MELBOURNE Victory will be sweating on the fitness of Lydia Williams after the Matildas goalkeeper was injured while conceding a late goal in a 2-1 loss to Western United.<\/p>\n
Victory opened the scoring in Sunday’s A-League Women match through defender Emma Checker before Melissa Taranto levelled the scores in the 66th minute.<\/p>\n
In a dramatic finish, United snatched the win in the 90th minute when substitute Keiwa Hieda bundled the ball home from close range after Williams saved a thundering strike from Hannah Keane.<\/p>\n
In the mad scramble for the loose ball after the initial save, Western forward Kahli Mary Johnson accidentally collided with Williams.<\/p>\n
The goalkeeper crashed to the ground and stayed there for several minutes before being assisted off the pitch clutching her arm.<\/p>\n
The injury is bad timing for Williams, who is pushing to be part of the Matildas’ squad for their Olympic qualifiers in Perth.<\/p>\n
“She got hit pretty hard,” Victory coach Jeff Hopkins said of the injury. “I’m not really sure [what it is]. I think it’s her back. We’re still waiting to hear.”<\/p>\n
The blustery conditions meant there were more turnovers than usual, but the wind proved a crucial element in Victory’s opening goal in the 15th minute.<\/p>\n
With players from both sides misjudging the flight of a corner, the ball sailed over the pack and bounced straight to unmarked Victory defender Checker, who sent her looping header over the goalkeeper’s outstretched hand.<\/p>\n
United got the equaliser in the 66th minute when Melissa Taranto bodied the ball through from close range after a high corner dipped quickly in the wind.<\/p>\n
Victory midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight entered the fray in the 77th minute – her first match since rupturing an Achilles tendon at training in March.<\/p>\n
But it was United who ended the day on a high, with Japanese winger Hieda becoming the hero as both sides pushed hard for a winner.<\/p>\n