A 93rd-minute free-kick scored by 18-year-old Ella Abdul-Massih earned Perth Glory a remarkable 3-2 win over Brisbane Roar at the Sam Kerr Football Centre on Sunday night.
Glory trailed twice in the first half of their Ninja A-League clash after Tameka Yallop’s opener and a Grace Kuilamu strike on either side of two goals to Glory striker Caitlin Doeglas.
The second half remained goalless until stoppage time when the contest burst into life; a challenge from Holly McQueen on Abdul-Massih just outside Glory’s attacking box led to a straight red card brandished to McQueen, and a late free-kick that Abdul-Massih fired into the back of the net to seal all three points for Perth.
“Perth Glory have pulled off a miracle at the Sam Kerr Football Centre!” Said A-Leagues commentator Taryn Heddo as the final whistle blew.
“After going behind twice in the game, recovering twice, it is the 18-year-old Ella Abdul-Massih who has scored a stunner of a direct free-kick to give them the three points. What a moment!”
Abdul-Massih hadn’t scored a Ninja A-League goal before Sunday’s clash at the Sam Kerr Football Centre but her brilliant free-kick finish officially got the teenager off the mark in the competition, and earned her side an epic win for the ages.
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The first of four goals in an entertaining first half came via CommBank Matildas great Tameka Yallop whose backheel from close range nutmegged Glory defender Natalie Tathem on its way into the back of the net.
Having given Brisbane an early lead, Yallop drew level with Glory legend Sam Kerr as the Ninja A-League’s second-highest goalscorer of all-time with her 70th goal in the league – and it was only fitting the milestone moment came at the Sam Kerr Football Centre in Perth.
The Roar held their 1-0 lead until the 29th minute when Doeglas kicked off a chaotic five-minute sequence with her second goal since returning to the club in early January.
Doeglas picked out the bottom-right corner with a clinical finish after a neat turn on the edge of the box.
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Having just conceded the equaliser, Brisbane launched an instant attack from the resulting kick-off and, 30 seconds after the restart, had suddenly retaken the lead when Grace Kuilamu produced the rapid response Alex Smith’s side needed in Perth.
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But there was to be one more twist in a seesawing first half when Doeglas caught Roar keeper Olivia Sekany dwelling on the ball in Brisbane’s defensive penalty box.
The lapse in concentration from Sekany left the door ajar for Doeglas to snatch possession, skip past Sekany and fire the ball into an open net to secure her first-half brace.
The three goals scored in five second-half minutes made it 2-2 at the break, with an unpredictable first half setting up a tantalising second 45 at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.
There were no goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half but, just beyond the hour mark, there were worrying scenes at the Sam Kerr Football Centre as Matildas and Brisbane star Sharn Freier succumbed to what appeared to be a right ankle injury.
Just days after the winger’s end-of-season move to German giants VfL Wolfsburg was confirmed, Freier went down in agony after an attempt to cross the ball off the left flank, and was substituted minutes later.
As the second half continued, A-Leagues commentator Taryn Heddo supplied an update on Freier’s injury.
“We’ve received word that the ankle of Sharn Freier is just bruised,” Heddo said on commentary. “So that will be a relief to everyone watching: nothing too serious there is the assessment.”
Despite the injury blow, Brisbane continued their pursuit of a third goal and almost found one through Kuilamu who put Glory keeper Casey Dumont to the test after winning possession inside her attacking six-yard box.
Down the other end, Doeglas reminded Brisbane of her constant goal threat with a curling effort from distance that Sekany did well to tip away from the target with a diving save.
With three minutes of time added on, Glory mounted one last attack as Abdul-Massih attempted to latch onto a lofted through ball in behind Brisbane’s defence. The 18-year-old went down in a tangle with McQueen who received a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity; from the resulting free-kick, Abdul-Massih hammered home the decisive goal as the fans at the Sam Kerr Football Centre erupted in celebration.
