Sydney FC have Premiership in their sights after smashing Glory for six

Remy Siemsen and Clare Wheeler hit doubles as Sydney FC edged closer to a first Premiership in 10 years after blitzing Perth Glory in a thumping 6-2 win.

The ladder-leaders extended their advantage at the top of the Westfield W-League to five points following a six-star display against bottom-of-the-table Glory at Dorrien Gardens.

But the hosts could not be faulted during a close-fought opening 44 minutes as Alex Epakis’ side battled valiantly before Remy Siemsen broke the deadlock on the cusp of half-time with a stunning left-footed strike.

There was a goal frenzy after the break with Ante Juric’s team rallying to net three more in the space of 16 minutes as Princess Ibini crashed in a rocket, Siemsen doubled her tally due to goalkeeper Lily Alfeld’s error and Wheeler slid in a fourth.

With the game all but over as a contest, Glory’s 17-year-old sensation Hana Lowry scored her first goals of the season, two left-footed strikes in three minutes. Wheeler stopped the momentum by lashing in her second, but she missed the chance to complete a hat-trick when her penalty kick was saved by Alfeld.

There were sombre scenes as Sky Blues defender Ellie Brush was carried off in pain with a knee injury in the closing stages, before Ibini almost had the final word deep into stoppage time but her deflected effort that made it 6-2 was credited as a Sarah Carroll own goal.

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Key moments

The Sky Blues stated their intensions from the off and Princess Ibini caught the first clear sight of the Perth goal after the ball ricocheted around the hosts’ penalty area, as Lily Alfeld got down well to save, as the league’s bottom club grew into the contest with Taneesha Baker dragging an effort wide of Sydney’s goal midway through the opening half.

Glory midfielder Marianna Tabain was next to try her luck from distance, while Sydney’s Rachel Lowe lashed a couple of strikes well off target as the opening stanza continued on an even keel. But the leaders stepped it up in the closing stages, with the dangerous Remy Siemsen firing one shot over the crossbar before finding the mark with her next effort in superb fashion.

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Anything Siemsen can do, Ibini was intent on trying to top it. Within three minutes of the restart, the Westfield Matildas attacker showed a sharp turn before rifling in a left-footed strike of her own into the top corner of a helpless Alfeld’s net, as all of the fight shown by Glory in the opening 44 minutes appeared to be disappearing.

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Five minutes later, and Siemsen had one-upped Ibini again. After Lowe scooped the ball over a static Glory defence, the 21-year-old striker hammered a low drive through the legs of Alfeld in the Perth goal to make it 3-0 and take a step closer to retaining the Westfield W-League Golden Boot she shared with three others last season.

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The hat-trick was within Siemsen’s sights and she soon had another snapshot on the turn parried over by Alfeld as Perth desperately tried to hang in the game. But the Sky Blues were rampant as Ally Green delivered a precise left-wing cross and Clare Wheeler raced in front of her marker to slid the ball in at her near post as the rout continued at Dorrien Gardens.

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With the result seemingly confirmed, Perth youngster Hana Lowry collected a loose ball and slammed a left-footed strike past a diving Whyman from outside of Sydney’s penalty area, before making it two goals in three minutes when substitute Jamie-Lee Gale surged down the right and cross for the Young Matilda to slot in her second senior goal of her career to pull it back to 4-2.

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But Sydney were not finished and Wheeler slammed in from close range in the 71st minute to net her third goal in three games, having gone 72 competition matches without a goal. After Wheeler had spurned the chance for a treble from the spot, Ibini completed the scoring in the 95th minute when her fierce shot went in off Carroll’s leg to establish a five-point lead over title-rivals, the Brisbane Roar.