Football: 'It all came together' - Hannah Wilkinson celebrates five-star display

Hannah Wilkinson of Melbourne City celebrates her five-goal haul against Melbourne Victory. Photo / Getty

Football Ferns striker Hannah Wilkinson is the talk of the A-League – and there could be much more to come.

After almost a decade in the Northern Hemisphere, which included stints at Swedish, Portuguese and German clubs and a four-year spell with the University of Tennessee, the Ferns veteran returned to Australasia last August, linking with Melbourne City.

That move has already paid big dividends for the Victorian club, with Wilkinson's remarkable five-goal haul in the 5-1 derby victory over Melbourne Victory on Sunday night, which followed her brace in the 3-1 win over Adelaide in the preceding match.

That gave the 29-year-old seven goals in just four starts, placing her four clear in the golden boot race.

On Sunday Wilkinson became just the second player in the A-League's Women's history to score five in a single game, following Kate Gill in 2014.

Her tally included three goals in the first 26 minutes, which set a league record for the fastest hat-trick from the start of a match.

However Wilkinson, who has also scored 26 goals in 100 appearances for New Zealand since her international debut in 2010, was quick to deflect any individual praise.

"[The game] was a perfect example of a really unified and cohesive pressing strategy that we've been working on all preseason and it was just amazing," Wilkinson told Channel 10 in a post-match interview. "Our team was incredible. And those are all a result of the team, all of those goals. Those are Melbourne City's goals."

After losing 2-1 to Victory in round two, City were ruthless in the second derby, using their transition game to constantly punish their opponents.

"We learned from our mistakes," said Wilkinson. "We studied what we could improve it was all there - we just didn't really finish the chances or produce enough.

"It's so much preparation and it just all manifested in that game. It all just came together exactly how we prepared and that's what hard work does.

"You look at us and we're absolutely knackered at the end of this game because we've been pressing so hard. It was such a team effort - it was amazing."

Wilkinson opened the scoring in the fifth minute, a cool left-foot finish after a sharp counter-attack. Eight minutes later Wilkinson chipped in from the edge of the area – after a goalkeeping blunder – while her third was a gift, rolled into an empty net after a defensive mix up.

The fourth in the 56th minute was another composed finish, with a neat half volley, before she converted a precise far-post cross with 15 minutes to play.

The Melbourne City effort was even more meritorious considering the upheavals they faced pre-game, with one player producing a positive Covid test on the morning of the match.

The close-contact possibilities meant the squad had prepare in two distinct groups, with pre-match or halftime team talks not possible with the entire team.

"That's what makes the win so much more special and it shows how adaptable we are," reflected Wilkinson. "We just faced that kind of adversity and thought, never mind, control what we can control and go out there and do what we did. So I'm so proud of this team - it's amazing."