It was obvious the Canberra United crowd had missed Ashleigh Sykes.
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When it was announced earlier this week the Dubbo product would be coming out of retirement to assist the side crippled by injuries, it was met with much delight.
And then on Thursday night when the former Matildas striker came on as a 57th minute substitute it was clear how much the fans in green had missed the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
“It feels nice to get a cheer like that,” Sykes said post-game.
“I really appreciate the crowd here, they’re always behind myself and the team and we’re always proud to come out of the sheds on a night like tonight.”
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Sykes, now 27, was a Canberra foundation player who quickly became a fan favourite after debuting as a 16-year-old alongside her twin sister Nicole Begg.
It wasn’t the dream return on Thursday as Canberra had to settle for a 1-all draw with the Brisbane Roar at McKellar Park.
The Dubbo Devils junior made an impact of the bench and created a number of chances but despite dominating possession late on the Canberra side couldn’t make a breakthrough.
“I thought we were really pressing for a goal there at the end especially,” Sykes added.
“We showed a lot of quality in the first half and I’d say we deserved thew three points but at the end of the day you’ve got to take your chances.”
Sykes’ return had been a few weeks in the making.
After stunning the football world when deciding to step away from the game after playing at the top level for more than 10 years, Sykes stepped into a role assisting incoming head coach Heather Garriock.
Sykes’ departure was just one of many changes endured by the Canberra lineup during the off-season and the battle for consistency early in the 2018/19 campaign was made even more difficult following a number of injuries.
Natasha Price was recently ruled out for the rest of the season due to severe concussion while American Paige Nielsen has recently returned home for personal reasons.
On top of that, South African star striker Rhoda Mulaudzi and Aoife Colvill also battled knocks during the opening seven rounds of the season.
"We'd joked about it a few times but then Heather asked me for real a few weeks ago and I said I can't be one of those people who retires then comes back," Sykes told The Canberra Times earlier in the week.
"Then we had some more injuries and she asked again and I thought 'Oh no I'm going to be that guy'.
"It got to a point where the squad was depleted and needed to find a way to get some results in the second half of the season, so I said 'All right let's go for it'.
"I'm always happy to do whatever Canberra United needs to be successful and this is one of those times I had to put my hand up and see what I could do to help out."
After getting in just more than half an hour of action on Thursday night, Sykes admitted it will take some time before she’s back up to speed with the game.
Despite not being at peak fitness, Sykes was still incredibly sharp and almost set-up the match winner when a perfect cross for Nikki Flannery was sent crashing into the bar.
“I’ve got to get back up to the pace of the game again but it was great to be back out there in front of the crowd,” Sykes said.
Canberra travels to Perth next round.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
