Saturday night saw Perth Glory host Canberra United in Round 16 of the Liberty A-League.
Canberra brought Matildas veteran Michelle Heyman, who did not disappoint with her speed and agility, showing exactly why she has been called up for the Matildas’ upcoming Olympic qualifying matches against Uzbekistan at the end of the month. Canberra also brought a very strong side that did not look like a bottom-of-the-ladder team. With a fast-paced forward line, Canberra was able to catch the Glory defence on the back foot a number of times in the first half.
Perth settled into the game after the first drinks break and were able to deal with the Canberra attack. Morgan Aquino continued to show a lot of confidence in her goalkeeping ability, putting her body on the line to defend Perth’s goal. However, during the first 10 minutes of the second half she received a heavy knock ater a collision with Heyman, one which saw Aquino escorted off the pitch for further medical attention. This gave substitute goalkeeper Sally James an opportunity to show her skills and she held the position well for the remainder of the second half.
Canberra was the standout in the first half with fast connecting passes that made for beautiful football. However, Glory managed to take control of the game after half time and did what they do best, fighting until the dying minutes of extra time. This was rewarded with Isobel Dalton‘s equaliser in the 91st minute, making the result a 2-2 draw.
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