VAR, or a video assistant referee, is used in the A-League Men's competition but is not used in the ALW.

US import Chelsee Washington set up the goal in question in the side's 2-1 defeat in Adalaide on Sunday night, after playing it behind Adelaide United's defence for veteran striker Michelle Heyman to slot in the opener on 15 minutes.

Adelaide coach Adrian Stenta was not happy with the decision on the sideline, believing Heyman was offside and pleading with officials to reverse the goal.

Without VAR, however, the final call came down to the on-field match officials who awarded it.

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Canberra head coach Vicki Linton celebrated the goal but said VAR usage should be matched across the leagues.

"If the standard is VAR then everyone should have VAR," she said.

"I'm obviously going to be biased and I honestly didn't think it was [offside] at the time, it was probably pretty close.

"And if I saw it on video, maybe I'd have a different opinion because my angle wasn't good to see it. It could have been but I think it was good football, so I'm happy and really glad she tucked it away."

VAR was introduced to the men's game in 2017 in Australia, making the ALM the first top-level domestic league to use it. Now it is used across top leagues and international events, with the latest being the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 tournaments.

The technology has been heavily criticised by fans, coaches and players in the ALM for disrupting the 'flow of the game' but the ALW has been left out of the conversation and not given the opportunity to use at all in order to review decisions.

Despite questions over the first goal, the Reds did not dwell on it after the match as they walked away with the three points.

Their response came through an equaliser soon after Heyman's goal to make it 1-1.

Grace Maher gave the ball away in the final third and Adelaide pounced to allow Fiona Worts to find herself one-on-one with Keeley Richards. Richards saved the effort, pushing it out beyond the 18-yard box, before Nanako Sasaki hit a first-time long-range effort to level the score.

Both sides seemed destined to walk away with a point up until the end of regulation time. But Adelaide's Sasaki added an assist to her name with a scoop-pass to Emily Condon in extra-time to separate the two.

Condon's 91st-minute strike broke Canberra's hearts to make it two losses in a row.

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