Mallory Weber has vowed to return to the Westfield W-League next season and believes Adelaide United got their deserved rewarded after avoiding the wooden spoon.
They left it until the last game of the campaign but the Reds got off the bottom of the ladder thanks to their 2-1 win over Newcastle jets on Thursday night.
And Weber was Adelaide’s hero, capping another excellent attacking display with the winning goal just after the hour at Marden Sports Complex.
“We’ve been pushing and giving everything all season so to finally be rewarded for that and get off the bottom for the last game I couldn’t be happier,” the American told Fox Sports after the match.
“[It’s been] very frustrating for me to not put more [goals] away.
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“[But] I’m looking forward to coming back next year and doing a little better.”
Those words will be music to the ears of Adelaide United coach Ivan Karlovic, whose side have often relied on the speed and trickery of Weber this season.
In 11 games for the campaign, Weber finished as the Reds’ leading scorer with four goals, while she also had one assist and completed 32 successful dribbles.
She was the standout player in a young and inexperienced Adelaide side that were competitive in almost every match but struggled to maintain their performance for 90 minutes.
After taking the lead through Amber Brooks’ penalty, the home side were pegged back before the break through an excellent volleyed finish by the Jets’ Teigan Collister.
But Weber had the final say with her composed finish after the break, seeing the Reds leapfrog Newcastle on the ladder with just two wins and a draw from their 12 games.
“It’s been incredible and the girls have really held together better than I thought they would for so many losses,” Weber admitted.
“It’s been fun to keep fighting and keep putting on a show out there.”
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