A-League Women: Perth Glory outclassed in 3-0 defeat to Canberra United to extend poor record at McKellar Park

Perth Glory have lost their third A-League Women’s game on the spin as their McKellar Park blues continued in a 3-0 defeat to a previously-winless Canberra United. Glory’s opening day victory and encouraging performances against both Brisbane roar and Sydney FC are now but a distant memory after they were outclassed by the bottom of the table side in the nation’s capital. In Perth’s worst performance of the season, they managed just one shot on target and defeat meant they have now won just once and lost 11 times in 17 away games in Canberra. The visitors gave themselves a mountain to climb following goals inside the opening 10 minutes to Michelle Heyman and Emma Robers and hopes of a second-half revival were quickly snuffed out by Beth Gordon’s excellent strike. Glory coach Stephen Peters made several changes to the side from last week, with captain Isobel Dalton not travelling due to a knee complaint, Naomi Chinamma dropped to the bench and Sarah O’Donoghue out of the squad. And with Emma Tovar dropping into the heart of a reworked, four-woman defence, Peters opted for Tijan McKenna and Charli Wainwright in midfield. Perth’s poor record of conceding after restarts was a talking point heading into the game, but against United, it was the way they started the match which proved their downfall. Tegan Bertolissio’s long ball forward picked out Josie Aulicino’s clever forward run and her early cross was happily stabbed home by Heyman just three minutes in. It took just five minutes for Canberra to double their advantage when Gordon’s precise free-kick was met by Robers and her looping header evaded goalkeeper Alyssa Dall’Oste and crossed the line via the bar. Wainwright should have halved the deficit for Perth when she was given a free header at the back post shortly after, but could only head wide. The hosts looked dangerous when they went forward through the pace of wing-backs Sasha Grove and Hayley Taylor-Young and teenager Sienna Dale. It could have been 3-0 when Dale saw her shot saved by Dall’Oste, before Onyinyechi Zogg dallied on the ball and was out-muscled by Heyman, only for referee Rachael Mitchenson to slightly fortuitously blow for a foul. Perth did look the better side in the period before half-time, but their final ball let them down and failed to test ‘keeper Sally James outside of a few hopeful Rola Badawiya attempts. Needing to chase the game, Peters made use of his substitutes at half-time as he pushed Tovar into midfield and introduced teenager Ischia Brooking for Wainwright to play alongside her. But the changed back-fired defensively as Canberra were able to burst through midfield regularly and Gordon lashed home a first-time strike to put the game beyond reach. Perth toiled for a consolation but never really convinced in their attempts, while Jazmin Wardlow came closest to extending United’s lead during a goalmouth scramble only for her shot to ricochet off Robers.