They had gone nine games without a win this season. Pressure was mounting on coach Vicki Linton and her playing group after a bold declaration they were here to win the league had fallen flat.

Capital Football had revealed plans for a review of the program, desperate to lift Canberra back to the glory days of the past after one finals appearance in five years.

They responded in the best way possible with a 5-0 thrashing of the Western Sydney Wanderers at Blacktown Football Park on Tuesday.

A three-minute blitz during the first half was the shot in the arm Canberra needed this summer. To say a win in Sydney's west will turn everything around would be premature, but for now they have earned the right to celebrate.

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Or at least a moment to catch their breath, because United have three games in the next 10 days.

The Wanderers clash could be the tonic they need to ignite something. A Michelle Heyman header gave Canberra the lead and ignited hopes they would finally end the longest winless streak in club history.

Heyman found the back of the net off a Grace Maher cross, who skippered the side in her 50^th appearance for the club.

It only took two minutes for Canberra to ram home the advantage when Chelsee Washington struck to gift the visitors a two-goal lead after 34 minutes.

The Wanderers sent wave after wave of attack at the visitors early in the second half. But Canberra held firm, and again it was the visitors who landed the telling blow.

Even Chloe Middleton needed a moment to ponder what just transpired when her shot from outside the box sailed past a motionless keeper into the goal to nab her first ALW goal. Margot Robbine made it four and then five. The streak snapped in style.

And on Friday, they're in Queensland trying to do it all again.

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