Izzy Dalton opened her Glory goalscoring account with a last-minute stunner to earn her side a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Canberra United at Macedonia Park on Saturday evening.
View full match highlights HERE
View Alex Epakis’ post-match media conference HERE
Alex Epakis’ charges were forced to come from behind twice in a contest which ebbed and flowed right from the start, with the in-form Michelle Heyman giving the visitors an early lead before Susan Phonsongkham fired Glory level.
Heyman duly grabbed her and Canberra’s second goal on the stroke of half-time, but after applying some concerted late pressure, the hosts secured a deserved point courtesy of Dalton’s wonderful long-range strike.
On a typically warm Perth summer’s night, United turned up the early heat and hit the front after just eight minutes as Nickoletta Flannery delivered a pinpoint cross for Heyman who calmly found the net from close range.
Glory’s response was a while coming, but it was worth the wait as Phonsongkham claimed a stylish fourth goal of the season.
A cross from Sakalis was knocked down by Millie Farrow and Phonsongkham caressed a shot past Chloe Lincoln into the bottom corner.
Undaunted by that setback, the women in green soon struck the post through Vesna Milivojevic before Flannery again linked up with Heyman and this time the recently-recalled Matilda crashed home a shot off the underside of the bar.
The opening period of the second half was unfortunately marred by the departure of Glory ‘keeper Morgan Aquino who was forced off following a collision with Heyman and headed straight to hospital for scans on an arm injury.
Her replacement, Sally James, had little to do as the home side dominated the final quarter and were finally rewarded in the last minute of regulation time when Dalton unleashed a thunderous, swerving shot from 25 metres out which arrowed its way past Lincoln into and into the top corner.
Shortly after the dramatic late leveller, there was another moment of note as Perth teenager Clara Hoarau came off the bench for her Glory Liberty A-League debut.
Liberty A-League 2023/24 Season Round 17
Perth Glory 2 (Phonsongkham 36′, Dalton 90′) Canberra United 2 (Heyman 8′, 44′)
Half-time: 1-2
Macedonia Park
Saturday 10 February 2024
Referee: Rebecca Durcau
Attendance: 1003
Perth Glory: 1.Morgan AQUINO (GK) (24.Sally JAMES (GK) 56′), 3.Jessika COWART, 4.Natasha RIGBY (c), 7.Liz ANTON, 8.Hana LOWRY, 9.Millie FARROW, 10.Susan PHONSONGKHAM (17.Abbey GREEN 90+2′), 12.Sofia SAKALIS (27.Georgia CASSIDY 66′), 20.Quinley QUEZADA (31.Clara HOARAU 90+2′), 23.Isobel DALTON, 25.Grace JOHNSTON (19.Izzy FOLETTA 66′)
Substitutes not used: None
Yellow Cards: Farrow
Red Cards: None
Canberra United: 1. Chloe LINCOLN, 2. Alex MCKENZIE, 3. Sarah CLARK, 8. Sasha GROVE, 10. Mary STANIC-FLOODY, 11. Deven JACKSON (16.Maddy WHITTALL 71′), 17. Vesna MILIVOJEVIC, 19. Nickoletta FLANNERY (13. Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON 52′), 22. Cannon CLOUGH (5. Emma ILIJOSKI 70′), 23. Michelle HEYMAN, 28. Tegan BERTOLISSIO (20. Lillian SKELLY 79′)
Substitutes not used: 18. Coco MAJSTOROVIC (gk)
Yellow Cards: Stanic-Floody
Red Cards: None
(picture courtesy of Tom McCarthy)
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