Perth Glory 1-1 Sydney FC
Report by Ben Gilby, exclusive photography from Rob Lizzi for Impetus at the Sam Kerr Football Centre (10/1/25)
Above: Caitlin Doeglas (purple shirt) looks to get a shot in against Sydney FC tonight on her return to the A-League Women after three seasons away. Photo: Rob Lizzi for Impetus.
Honours were even at the Sam Kerr Football Centre after an engaging battle between Perth Glory and Sydney FC which saw a fairytale return to the competition for Caitlin Doeglas after three seasons.
The 28-year-old attacker, who had a standout season with NPLW WA champions and Top Four Cup winners Perth RedStar in 2024, marked her return to the purple shirt in style when she put her side ahead with 24 minutes gone, only for Lucy Johnson to equalise in first-half stoppage time.
Perth Glory boss Stephen Peters named a squad which included seven WA players, with one of them, Tijan McKenna making a welcome return to the bench after missing the last few games with injury.
Sydney recorded the first major opportunity of the game with 17 minutes played. Indiana dos Santos broke through the middle and found Shea Connors outside her with a perfectly weighted pass. The former Brisbane Roar attacker took the ball towards the edge of the box and let fly with a powerful drive that Glory keeper Casey Dumont pushed up and onto the far post before gathering.
The visitors probed again shortly afterwards, enjoying success in this stage through the middle once more as Princess Ibini found Maddie Caspers inside the centre circle. Caspers then threaded a glorious pass through the eye of a needle that dissected two Perth defenders to find Connors who advanced into the area, but was met by Dumont diving bravely at her feet to repel the danger, allowing Nat Tathem to come in and tidy up.
Then came Doeglas’ dream goal. Miku Sunaga won possession along the right-hand flank just inside the Sydney half and turned Faye Bryson to loft a ball into the box. Sydney keeper Tahlia Franco was unable to gather, allowing Gabby Hollar to lay a pass back for the onrushing Doeglas to sidefoot home to the left of the penalty spot.
The attacker has the experience and uncanny ability to be in the right place in the right time in such circumstances. This could be just the additional attacking weapon that the Glory need over the coming weeks.
Perth were going all out to hold the lead in the interval but fell short. One minute into stoppage time at the end of the first half, Lucy Johnson received the ball stationed 20 yards from goal to lift a first time shot into the net.
The visitors created the first clear-cut opportunity of the second period when some mazy footwork and stunning close control from dos Santos allowed her to enter the box on the right-hand side, leaving three defenders trailing in her wake to fire a low drive into the arms of Dumont.
More superb individual skill saw Sydney in again with just over a quarter of an hour remaining. Johnson laid the ball across the field from the right for Caley Tallon-Henniker to play a smart outside pass for Mackenzie Hawkesby to go one-on-one with Dumont – but the Perth goalkeeper is the best in the business in such circumstances and made another brave save.
Moments later, Hawkesby broke through down the right and played an inside ball for Princess Ibini to hit a shot from just outside the box, which Dumont got down low towards the left-hand post to push away.
Then, with seven minutes remaining, Perth pushed forward. Sunaga fed substitute Ella Lincoln, who had acres of space to exploit along the left. This is exactly the type of position she loves to take advantage of. She took on Jordan Thompson, and motored away, to hit a trademark powerful shot from a tough angle that forced substitute keeper Brianna Edwards to make a superb one-handed save.
The Glory continued their push for a late winner with Georgia Cassidy causing chaos with two free-kicks. The first curled in low from the right and was scrambled away at the front post by Edwards.
The second, as the clock ticked into stoppage time at the end of the game, was lifted in high, but rapidly dipped and only flew over the top by the narrowest of margins.
Whilst both sides were going full out for the win to earn three points to push away from the lower reaches of the table, neither could quite manage it. However, the two head coaches will have seen things that would make them pleased.
For the Glory attacking creativity and intent was there in a way that would have excited their fans, and overall, their defensive strength was good, with Dumont in superb form additionally.
Now is the time for both sides to use this as a foundation to push on and record victories on a more consistent basis.
For more of Rob Lizzi’s EXCLUSIVE photos from the match, check out the two galleries on our Instagram page – @ImpetusFootball
Teams: PERTH GLORY (4-5-1): Dumont, Tathem, Zogg, Chinnama, Johnston, Valletta, Cassidy, Sunaga, Wainwright, Hollar, Doeglas. Substitutes: Foletta, McKenna, Templeman (GK), Wynne, Lincoln.
Scorer: Doeglas 24′.
SYDNEY FC (4-3-3): Franco, Tumeth, Tobin, Thompson, Bryson, Johnson, Chauvet, Caspers, dos Santos, Connors, Ibini. Substitutes: Edwards (GK), Hawkesby, Lemon, Luchtmeijer, Tallon-Henniker.
Scorer: Johnson 45+1.
Referee: Rachael Mitchenson.
Attendance: 1,139.
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