Perth Glory 1-0 Western Sydney Wanderers
By Isabelle Campbell 22/3/25
Photography By Rob Lizzi
Above: Perth Glory celebrate Photo: Rob Lizzi for Impetus
It was a must win match at Sam Kerr Football Centre for both Perth Glory and the travelling Western Sydney Wanderers, with both sides looking to keep the possibility of a top 6 finish alive, but thanks to a last-minute strike from Izzy Foletta it was the home side who continued on their finals quest.
In a crucial bottom-of-the-table showdown, Perth Glory hosted Western Sydney Wanderers at the Sam Kerr Football Centre, with both teams fighting to climb out of the A-League basement. Coming off a dramatic 3-3 draw against Central Coast Mariners at Industree Group Stadium, Glory sat 11th, just ahead of the Wanderers in 12th place. With both sides struggling for consistency, this encounter was set to be a vital chance for either team to gain ground.
Perth Glory came out strong from the first whistle, asserting dominance with early possession. Though neither side was able to create any serious chances in the opening 10 minutes, it was evident that Perth Glory were the more likely side to break the deadlock, consistently pressing forward and controlling the tempo.
As the match progressed, the Wanderers began to find their rhythm in attack. Ella Buchanan delivered a perfectly weighted long-range ball to Sienna Saveska, but the forward, under pressure, failed to convert the opportunity. Glory’s leading goal scorer, Kelli Brown, then had a great chance to open the scoring but was denied by Wanderers defender Amy Harrison, who made a crucial block to keep the match level.
Izzy Dalton, the Perth Glory captain, had another chance to break the deadlock with a shot on goal, but her attempt was deflected, preventing any real threat to the Wanderers’ defense. At the other end, Bronte Trew made a promising run but could not find the right position inside the box before the Glory defense cleared the ball and regained control.
With the first half winding down, both teams had registered an equal number of shots, but the Wanderers were yet to test the Perth Glory goalkeeper, failing to record a single shot on target.
The second half of the match began slowly, with both teams struggling to create clear cut chances. It wasn’t until the 56th minute that the first real opportunity arose, as Glory’s Kelli Brown unleashed a strike from outside the box, but the shot was unable to make a difference. A minute later, Brown tested Wanderers goalkeeper Sham Khamis once again, but the shot was saved, keeping the scoreline level.
As the game progressed, the movement on the field became more scrappy, with both teams locked in a battle for possession in midfield. Neither side could break into a dangerous attacking position, and the match seemed to stagnate.
In the 68th minute, Natalie Tathem fired the first meaningful shot in quite some time, but her effort lacked power and failed to trouble the keeper. As the match entered the final stages, both teams had shots on goal, but none produced any real threat to the scoreline, and the tension in the game continued to rise.
With just seconds left in regulation time, the match took a dramatic turn. Having only been on the pitch for a brief period, Izzy Foletta made an immediate impact, scoring her first goal of the season to put Perth Glory ahead and keep their finals hopes alive.
Still with four minutes of extra time to play, the Wanderers desperately sought an equalizer, but it was beyond their reach. Foletta’s goal proved to be the decisive moment, and the match ended with Perth Glory securing a hard-fought victory, to the delight of an elated home crowd.
Western Sydney Wanderers will be returning home to host Sydney FC in the next round while Perth Glory will remain home and prepare for another important match in their quest for a finals place, against Canberra United.
Check out our Instagram page @impetusfootball for more of Rob Lizzi’s superb images from the game for Impetus.
Teams: PERTH GLORY (4-3-3): Dumont, Johnston, McKenna, Wynne, Cassidy, Tathem, Chinama, O’Donoghue, Dalton, Zogg, Brown. Substitutes: Templeman, Foletta, Wainwright, Lincoln, Phonsongkham.
Goals: Foletta 91’
WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (4-2-3-1): Khamis, Buchanan, Harrison, McComasky, Matos, Chessari, Younis, Price, Saveska, Trew, Rue. Substitutes: Bennett, Harding, Kapetanellis, Caspers, Segavcic.
Referee: Bec Mackie
Attendance: 996.
impetusfootball.org 