Glory sit proudly on the top of the Westfield W-League ladder after a Rachel Hill hat-trick inspired them to a resounding 4-1 win over Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.
It was a second consecutive 4-1 win for Bobby Despotovski’s side following last week’s demolition of reigning champions Melbourne City and was rendered all the more impressive by the fact that Roar had downed highly-rated Sydney FC in their opening game of the campaign.
Hill’s first goal arrived two minutes before the break when she was played in cleverly by Sam Kerr and slammed a shot into the roof of the net from a testing angle.
And although Glory were pegged back in stoppage time when home skipper Clare Polkinghorne headed home from close range, the visitors took control on the final half-hour.
Hill restored her side’s lead by calmly finding the net after a shot from Raquel Rodriguez had been palmed into her path by Roar ‘keeper Mackenzie Arnold.
Skipper Kerr then claimed her second goal of the season from the penalty spot having been pulled down by former Glory team-mate, Arnold.
And with six minutes left, Hill added some further gloss to a hugely-impressive victory by firing home a low shot that eluded several Roar defenders on its way into the net.
Unfortunately, however, the three points did come at a price, with influential US midfielder Nikki Stanton sustaining a broken arm in a clash with Allira Toby, an injury that could keep her out of action for six weeks.
Next on the agenda for Glory is another away trip, this time to Adelaide United on Friday.
Match Details
Brisbane Roar 1 (Polkinghorne 44’) Perth Glory 4 (Hill 42’, 59’, 84’, Kerr (pen) 78’)
Suncorp Stadium
Brisbane Roar: 1. Mackenzie ARNOLD, 2. Carson PICKETT, 4. Clare POLKINGHORNE, 6. Celeste BOUREILLE, 8. Kaitlyn TORPEY (11. Natalie TATHEM 55’), 9. Wai Ki CHEUNG, 10. Katrina-Lee GORRY, 12. Allira TOBY, 13. Tameka BUTT (7. Ayesha KIRBY 81’), 14. Summer O’BRIEN, 15. Abbey LLOYD (3. Amy CHAPMAN 63’)
Substitutes not used: 30. Kirsten VEEREN (GK)
Yellow cards: Boureille 62’, Arnold 78’
Red cards: None
Perth Glory: 18. Melissa MAIZELS, 2. Sarah CARROLL, 3. Kim CARROLL, 4. Natasha RIGBY, 7. Nicole STANTON (8. Shawn BILLAM 25’), 9. Rachel HILL, 10. Raquel RODRIGUEZ, 11. Nicola BOLGER, (17. Marianna TABAIN 75’) 12. Shannon MAY, 16. Amanda FRISBIE, 20. Sam Kerr (6. Danielle BROGAN 90+3’)
Substitutes not used: 24. Morgan AQUINO (GK)
Yellow cards: Frisbie 64’
Red cards: None
#CREATEDESTINY
