A-League Women's Wrap: Plan Bs kick in, a scholarship player earns promotion, and a historic club loses its way

Each week, ABC Sport will bring you a Round Wrap of the A-League Women's competition, including winners, losers, and a good thing that happened on or off the field.

Melbourne City maintain second spot with 1-0 win over Adelaide, Sydney FC show no mercy after thrashing Canberra United 6-0, Brisbane Roar leave it late once again with 3-2 defeat of Wellington, Melbourne Victory squeak past Western Sydney 1-0, and Newcastle Jets stay in lock-step with Perth after 1-1 draw.

Contingency plans

If there was ever any doubt that some teams were better prepared to lose key players than others, then round 7 certainly proved who had the stronger Plan B.

Through a combination of Matildas call-ups, the conclusion of loan spells, and Covid-19, ALW clubs have now been forced to reach into the depths of their squads to find ways to manage through the current moment.

Ladder-leaders Sydney FC barely missed a step in their game against Canberra on Saturday, bringing veteran international Maria 'Cote' Rojas and Kiwi Paige Satchell into the starting line-up to replace departed striker Remy Siemsen and winger Cortnee Vine.

They were almost perfect, like-for-like substitutions, with Satchell's electric pace mirroring Vine's down the right wing, while the hold-up and link-up play of Rojas mimicked the dynamic Siemsen has developed with the players around her, particularly Princess Ibini-Isei, Mackenzie Hawkesby and Rachel Lowe.

Indeed, Siemsen could have more competition than she expected upon her return to Australia after Rojas' hat-trick that saw the Sky Blues hand United the biggest defeat in their history.

Melbourne City's Plan B was perhaps not as effective as Sydney's, but securing a 1-0 win over the much-more-competitive Adelaide United showed