Perth Glory secured a crucial 3-0 victory over Western United on Friday evening at the Sam Kerr Football Centre, keeping their finals aspirations alive while also preventing their opponents from gaining breathing space in the top-six race.
A brace from New Zealand international Kelli Brown and a penalty from Susan Phonsongkham sealed the win in a solid yet unspectacular performance by Stephen Peters’ side. The result also marked Glory’s first clean sheet in 26 games.
The home team started brightly and took a deserved lead in the 14th minute. Sarah O’Donoghue played a perfectly weighted through ball to Brown, who timed her run expertly to break past the Western United defence before finishing clinically to make it 1-0.
United almost responded immediately a minute later when Chloe Logarzo struck the post from just inside the box. They threatened again in the 35th minute, but Casey Dumont produced an outstanding save to deny Isabel Dehakiz her first Ninja A-League goal.
Western United pressed hard in the second half but struggled to break down Perth’s resolute defence. Their task became even tougher in the 71st minute when Julia Sardo was sent off for a last-ditch foul on Megan Wynne, who was racing through on goal.
Glory capitalized on their numerical advantage, scoring twice in quick succession to seal the points. Brown netted her second in the 81st minute after being played through by Natalie Tathem. Although her initial shot was saved by goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln, she reacted quickest to slot home the rebound. Just four minutes later, Phonsongkham put the result beyond doubt, converting a penalty after Claudia Mihocic was penalized for handball.
The win moves Glory to within six points of sixth-placed Central Coast Mariners, whom they face on Friday. Meanwhile, United remain in fourth place and will take on seventh-placed Canberra United, who trail them by just two points.
Perth’s Home Form
After three seasons at Macedonia Park, Perth Glory finally seem to have found a formidable home at the Sam Kerr Football Centre. The venue has become a tough place for visiting teams, with Glory winning four, drawing one, and losing just once in their six games there. Their recent home form has been impressive, with eight goals scored and only three conceded in the last three matches. With three more home games remaining, maintaining this form will be crucial for their playoff ambitions.
Kelli Brown At The Double
Brown’s season has been disrupted by injuries, causing her to miss eight games. However, her performance on Friday underlined her importance to the team. Playing as a lone forward in a low-block system, she provided a vital outlet for her team, holding up the ball and making intelligent runs.
Coach Stephen Peters praised her contribution after the match:
“She’s a very interesting player and very unpredictable, so I can only imagine what the opposition thinks of her. The match-up against Sasha Grove was always going to suit her, and it was nice to see that first goal which was something from the training park and then the second one was just sheer perseverance.”
Tijan McKenna’s Transformation
For much of her young career, McKenna has played in the Central Midfield, but has demonstrated versatility by filling in as a full-back at Melbourne City and also this season. Although she usually plays on the right, Peters deployed her on the left against Newcastle and Western United, and she responded with strong defensive displays. Her tenacity in winning the ball directly led to Glory’s first goal.
Offensively, while not a natural crosser, McKenna’s ability to cut inside has created problems for opposing defenses, leading to three shots on goal in her last two games. Peters was full of praise for her:
“I thought she was unbelievable tonight, a man of the match performance in my personal opinion just an absolute animal out there. She keeps telling me she’s not a full back, but I think she thinks she’s starting to understand that she is!!
Are Western United the Jekyll and Hyde of the League?
Friday’s defeat highlighted Western United’s inconsistency. With 39 goals conceded in 19 matches, they share the league’s worst defensive record among top-eight teams and only the Newcastle Jets have conceded as many.
Conversely, they top the league in terms of the number of shots taken with 300 but are bottom of the league in terms of accuracy with only 34% of their shots being on target. Glory recognized this vulnerability, setting up defensively and hitting their opponents on the counterattack.
Coach Kat Smith was frustrated by the lack of goals when she spoke after the game;
“(Tonight has been the) story of our season. I feel like a broken record talking about the chances we create. Before tonight, we led the league in shots, final third entries, touches in the box, and ball recoveries in the attacking third, yet we struggle to convert.”
Phonsongkham’s Back
With 22 minutes remaining and Glory leading 1-0, the fourth official’s board signaled the long-awaited return of Susan Phonsongkham. Sidelined since the end of the 2024 NSW NPLW season with a serious injury, she had spent months in rehab before finally making her season debut.
She made an instant impact, delivering a well-timed through ball for Wynne, who was brought down, leading to the red card for Sardo. Moments later, Brown doubled Glory’s lead, and Phonsongkham then capped her return by confidently converting a penalty in the 86th minute. She was immediately mobbed by her teammates and was visibly emotional after the game in the post match interview. With Caitlin Doeglas no longer with Glory, Phonsongkham’s experience in the final third could be vital in the run in.
