Melbourne Victory Women proved far too strong for Perth Glory in the Ninja A-League on Sunday afternoon.
Jeff Hopkins’ side secured all three points and maintained their 100% home record thanks to a first-half goal rush at the Home of the Matildas.
Kennedy White’s fifth goal of the season after 21 minutes was backed up by Sofia Sakalis’ first strike in Victory colours and a third of the campaign for Rhianna Pollicina as the hosts bounced back from a 1-0 loss away to Wellington Phoenix.
The Round 5 triumph puts Victory top of the ladder heading into December.
Team News
There was a single change to the starting XI in Wellington last weekend, and it was an enforced one, with Claudia Bunge away on international duty. In the New Zealander’s absence, Laura Pickett was promoted from the bench, and her place among the substitutes was taken by Taylor Ray.
Match action
Kick-off was delayed by a quarter of an hour due to a lightning strike, but it did not stop Victory from starting brightly in torrential rain, and the combination of Pollicina passes finding sharp Holly Furphy runs immediately had the visitors on the back foot.
The consequence of this early pressure was that Glory adopted a particuarly deep starting position, camped on the edge of their own box. Nevertheless, Hopkins’ side were able to create opportunities, the best of which saw Alana Jancevski, facing her former club, pick out Pollicina, only for the midfielder’s shot to hit the side netting.
And despite purple shirts being scattered across the penalty area defending the subsequent phases to a corner, Victory were able to take the lead midway through the first half. Zoe McMeeken backed herself to beat Grace Johnston on the outside, and once in the position to deliver, her low centre picked out White, who maintained her goal-a-game record courtesy to a speared shot into the top corner from 12 yards out.
This lead was almost extinguished just 120 seconds later, as the slippery conditions left by the earlier deluge threatened to undo Melbourne’s strong opening. Courtney Newbon was unable to keep hold of a cross, and when Rola Badawiya’s follow-up from the angle crashed off the post, Ella Lincoln put the rebound wide with the goal at her mercy on her first A-League start.
Rocked but not floored by this sequence, Victory came out fighting, extending their lead by two further goals before the break, netting in minutes 36 and 42. The first of these again came from the right flank, with patient build-up play giving Furphy room for a sweeping cross that Sakalis tapped in at the far post to open her account for the Club.
Number three was more fortuitous, but a fair reflection of the balance of play, as well as deserved reward for Pollicina’s midfield industry. Her powerful, on-target 25-yarder took a deflection on its route past Alyssa Dall’Oste.
Half-time: Melbourne Victory 3-0 Perth Glory
It was more of the same attacking intensity from the restart, and Glory were fortunate to avoid a penalty when a loose ball clearly struck the arm of Charli Wainright, but the referee
Mikayla Ryan was unmoved.
Hands were then used in a legal manner to deny Furphy from close range. The attacker swivelled smoothly inside the penalty area and forced a sharp save from Dall’Oste.
Perth’s goalkeeper was called into action again as the clock ticked past the hour mark. McMeeken crossed expertly off her left boot, and the anticipating Rachel Lowe was desperately unlucky to see Dall’Oste get gloves to her half-volley effort.
Lowe was nearly the provider of a fourth, crossing with the outside of her boot, with it taking another fine save from the opposition goalkeeper to keep White’s tally for the afternoon to only one.
There was more reason to cheer, although not for a goal, just moments later. Hopkins turned to his bench for the first time in the game and introduced Ray for her first Victory minutes, having sat out the start of the season through injury.
O’Grady soon followed her into the action, as the tireless Furphy, who had just taken a knock, was given a well-earned rest.
Match details
Melbourne Victory 3 (WHITE 21′, SAKALIS 26′, POLLICINA 42′)
Perth Glory 0
Melbourne Victory starting XI: 1. Courtney NEWBON (GK), 19. Zoe McMEEKEN, 18. Kayla MORRISON (C), 24. Laura PICKETT, 66. Alana JANCEVSKI, 81. Grace MAHER (6. Taylor RAY, 72′), 23. Rachel LOWE, 9. Holly FURPHY (7. Ella O’GRADY 77′), 10. Rhianna POLLICINA (41. Jessica YOUNG 85′), 5. Sofia SAKALIS, 16. Kennedy WHITE.
Substitutes not used: 30. Payton WOODWARD (GK), 27. Rosie CURTIS, 28. Sienna TECHERA.
Booking: None.
Perth Glory starting XI: 33. Alyssa DALL’OSTE (GK), 5. Grace JOHNSTON, 6. Tijan MCKENNA (28. Clancy WESTAWAY 81′), 9. Gabrielle HOLLAR (12. Bronte TREW 58′), 10. Susan PHONSONGKHAM (22. Ischia BROOKING 81′), 13. Naomi THOMAS-CHINNAMA, 17. Rola BADAWIYA (C), 24. Julia SARDO, 25. Ella LINCOLN (2. Mischa ANDERSON 72′), 27. Charli WAINWRIGHT (8. Georgia CASSIDY 58′), 29. Onyinyechi ZOGG.
Substitutes not used: 30. Jessica SKINNER (GK).
Booking: None.
Coming Soon
The second of three consecutive home matches sees Victory back at the Home of the Matildas on Friday, December 5, kick-off 7.35pm AEDT.
