Victory beat Western Utd thanks to Gielnik hat-trick

Emily Gielnik scored a first-half hat-trick in Melbourne Victory's 4-1 win over Western United. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

Emily Gielnik has once again propelled Melbourne Victory to an A-League Women win, scoring a first-half hat-trick in their 4-1 triumph over Western United.

Gielnik wasted no time settling into their meeting at the Home of the Matildas, stunning United by scoring in the opening 12 seconds to help her side climb to second on the table and end the visitors' undefeated run.

Earlier on Sunday, Newcastle earned their first three points of their home-and-away campaign with a 1-0 win against Wellington Phoenix.

Recently recalled to the Matildas, Gielnik again struck fear into her opposition when she plucked the ball off goalkeeper Alyssa Dall'Oste to add to her goal haul in the ninth minute.

Catherine Zimmerman hit back for Western United with a headed goal in the 20th minute following a corner, but Gielnik was unrelenting.

The sharpshooter completed her hat-trick in the 42nd minute courtesy of an Alex Chidiac assist, before teenager Ella O'Grady added another goal after 80 minutes.

An injury to Sandra Ibarguen only added to the visitors' woes, with the Colombian forward helped off the field following an innocuous accident with Victory's Rachel Lowe in the 83rd minute.

Forced to move to Maitland Sports Ground, Newcastle captain Cass Davis secured victory when her shot from the left boundary line found the back of the net in the 70th minute.

It is the second time in three rounds the Jets have had to move grounds due to poor field conditions at their home No.2 Sportsground.

Their hard-earned win lifts them to eighth (one win, one draw, one loss) on the ladder, while Phoenix remain last after their third loss.

The first half was a stalemate as both sides struggled to pull off the finishing touch after creating chances.

Cross-coder Sheridan Gallagher led the way in attack and had the best chance to break the deadlock for the Jets after earning a free kick deep into added time before half-time, but the NRLW player's attempt was too high.

Wellington threatened to steal the three points from the visitors when captain Annalie Longo delivered a cross in the 67th minute just in front of goal, but Olivia Fergusson did not get to the ball in time.

The 'Nix could be without Longo, who left the game following a collision with Lara Gooch in the last minute of regulation time.

Gooch appeared to have made contact with Longo's face, but the extent of the injury is not yet known.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store