The Lady Reds have lost their opening game of the 2011/12 Westfield W-League campaign, going down 4-1 to Canberra United at Hindmarsh Stadium.
The Lady Reds have lost their opening game of the 2011/12 Westfield W-League campaign, going down 4-1 to Canberra United at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Adelaide United-s Women were a goal down inside the opening two minutes when Canberra striker Michelle Heyman was released behind the Lady Reds defence before sliding her shot past advancing keeper Kristi Harvery.
Canberra could have gone further ahead if not for the efforts of the Adelaide defence, with skipper Abby Erceg coming to the rescue on ten minutes with a last-ditch tackle to deny Heyman, who was proving a handful.
Erceg again saved United moments later when she cleared a goal-bound cross from Snez Veljanovska off the line.
After settling into the contest and gathering some rhythm, the Lady Reds then equalised in the 36th minute when the team-s leading scorer from last season, Racheal Quigley, finding the back of the net.
The striker finished with a looping shot over Canberra keeper Lydia Williams from 10 metres after Marijana Rajcic held off two defenders before supplying the cut back.
The Lady Reds went into the break full of confidence with the score locked at 1-1 and came out of the blocks strongly in the second half.
However, they could not sustain their early endeavour as Caitlin Munoz got the first of her double on the hour mark, latching onto a through ball from Westfield Matilda Sally Shipard.
Munoz was then on the score sheet again 10 minutes later when she received a cross at the near post, took a touch and fired on the turn, her shot flying in off the upright.
Heyman added a fourth for the visitors in the final 10 minutes with a clever curling effort from the edge of the area which found the top corner of Harvey-s goal to add salt to the wound.
It was a disappointing end to what was a bright start from a largely new Lady Reds outfit, who will be bolstered by the arrival of American import Ashleigh Gunning ahead of next week-s away game against the Newcastle Jets.
Adelaide United 1 (Quigley 36-)
Canberra United 4 (Heyman 2-/81-, Munoz 61-/70-)
