A first half hat-trick to Michelle Heyman helped Canberra United waltz to a 3-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at Viking Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Canberra striker drew level with record-setter Sam Kerr on 70 Westfield W-League goals as the Green Machine jumped to the top of the table with three points which never looked in doubt.
Heyman came into the fixture on a two-game goalless streak, but before the half-time whistle had blown the Westfield Matildas striker had three goals to her name in a first-half demolition job.
Heyman put Canberra ahead with a delightful left-footed curler which nestled into the top corner of goal to hand the hosts an early advantage. Half an hour later she was at the double after a ruthless Canberra counter attack started by Kendall Fletcher and finished by the golden boot leader.
The 32-year-old bagged her hat-trick off a deep Grace Maher corner, ghosting toward the back post to tap home a first-time volley and send the Green Machine three goals up and cap off a scintillating individual performance in the opening stanza.
Keeley Richards was on debut in goal for Canberra and the shot-stopper was called into two clutch saves on either side of half time to deny both Leena Khamis and Libby Copus-Brown to keep her side in the ascendancy.
Sarah Willacy replaced Courtney Newbon in goal for the Wanderers ahead of the Round 9 fixture and produced one save for the highlight reel to deny Laura Hughes a long-range bomb in the second half – a rare moment of action for Willacy which didn’t involve picking the ball out of the back of her net.
With a quarter of an hour to play Canberra’s hat-trick hero was withdrawn from the contest, denying her the chance to go out on her own as the Westfield W-League’s all-time top scorer.
But Heyman walked off the pitch with a beaming smile, knowing her impact had sealed the points in a contest which ultimately ended 3-0 in Canberra’s favour.
