Glory ALW Head Coach Stephen Peters is backing his side to chart their own course to the Finals ahead of Friday’s penultimate game of the regular season against Brisbane Roar at Spencer Park.
(Please note that the kick-off time for has been changed from the original 4pm WST (6pm Local) to 5pm WST (7pm Local) – watch live and FREE on 10.com.au).
Three points in the Sunshine State would move the women in purple to within touching distance of their first top-six finish since 2019, with Roar, Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory also all vying for fifth and sixth place.
And while keenly aware of the challenges that Roar and Glory’s final round opponents Victory will provide, Peters is happily embracing the situation.
“Our destiny is still very much in our hands,” he said.
“I think it’s a unique experience for the girls as they’ve obviously not been in this position for a number of years.
“So for us to be having these conversations and having to deal with the pressure that comes with it is a real growth point for us.
“Hopefully some of the stuff that we’ve already been through in our time together in the last two years we can take into Brisbane on Friday.”
Glory will make the long trek east off the back of a 0-0 home draw with fellow-Finals-hopefuls Central Coast, a performance which the Head Coach felt was generally positive.
“I think we controlled the game quite well and I was very happy with most of it,” he said.
“It was just that cutting edge in the final third that let us down.
“We had two good chances to score and potentially take the three points and I think we restricted them to only two long-range shots… and that calamity of a corner, but outside of that, I thought we contained them very well.
“Overall, I was pretty happy with it.”
Glory will be up against a Roar side that claimed a 3-2 victory at HBF Park back in Round 2, but had lost four on the spin before managing to halt that slide last weekend with a 4-2 home win over Newcastle Jets.
Peters feels that the nature of their display against the Jets will leave the hosts in confident mood heading into what is effectively a must-win game for them too.
“They had eight or nine games in January and early February which was always going to be difficult for them,” he said, “but I think they handled that really well and got a few wins in a row.
“Then obviously fatigue and a pretty bad injury toll took place, so I think it’s pretty normal what they’ve gone through given the amount of quality they’re missing.
“I’m sure they were very pleased with that game against Newcastle because it was a real statement from them and it puts them right back in the mix.
“It feels like an age ago that we played them.
“It’s a hard one to predict and I think it will depend upon which team controls the game.
“They know our strengths and we know theirs and they probably know our weaknesses just as well as we know theirs, so it’s going to be who adapts well and controls the game.”
Currently sitting one point and one place above Glory in sixth,
Alex Smith’s Roar have been the great entertainers in the ALW this term, scoring the third-highest amount of goals (30), but also conceding the most (36).
Dutch import Bente Jansen is their leading scorer with eight goals, two of which came against Glory at HBF Park, while 22-year-old midfielder Alicia Woods has also been a major contributor, starting every game in which she has delivered 65 crosses, won 39 tackles and made 31 interceptions, placing her in the top ten across the league for each category.
Roar could be boosted by the return of goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln following her involvement with the Matildas at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and vastly-experienced midfielder Tameka Yallop is also likely to feature.
Seven-goal forward Daisy Brown, however, will reportedly not be available for the hosts following her recent call-up for the Young Matildas.
Friday will mark the 26th meeting between the two sides, with Roar having won 11 games to Glory’s ten.
Match Details
Ninja A-League 2025/26 Season Round 21
Brisbane Roar v Perth Glory
Spencer Park
Friday 27 March 2026
Kick-off: 5pm WST
#ONEGlory
ALW Match Preview: Glory’s Finals destiny in their own hands ahead of Brisbane trip
