Perth Glory’s Ninja A-League Finals destiny was taken out of their own hands on Friday evening as they suffered a damaging 5-2 defeat at the hands of fellow-top-six hopefuls Brisbane Roar.
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Despite dominating the opening exchanges at Spencer Park, Stephen Peters’ side found themselves 2-0 down just after the half-hour mark as Aimee Medwin headed home from a corner and Momo Hayashi capitalised upon a defensive error.
To their credit, Glory roared back, halving the arrears via a Julia Sardo header in first-half stoppage-time and then drawing level shortly after the restart when home goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln clawed Rola Badawiya’s cross into her own net.
With both sides knowing that victory would send them into fifth place with one game of the regular season remaining, the game continued to open up as the second half wore on and it was Brisbane who ultimately pulled away courtesy of a fine finish from Kijah Stephenson, Hayashi’s deflected free-kick and a stoppage-time effort from substitute Tameka Yallop.
The result now means that if Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory both win their respective games against Canberra United and Sydney FC over the weekend, Glory’s Finals hopes will be over.
A knee injury to Teresa Morrissey in the warm-up meant that Dayle Schroeder made an unexpected start in goal only days after signing on a short-term injury replacement contract, but she had little do in the opening quarter as Glory came flying out of the blocks.
Clearly keen to test out the competition’s leakiest defence, the visitors registered four efforts on target inside the opening 15 minutes.
Badawiya was in the thick of the attacking action, just failing to convert a Megan Wynne cross before seeing a header blocked by Lincoln in the home goal.
Lincoln was also forced to save from Wynne and field a deflected effort from Gabby Hollar as Glory continued to pour forward and yet somehow it was Brisbane who managed to break the deadlock with 20 minutes played.
Fresh from her exploits with the Philippines at the AFC Asian Cup, Angie Beard delivered a pinpoint corner and Aimee Medwin rose highest to head home her first goal of the season.
Perhaps rattled by finding themselves trailing completely against the run of play, Glory gifted Roar a second goal moments later, Hayashi seizing upon a loose ball on the edge of the box and finding the net.
It was vital for the visitors to gain a foothold in the game before the break and they managed to to do so in stoppage-time as Emma Tovar’s corner was nodded home by Sardo who did well to out-muscle her marker.
Clearly buoyed by that goal, Glory found themselves back on level terms four minutes into the second half when Badawiya burrowed her way into the box from the left and sent in a cross which Lincoln could only help into the net.
That was as good as it got for the WA side, however, as Roar proceeded to dominate the final half-hour.
Stephenson’s fine chip from outside the box restored their lead, with Hayashi then making it 4-2 via a free-kick which cannoned off the wall to leave Schroeder wrong-footed.
And right at the death, the lively Ashlyn Miller slipped in former Matildas midfielder Yallop whose clinical finish added further gloss to the scoreline for the hosts.
Match Details
Ninja A-League 2025/26 Season Round 21
Brisbane Roar 5 (Medwin 20′, Hayashi 32′, 65′ Stephenson 57′, Yallop 90+7′) Perth Glory 2 (Sardo 45+2′, Badawiya 49′)
Half-time: 2-1
Spencer Park
Friday 27 March 2026
Referee: Rachel Mitchenson
Brisbane Roar: 1.Chloe LINCOLN (GK), 2. Angela BEARD, 4.Kijah STEPHENSON, 5.Aimee MEDWIN, 6.Ruby CUTHBERT (22.Ava PIAZZA 87′), 7. Momo HAYASHI, 8.Josie STUDER, 15.Kiera MEYERS (13. Tameka YALLOP 69′), 17.Bente JANSEN, 27.Ashlyn MILLER, 32.Alicia WOODS
Substitutes not used: 12.Tahlia FRANCO (gk), 18.Amali KINSELLA, 20. Stella CAMPBELL (gk), 47. Kyla Hanson
Yellow Cards: Woods
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 52.Dayle SCHROEDER (gk), 3.Emma TOVAR, 5.Grace JOHNSTON, 6.Tijan MCKENNA, 7.Megan WYNNE (2.Mischa ANDERSON 69′), 8.Georgia CASSIDY (27.Charli WAINWRIGHT 62′), 9.Gabby HOLLAR (25.Ella LINCOLN 69′), 17.Rola BADAWIYA (19.Sarah O’DONOGHUE 62′), 23.Isobel DALTON (c), 24,Julia SARDO (46.Ella ABDUL MASSIH 46′), 29.Onyinyechi ZOGG
Substitutes not used: None
Yellow Cards: Cassidy
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
ALW Match Wrap: Glory’s Finals hopes fade following Roar defeat
