Perth Glory extended their lead at the top of the Westfield W-League to five points with a hard fought 1-0 win over Sydney FC at Ashfield Sports Club.
The deadlock was broken in the 51st minute with a bullet straight into the top corner from Glory’s Marianna Tabain following a short corner.
The first half presented very few clear cut chances with Glory edging the play and flashing a handful of shots at goal, the majority of which failed to trouble Sydney keeper Casey Dumont.
Glory’s best chance of the first half came as Gabe Marzano slotted Tabain in on goal but she put her shot comfortably within Dumont’s reach.
Dumont’s game was cut short in the second half after receiving a second knock in a challenge from a corner, which seemed to further aggravate an injury she had picked up in the first half.
Sydney fought back and threatened for extended periods of the second half, and looked particularly strong with forward runs from Jasmyne Spencer.
Spencer came close to equalising as she stretched to reach a low diagonal cross, which almost snuck in at the back post even without her reaching it.
Sydney were unlucky not to find the net as Amy Harrison found herself one on one with Glory keeper Mackenzie Arnold, who pulled off a brilliant save to keep Glory in the lead.
Glory continued to threaten late on but ultimately were happy to hold onto the 1-0 lead and held the ball in the corner to eat up the clock and grind out a hard fought win.
The result leaves Perth as the only unbeaten side in the W-League, with six wins from as many games. Sydney stayed second on the table.
Perth Glory 1 (Tabain 51′)
Sydney FC 0
Saturday 18th October 2014
Ashfield Sports Club
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Referee: Casey Reibelt
Assistant referees: Josh Nixon, Tom Dowle
4th official: Matthew Southern
Perth Glory: 1. Mackenzie ARNOLD, 2. Sarah CARROLL, 4. Bronwyn STUDMAN 5. Shannon MAY, 6. Alanna KENNEDY, 7. Gabrielle MARZANO (13. Elisa D’OVIDIO 76′), 9. Caitlin FOORD, 12. Kate GILL, 14. Collette McCALLUM (8. Shawn BILLAM 88′), 15. Shelina ZADORSKY, 17. Marianna TABAIN
Substitutes not used: 3. Carys HAWKINS, 18. Gabrielle DAL BUSCO
Yellow cards: Studman 23′, Foord 27′, Zadorsky 29′
Red cards: nil
Sydney FC: 1. Casey DUMONT (20. Alyssa HARRIS 64′), 3. Elizabeth RALSTON, 4. Alesha CLIFFORD, 5. Jasmyne SPENCER, 6. Servet UZUNLAR, 7. Nicola BOLGER, 8. Amy HARRISON (13. Trudy CAMILLERI 86′), 9. Ellyse PERRY, 12. Chloe LOGARZO (18. Heidi MAKRILLOS 79′), 15. Tiegen ALLEN 16. Samantha JOHNSON
Substitutes not used: 14. Olivia PRICE
Yellow cards: Johnson 12′, Perry 90+2′
Red cards: nil
