A Rosie Sutton hat-trick has helped Perth Glory move clear atop the Westfield W-League standings with an action-packed 3-1 win over Sydney FC at nib Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
A Rosie Sutton hat-trick has helped Perth Glory move clear atop the Westfield W-League standings with an action-packed 3-1 win over Sydney FC at nib Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Glory are now on 12 points from five matches with Canberra United in second on eight points, but the champions are still to play this weekend.
In 32-degree heat, it was a frenzied first half that saw both teams score.
Sutton opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a glancing header that got past a diving Sian McLaren.
But Sydney responded from the restart after Perth goalkeeper Carly Telford parried a shot back into a dangerous area and Chloe Logarzo was on the spot to tap home the 19th-minute goal.
Sutton’s second came in the 76th minute when she headed home a well-weighted Marianna Tabain cross into the top-right corner of the Sydney goal.
And the striker completed her hat-trick when she got in behind the Sky Blues’ defence and dribbled past McClaren to roll home the 85th-minute sealer for Perth.
Both teams had their chances to lead before half-time but failed to capitalise.
Sydney came tantalisingly close to taking the advantage in the 24th minute when goalscorer Lorgazo’s shot forced a save from Telford and then from the rebound Nicola Bolger’s shot hit the inside of the post only to deflect out of the goals and be cleared by the Perth defence.
Aivi Luik had a shot from beyond 18 yards for Perth, but it went just over the crossbar as Perth wrested back some of the momentum.
The heat appeared to take its toll on the players in the second half, as play slowed down but opened up considerably as Sydney took control of the match.
Sydney’s best chance of the second half came when Logarzo sprayed a shot from just six yards over the crossbar.
And they had claims for a penalty in the 65th minute when Perth captain Sasha Andrews appeared to handle the ball in the box, but referee Rebecca Durcau waved away the appeals.
Perth were not without their own chances in the second half, Elisa D’Ovidio found herself unmarked in the middle only with McClaren to get two hands to her shot and knock it wide.
Tabain very nearly added a fourth goal for the home side in injury time with a free kick that grazed the top of the Sydney goal.
Perth Glory 3 (Sutton 18, 76, 85)
Sydney FC 1 (Logarzo 19)
Perth Glory: 1. Carly Telford, 3. Carys Hawkins (Sarah Carroll ’69), 4. Bronwyn Studman (Jaymee Gibbons ’80), 5. Shannon May, 6. Sasha Andrews (c), 7. Aivi Luik, 8. Ella Mastrantonio, 9. Rosie Sutton, 13. Elisa D’Ovidio (Shawn Billam ’68), 15. Liz Milne, 17. Marianna Tabain
Sydney FC: 2. Teresa Polias, 3. Elizabeth Ralston, 7. Nicola Berger, 10. Renee Rollason (Kylie Ledbrook ’58), 12. Chloe Logarzo, 13. Larissa Crummer, 15. Hannah Bromley, 19. Emma Kete, 1. Sian McClaren, 11. Annalie Longo (Meg McLaughlin ’78), 22. Lillie Billson
