A-League Women: Perth Glory’s finals hopes in tatters after comeback falls short in 5-2 loss to Brisbane Roar

Perth Glory’s A-League Women’s season is hanging by a thread as their finals drought appears set to stretch into an eighth year after a 5-2 defeat to Brisbane Roar at Imperial Corp Stadium. Brisbane’s win allowed them to consolidate their spot in the top six and move them four points clear of Glory in eighth spot with one game to play. If either sixth-placed Central Coast Mariners or seventh-placed Melbourne Victory beat Canberra United or Sydney FC respectively across the weekend, Glory will be out of the finals race. The match summed up Perth’s season: plenty of promising signs, but a lack of conversion in front of goal coupled with avoidable mistakes put them behind the eight-ball before a valiant fightback fell short. Glory’s bad luck started pre-game as they lost star goalkeeper Teresa Morrissey to injury and with back-ups Jessica Skinner and Meg Phillips not making the trip due to ailments, the recently-signed Dayle Schroeder was forced into an unlikely debut. A promising start went downhill fast when Aimee Medwin headed Brisbane into the lead against the run of play and Roar skipper Momo Hayashi caitalised on an error to make it 2-0 just after the 30-minute mark. But Julia Sardo’s header second before half-time gave Perth a lifeline and within five minutes of the restart, Rola Badawiya’s strike caught Matildas goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln out and drew Glory level. Unfortunately for the visitors’s, Kijah Stephenson made Perth pay from another mistake in the 57th minute with a brilliant strike from range following another Glory misstep, before Hayashi’s free-kick added to the away side’s misery and Tameka Yallop rubbed salt into the wound in injury-time. Schroeder was starting for Perth SC in their NPLW season-opener less than a week ago, but had little to do in the opening 15 minutes as Perth racked up five shots to one, with Megan Wynne’s pace looming large on the right wing. But they were unable to really test Chloe Lincoln in goal, with Wynne, Rola Badawiya and Gabby Hollar all putting promising sights on goal into her gloves. Almost predictably, the Roar took the lead off their first real chance when Angie Beard’s corner was headed home by Medwin. With Brisbane having scored from their first shot on target, Perth promptly went on the attack again and Tijan McKenna’s deflected effort was hooked over the bar by Onyinyechi Zogg. But a mis-kick on the edge of the box by Georgia Cassidy allowed Hayashi to drive the ball into the net and with it, a dagger into Perth’s hearts. Ashlyn Miller could have put the game beyond doubt a few minutes later when she shot wide from Bente Jansen’s clever pass. But Perth got a goal back on the cusp of half-time when Sardo’s shot was deflected narrowly over and from the resultant corner, she rose to guide home Emma Tovar’s cross from close-range. It proved to be Sardo’s last involvement as coach Stephen Peters introduced the more attacking-minded Ella Abdul-Massih at the break, before Badawiya’s shot beat Lincoln at the near post and it was game on once again. The match tilted back in Brisbane’s favour when another turnover in Perth’s half saw Stephenson unleash an excellent first-time strike which beat Schoreder all ends up. And Hayashi effectively iced the game when her direct free-kick took a slight deflection off McKenna and moved enough to deceive Schroeder in goal. Yallop’s composed finish in the 96th minute added insult to injury.