation for their upcoming fixtures.

Keywords: Soccer-sports, ALW Report, City Edge, Canberra, nail-biting victory, 2-1