Perth Glory have started their Westfield W-League campaign with a 2-0 win over Melbourne Victory at Intiga Stadium on Sunday.
Perth Glory have started their Westfield W-League campaign with a 2-0 win over Melbourne Victory at Intiga Stadium on Sunday.
Glory controlled the play for the majority of the match and had the best of the opportunities, but could not break the deadlock before Kate Gill’s 75th-minute strike.
Gill herself had squandered several golden chances earlier in the match, but converted when she got in behind the Victory defence and rolled the ball past Melbourne goalkeeper Brianna Davey.
Marianna Tabian doubled Glory’s advantage with a curling strike in the 88th minute into the top right-hand corner of the Victory goal as the game opened up as Melbourne searched of an equaliser.
Melbourne barely forced Perth goalkeeper Carly Telford into action throughout the game, but did have small periods of control, which included late in the first half and just after the restart.
Almost all of Glory’s first-half chances came from down the left as winger Tabain wreaked havoc with repeated crosses that put the Victory defence under pressure.
Glory captain Collete McCallum got on the end of one Tabain cross with a well-taken volley that forced a full-length save from Davey.
Melbourne’s defence did not do themselves any favours with a number of turnovers deep in their final third.
Striker Tiffany Eliadis put a volley wide from just six yards when she got on the end of the Victory’s best move late in the first half.
Shortly after, Elidias was felled and limped off after a hard challenge from Perth defender Tiffany Studman but returned to the pitch after half-time.
Caitlin Friend later replaced Elidias in the 65th minute amongst a host of changes from Melbourne manager Mike Mulvey.
Perth should have taken the lead early in the second half when they wasted two clear-cut chances just after the restart.
Sarah Carroll sprayed her shot wide after being left unmarked at the back post from another Tabain cross while Gill failed to get a meaningful touch on a Carys Hawkins long ball.
But Gill, who missed all of last season with a serious knee injury, eventually hit the back of the net as Perth began the process of atoning for last year’s horror campaign.
