Last Sunday’s Round 4 clash between Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory followed the trend of recent games in Perth between these two teams. Victory ran out 3-0 winners courtesy of a Melina Ayres brace and a special goal from Alex Chidiac.
Glory last won at home against Victory in 2017. This result leaves them winless after four games and occupying ninth spot on the ladder, whilst the win for Victory has taken them to fifth spot, just three points from leaders and cross-town rivals Melbourne City.
Sarah Cain’s Red Card
A red card for Glory’s Sarah Cain on 56 minutes proved to be a pivotal moment, as just a minute after she left the field Ayres scored her second goal of the game to basically seal the result.
Cain had been booked in the first half for a needless shirt tug on Chidiac, who was in her own half, so there didn’t seem to be any need to foul her. Cain then had to be extra careful with her tackles and given the physical battle in midfield, this was always going to be a challenge. It was no real surprise to see Cain being given her marching orders after her second half foul on Lia Privitelli.
Perth’s squad depth is being challenged already
Perth coach Alex Epakis was bullish about his team’s prospects at the start of the season and he based this confidence on a relatively stable squad with only a few new faces from 2021/22.
However, illness, injury and a family commitment robbed him of Kim Carroll, Claudia Mihocic and Isabella Wallhead for Sunday’s game. This meant he had no defensive reserves to draw from and was forced to play a central midfielder (Sadie Lawrence) at centre back and an attacker (Abbey Green) at full-back.
The players equipped themselves well enough during the game, but the lack of natural defenders in the squad is something Glory may have to address if there are any long-term injuries to key defensive personnel.
Melina Ayres is getting back to her best
Season 2021/22 was not a good one for Ayres as she was injured for nearly the whole of the campaign and only returned to the side for the last game of the regular season. She played in the finals, scoring in the win against Melbourne City that took them to the Grand Final, and was part of the team that took out the title with a 2-1 win against Sydney.
Ayres has featured in every Victory game so far and opened her account last week with a well-taken goal against Wellington Phoenix which earned a 1-0 win. Her performance on Sunday suggests she is getting back to the form that saw her score eight goals in 2020/21, and her brace on Sunday highlighted her predatory instincts in the box.
Victory’s opening goal saw Ayres make a sharp turn to beat the closest defender and then use her second touch to send the ball into the back of the net with the outside of her left foot. Her second goal showed the awareness to capitalise on any mistakes as she reacted first to a weak, headed clearance by the Glory defence following a Victory corner. Ayres controlled the ball on her chest and then coolly despatched the ball with her right foot.
Melbourne Victory coach Jeff Hopkins was understandably happy with his striker’s performance at the post-match press conference and her clinical finishing is something that the rest of the league will have to be aware of when they face Victory.
Olimpico goals are rare but beautiful
It’s rare to score a goal direct from a corner, but Alex Chidiac’s Olimpico put the icing on Victory’s cake and sealed the three points against Perth Glory.
Using the wind to her advantage and creating a wicked curl on the ball, Chidiac’s inswinging delivery sailed into the far corner, eluding Glory keeper Morgan Aquino, four Glory defenders and three Victory attackers who were all camped within a metre of the goal line. Chidiac’s delight at scoring was obvious and she will no doubt be adding this to her already impressive highlights reel.
Perth Glory’s home form is a worry
After last season’s performances which saw Perth Glory finish in fifth place and miss out on the finals due to goal difference, there was understandable optimism that the team could improve on that in 2022/23, especially given they would now be playing games in Perth.
However, so far they are not capitalising on home-ground advantage as they have yet to earn a home point and haven’t even scored a goal in front of their home fans. This season is still in its infancy, but Sunday’s game against Canberra at Macedonia Park is looming as a very important one for Glory. After that, they face league leaders Melbourne City away from home on the 27th of December before playing at home again on New Year’s Day against high-flying Western United.
Click here for post-match interviews with coaches Alex Epakis and Jeff Hopkins
