Melbourne City's W-League team moved into the top four with a 2-1 win over Canberra United on a weekend when Melbourne Victory's women also ignited their finals charge with a 4-0 drubbing of Adelaide United.
Ashley Hatch, City's on-loan American international, has already made a big impression this season, and got on the scoresheet last week for the first time in her side's draw with Adelaide.
She almost replicated the effort early in the opening half against Canberra after picking up a pass from Aivi Luik, but drove just wide of Haley Kopmeyer's right-hand post with the Canberra goalkeeper at full stretch and beaten.
Luik, who has rejoined City after a spell in Norway, was drafted back into the starting line-up in a holding midfield position as coach Patrick Kisnorbo looked for his team to make amends for last week's disappointing draw.
City stalwart Jess Fishlock put the hosts in front in the 19th minute with a trademark strike from distance. The Welsh midfielder robbed Canberra defender Toni Pressley, played a quick one-two with Kyah Simon and then hit a shot from outside the penalty area which Kopmeyer could not get near.
The hosts were beginning to get on top of the game at this point, but Canberra got back on level terms when they were gifted an equaliser by City's Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams.
The normally reliable City shot stopper looked to start an attack with a pass out from the back but completely lost her range; instead of finding team-mate Alanna Kennedy, she passed straight to Canberra forward Michelle Heyman, who needed little invitation to fire home.
Williams partially made amends in the 33rd minute when she dived to her left to smother a shot from a Canberra corner, while at the other end Hatch had a chance to restore City's lead when she was played through by Fishlock.
Although the American outpaced the Canberra defence she could only shoot straight at Kopmeyer.
City defender Rebekah Stott then tried her luck from distance after a pass from Fishlock, but fired wide.
Rhali Dobson went close for City shortly following the restart with a driving run, but her shot just flashed past the Canberra post. Kopmeyer kept her team in the game with another good save from a Fishlock effort shortly after.
Simon volleyed wide from a Yukari Kinga pass, and it seemed only a matter of time before the hosts got the lead their possession merited.
They did, but they had to wait until 10 minutes from time to get their noses in front with another goal from Fishlock. The midfielder, who doubles up as an assistant coach, started and finished a move, assisted by Kinga, then shot past Kopmeyer from inside the penalty area.
??? It w as a red letter day for Melbourne Victory star striker Natasha Dowie on Saturday as the England international became the club's all-time leading W-League goalscorer after netting twice in a comprehensive 4-0 defeat of Adelaide United.
The double brought her career total for Victory to 16, two clear of previous record holder Caitlin Friend, and means she has now scored five so far this season.
Victory head coach Jeff Hopkins was full of praise for Dowie's efforts
"She's great to work with. She lives and breathes goals.
"She wants to shoot, it's all she wants to do in training - shooting exercises. She wants to score goals and I think she's a key to our success this year, making sure we can get delivery into her.
"If we're going to be getting ourselves into the finals, there's got to be more of the way we went about things today," Hopkins said after the win.
