In-form Matildas forward Holly McNamara bagged a hat-trick as Glory were downed 3-1 by reigning ALW Premiers Melbourne City in Sunday’s Ninja A-League Round 9 clash at AAMI Park.
Click HERE for full match highlights.
The women in purple were the better side for much of the first half and yet found themselves trailing 2-0 at the break after McNamara netted from a one-on-one situation and then tapped in at the far post.
Bronte Trew duly raised Glory’s hopes by pulling one back with her first goal for the club early in the second half, but another neat finish from McNamara 19 minutes from time effectively sealed the points for the home side.
Click HERE to view goalscorer Bronte Trew’s post-game interview.
The result leaves Stephen Peters’ side still sitting just outside the top six on goal difference having won two of their last three outings.
Glory made arguably their brightest start to a game yet this season, unsettling the hosts with their high, aggressive press and creating several excellent chances inside the opening 15 minutes.
The first and best of those chances fell to Trew who fired over having been picked out by Rola Badawiya after the latter had latched onto Tijan McKenna’s searching ball down the left flank.
Trew was also involved as Glory went close again moments later, this time delivering a pinpoint cross which Susan Phonsongkham fired wide of the target.
The visitors were very much in the ascendancy at that point and yet it was City who made the breakthrough shortly after the half-hour mark.
Showing an impressive turn of speed, McNamara latched onto a through-ball from Leah Davidson, outstripped the Glory defence and finished emphatically.
And McNamara doubled her and City’s tally in first-half stoppage-time, stroking home after Chinaza Uchendu had forced a turnover just inside the box and unselfishly rolled the ball into her path.
Seemingly undaunted by the two-goal deficit, Glory began the second half as purposefully as they had the first and this time earned their reward at the end of a fine team move.
Georgia Cassidy began it with a superb ball into the left channel which allowed Grace Johnston to get to the byline and cross for Trew who applied the simplest of far post finishes.
The Davidson – McNamara axis was continuing to cause problems for the visitors’ defence, however and they combined to deadly effect once again to effectively snuff out any chance of a Glory comeback midway through the second half.
Davidson again supplied an inch-perfect through-ball and this time McNamara applied a cool, chipped finish to take her tally for the season to seven.
Substitutes Ella Lincoln and Gabby Hollar both had glimpses of goal for Glory late on, but were unable to take their chances on an afternoon when McNamara’s clinical finishing ultimately proved the difference between the two sides.
Match Details
Ninja A-League 2025/26 Season Round 9
Melbourne City 3 (McNamara 23′, 45+3′, 71′) Perth Glory 1 (Trew 50′)
Half-time: 2-0
AAMI Park
Referee: Bec Mackie
Melbourne City: 24. Malena MIERES (gk), 3. Danielle TURNER, 5. Taylor OTTO, 6. Leticia MCKENNA, 7. Danella BUTRUS (16. Karly ROESTBAKKEN 68′), 8. Alexia APOSTOLAKIS, 9. Holly MCNAMARA (2. Ellie WILSON 85′), 13. Rebekah STOTT (c), 15. Chinaza UCHENDU (11. Deven JACKSON 78′), 18. Leah DAVIDSON, 21. Aideen KEANE
Substitutes not used: 10. Izabella RAKO, 17. Kaya JUGOVIC, 23. Melissa BARBIERI (gk)
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 1.Teresa MORRISSEY (gk), 2.Mischa ANDERSON (29.Onyinyechi ZOGG 46′), 3.Emma TOVAR, 5.Grace JOHNSTON, 6.Tijan MCKENNA, 8.Georgia CASSIDY (28.Clancy WESTAWAY 69′), 10.Susan PHONSONGKHAM (9.Gabby HOLLAR 68′), 12.Bronte TREW, 17.Rola BADAWIYA (25.Ella LINCOLN 68′), 23.Isobel DALTON (c) (19.Sarah O’DONOGHUE 79′), 24.Julia SARDO
Substitutes not used: 21.Megan PHILLIPS (gk)
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
ALW Match Wrap: Glory downed by reigning Premiers at AAMI Park
