Glory suffered their second defeat in Victoria in the space of four days as Western United ran out 4-1 winners at Ironbark Fields on Tuesday evening.
Watch full video highlights HERE
Having been unfortunate to lose 1-0 to Melbourne Victory on Saturday, the injury-ravaged visitors found themselves playing into the teeth of a strong wind during the first half against United and their hopes of securing a much-needed first away win of the season were all but blown away as they conceded two goals in as many minutes.
The first arrived in bizarre circumstances as Claudia Valletta inadvertently sliced the ball into her own net after Casey Dumont had parried a shot from Adriana Taranto and before Glory could recover and reset, Grace Maher scored direct from a corner.
Melissa Taranto duly made it 3-0 with a low shot from 25m midway through the second half and although the industrious Gabby Hollar pulled one back for Glory eight minutes from time with her third goal of the season, United still managed to have the last word as substitute Aimee Medwin grabbed a late fourth.
Stephen Peters’ side seemed to deal with the wind reasonably well during the opening half-hour, restricting the hosts to a couple of speculative long-range efforts from Caroline Zimmerman, but their hard work was undone in the space of just two minutes.
Valletta’s misdirected clearance flew past a completely wrong-footed Dumont and the Glory ‘keeper was then beaten in the flight by Maher’s inswinging corner which sailed into the roof of the net.
To their credit, Glory began the second half brightly and came close to pulling one back when Hollar climbed highest to meet an Izzy Dalton corner, but was unable to get enough on her header to trouble Chloe Lincoln in the home goal.
And after weathering that storm from the visitors, United responded by landing another body blow as Melissa Taranto found the net from long-range.
The tireless Hollar deserved the goal she claimed to reduce the arrears and hint at an unlikely late comeback, but those hopes were swiftly snuffed out as Kiara De Domizio’s low cross was deflected into the path of Medwin who finished emphatically.
Match Details
Ninja A-League 2024-25 Season Round 9
Western United 4 (Valletta (o.g.) 34′, Maher 36′, Melissa Taranto 71′, Medwin 87′)) Perth Glory 1 (Hollar 82′)
Half-time: 2-0
Ironbark Fields
Tuesday 21 January 2025
Referee:
Western United: 36. Chloe LINCOLN (gk), 6. Chloe LOGARZO (13. Avaani PRAKASH 76′), 8. Sasha GROVE, 9. Sara EGGESVIK, 10. Kahli JOHNSON, 15. Adriana TARANTO (7. Kiara DE DOMIZIO 46′), 16. Melissa TARANTO (2. Emily ROACH 88′), 18. Grace MAHER, 24. Julia SARDO, 28. Isabel DEHAKIZ, 34. Catherine ZIMMERMAN (5. Aimee MEDWIN 65′)
Substitutes not used: 1. Alyssa DALL’OSTE (gk)
Yellow Cards: Zimmerman
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 1.Casey DUMONT, 4.Claudia VALLETTA (14.Miku SUNAGA 46′), 5.Grace JOHNSTON (20.Ella ABDUL MASSIH 63′), 7.Megan WYNNE, 9.Gabby HOLLAR, 11.Natalie TATHEM, 12.Caitlin DOEGLAS (25.Ella LINCOLN 76′), 13.Naomi CHINNAMA, 23.Izzy DALTON (co-c) (2.Mischa ANDERSON 57′), 27.Charli WAINWRIGHT, 29.Onyinyechi ZOGG (co-c)
Substitutes not used: 21.Miranda TEMPLEMAN (gk)
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
