Millie Farrow scored her first-ever hat-trick as Perth Glory upstaged Melbourne City 3-1 in their top-of-the-table Liberty A-League showdown.
Farrow was the hero in Saturday’s contest pitting first against second – the Englishwoman scored twice in the second half to help Glory conquer previously unbeaten City at Genis Steel Stadium in Melbourne.
Hannah Wilkinson had given City a 17th-minute lead but Farrow took control from that point, sensationally scoring in the 32nd, 51st and 71st minutes to become the first Perth player to score a Liberty A-League hat-trick since legendary striker Sam Kerr in 2019.
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With the result, Glory leapfrogged City into top spot on goal difference through seven rounds.
In the pouring Melbourne rain, there was a memorable moment for City’s McKenna sisters – Leticia and Tijan, who started their first A-Leagues game together.
Lysianne Proulx was called into action by Glory’s Isobel Dalton in the 15th minute. The Perth midfielder tried her lock from range and she forced the Canadian goalkeeper to tip the ball over the crossbar.
City then hit the front two minutes later through Wilkinson. Tijan McKenna delivered an inch-perfect cross for the New Zealand international to rise highest and head home the opening goal and her third in four matches against Perth.
After Leticia McKenna had a goal-bound strike blocked, the Glory equalised in the 32 minute – Quinley Quezada played through Farrow, who made no mistake as she rounded the goalkeeper and finished into an empty net.
There was some drama before half-time when Farrow had a penalty appeal waved away before Rhianna Pollicina’s stoppage-time goal was rule offside.
Within a minute of the second half restarting, City had another chance to hit the front but Pollicina’s goal-bound effort was blocked.
At the other end, some fine work from Liz Anton helped unlock City and teed up Farrow for her second of the game.
Anton turned her opponent inside out and drove into the penalty area and picked out the Englishwoman, who calmly side-footed into the back of the net.
Farrow as at it again with 19 minutes remaining. Perth played a long ball forward while she was still in her own half. However, the Glory import still outpaced her City opponent, sprinting clear and rounding Proulx to complete her three-goal haul.
The Talking Point
Melbourne City came into the contest as the only undefeated team in the competition with five wins and a draw from their first six matches.
In that span, Dario Vidosic’s side had beaten defending champions Sydney FC, Wellington Phoenix, Canberra United, Western Sydney wanderers and Newcastle Jets, while drawing with 2022-23 Grand Finalists Western United.
However, they came unstuck on Saturday.
This is despite finishing the game with 60.7% possession, 23 shots and 13 on target. Compare that to Perth’s 39.3% possession, nine shots and seven on target.
The Glory made it count on the scoreboard at the home of Victorian club Preston Lions.
Perth, thanks to Farrow, bounced back from their loss to Wellington to snap a run of two consecutive matches without a win.
The Glory have now won two straight games against City, with an aggregate score of 7-4.
The Star
Who else but Millie Farrow?
Before Saturday, the former Chelsea forward had scored once in six matches since arriving from North Carolina in the United States. She scored in the Round 6 defeat at Wellington Phoenix.
The 27-year-old, who was part of the Chelsea squad that won the 2015 Women’s Super League (WSL), took her game to an entirely new level against high-flying City, proving too hot to handle in wet conditions.
She took home the matchball for the first time in her career after celebrating the first A-League Women hat-trick for Perth since Matildas captain Kerr found the back of the net three times in a match four years ago.
What it means
Perth are now top of the table after seven rounds, rising from second spot courtesy of their triumph away from home.
Another blockbuster looms for the Glory, with the visit of titleholders Sydney FC in Western Australia on December 17.
City will look to bounce back when they visit Central Coast Mariners on December 15.
