Melbourne City 5-2 Perth Glory
Report by Ben Gilby, EXCLUSIVE photography from Tilly McDonald at ctrl:cyber Pitch (3/11/24)
Above: Melbourne City’s Bryleeh Henry (22) gets up highest in the box today against Perth Glory. Photo: Tilly McDonald for Impetus.
Defending Premiers Melbourne City came from 2-0 down, with four goals in a 20 minute second-half spell to send Perth Glory’s talented youngsters to defeat today at ctrl:cyber Pitch.
Both teams went into the season opener with new head coaches, a stack of new players, and some injury concerns. City boss Michael Matricciani was without inspirational captain Rebekah Stott as well as Shelby McMahon. Four players – Alexia Apostolakis, Malena Mieres, Mariana Speckmaier, and Lourdes Bosch made their league debuts for the Sky Blues.
Perth head coach Stephen Peters’ starting line-up showed only four names who were at the club last season, an exceptionally young back line, and five locally produced players. The Western Australians were missing playmaker Susan Phonsongkham to long-term injury, as well as co-captain Onyi Zogg and Megan Wynne.
City, as is their style, dominated possession, and crafted the game’s first opportunity when former Perth player Leticia McKenna hit a shot wide of the post.
However, having possession is one thing, translating it to the scoreboard is another, and it was Perth who hit the front seven minutes in. Grace Johnston received possession from her own half and attacked along the left. Motoring forward, she laid a pass off to Kelli Brown inside her. Brown took two touches to steady herself and let fly from around 30 yards, left of centre to hit a shot that flew over Mieres’ dispairing glove and in.
City continued to have more of the ball, and it was again Leticia McKenna who had a chance when she pounced on a defensive error, but saw her shot go over the top.
Much of the home side’s joy in attack was coming along the left-hand flank with Bosch and Rhianna Pollicina looking to wreak havoc, but Perth’s young defence, featuring former City star Naomi Chinnama, held firm.
Things got better still for the Western Australians early in the second half. Five minutes in, Karly Røstbakken’s attempted crossfield pass to Apostolakis along the back line was snaffled up by Miku Sunaga who hit a first-time high shot that was caught viciously by the wind and flew into the left-hand corner of the net.
However, just two minutes later, the defending Premiers hit back. Leticia McKenna’s low shot from just over 20 yards, right of centre, bounced right in front of Glory keeper Miranda Templeman who could only push the ball into the feet of the onrushing Pollicina to sweep home from close range.
City continued to push, and levelled the scores with just under half an hour remaining. Just on as a substitute, Tyla-Jay Vlajnic sent a corner curling in from the right which caused chaos at the back post. Chinnama initially cleared the ball from the line, but Kathryn Harvey turned it in from close range.
Two minutes later, a moment of sheer class from Pollicina led to the hosts taking the lead. Taking up possession outside the box, she turned one would-be tackler and then sent a magnificent shot curling into the top right-hand corner of the net.
The impressive Bosch created City’s fourth when she attacked along the left, cut in, and danced her way past Tijan McKenna and Cassidy before hitting a shot that deflected off of Chinnama into the path of Harvey who turned and shot just outside the six-yard box, right of centre past Templeman.
A flowing move deep into stoppage time at the end of the game saw the final goal of the afternoon. Apostolakis on the right fed Lauren Hughes inside her who played a pass to Harvey with possession then finding its way to Pollicina on the right-hand flank. Her teasing low cross was met by a low volley at the near post by Hughes who had got in front of her defender.
This was a demonstration by Melbourne City that, whilst they may be under new management, they still have the tactical nous and skill to win football matches with something to spare.
Whilst Perth Glory may have copped a beating, they showed a number of positives. This is a new squad, still missing key players, who are extremely young – but they have no end of skill and potential among them. Stephen Peters will take a lot from this game, and his players will learn from it.
More of Tilly McDonald’s images from ctrl:cyber Pitch today:
Teams: MELBOURNE CITY (4-4-2): Mieres, Røstbakken, Otto, Apostolakis, Henry, Hughes, Davidson, Bosch, Speckmaier, L. McKenna, Pollicina. Substitutes: Accardo, Barbieri (GK), Harvey, Meyers, Vlajnic.
Scorers: Pollicina 53′, 69′. Harvey 63′, 73′. Hughes 90+5′.
PERTH GLORY (4-2-3-1): Templeman, Johnston, Tathem, Chinnama-Thomas, T. McKenna, Cassidy, Dalton, Sunaga, Hollar, Lala, Brown. Substitutes: Anderson, Skinner (GK), Brooking, O’Donoghue, Roberts.
Scorers: Brown 7′, Sunaga 51′.
Referee: Rebecca Durcau.
Attendance: 582.
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