Newcastle Jets 2-3 Perth Glory
by Ben Gilby (21/2/26)
Above: Perth Glory’s Gabby Hollar (facing camera) embraces Nat Tathem (11) as the visitors celebrate at goal at Newcastle Jets today. Photo: Perth Glory.
Perth Glory twice came back from behind against Newcastle Jets at the No. 2 Sportsground to claim their second successive win, and ensure that they will go into the international break inside the top six.
The outcome puts a major dent in Newcastle’s own Finals hopes after Emma Dundas had put the hosts in front, and Melina Ayres re-established the Jets’ lead after Gabby Hollar levelled matters. A first A-League Women goal for Clancy Westaway and a winner from Tijan McKenna in the 85th minute ensured that the Western Australian side would claim an important away win.
Jets boss Stephen Hoyle made two changes to his starting line-up from last weekend’s draw with Western Sydney Wanderers, with Josie Allan and Alexis Collins for Lauren Allan and former Glory attacker Kelli Brown.
For the Glory, head coach Stephen Peters also made two changes, with Nat Tathem and Gabby Hollar coming in for Julia Sardo and Susan Phonsongkham.
First blood went to the Jets just after the quarter-hour mark as Melina Ayres and Sophie Hoban swamped McKenna just inside the Glory half, with the latter with Hoban winning possession and found herself in space to break through right of centre and drove in a low shot that came back off the far post. Teresa Morrissey got a hand to the ball to try and divert the rebound away, as the Perth defence failed to react quick enough, allowing the ball to fall for Dundas to take a touch and fire a shot in at the right-hand post.
The visitors tried to respond, and were winning the shots on target count. With four minutes left of the half, good work from Emma Tovar along the right resulted in the ball coming back to Grace Johnston who sent a rocket goalwards from over 20 yards, but teenage Jets keeper Georgia Ritchie lifted it over the top with a flying save.
Shortly afterwards, the visitors had better luck. Hollar gained possession around 30 yards out from a poorly weighted pass back, held off Tash Prior, looked up, saw Ritchie off her line, and lifted an exquisite chip over her and into the net from 20 yards. It was a classy goal from the American.
Glory continued to push after the break, and five minutes after the re-start, Dalton, on the right spun a high ball in to the mix from the right which Hollar headed back across goal for Ella Lincoln to dive in to get a foot to. Ritchie managed to prevent the ball from going in. The scramble that followed saw the ball dislodged from the keeper as Rola Badawiya turned the ball across the line. Referee Isabella Mossin disallowed the goal for a foul on Ritchie.
The Jets made the most of this as they re-took the lead just after the hour mark when Hoban played a pass from the centre of the field to Josie Allan outside her. The flighted pass forward was met close to the penalty spot with a spectacular acrobatic effort from Ayres who drove the ball into the ground, and up into the net for her sixth goal of the season.
In the not so distant past, Perth falling behind away from home would have been a killer – but not now. This is a different side who have worked hard to put right those away day blues that have dogged them for so long. How they showed that this afternoon.
Just seven minutes after falling behind, they took advantage of a series of loose passes from the Jets in the midfield, with Lincoln laying in a low cross from the right which was directed straight into the feet of Westaway, and the young Victorian hit a first time shot from the right centre of the box from around 10 yards into the net for her first A-League goal.
With five minutes remaining, Perth completed the comeback. Dalton’s corner from the right came in high. Initially it missed the crowd of players on the edge of the six-yard box, but fell perfectly for McKenna to turn and lift a superb shot into the net. It was a fantastic goal to win the game for the Western Australian side.
With the Glory are now in the finals places, they must rue the fact that the league now goes on a three week break for the international window and Asian Cup. Teams on winning runs want to ride the wave of momentum, but Perth are not in action again until 13th March when they face a tough examination of their ability to win on the road – a trip to Coopers Stadium to face Adelaide United. If they can get something from the South Australians, then ending a finals drought of almost eight years could be on.
The Jets’ own Finals hopes are hanging by a thread after extending their winless run to five games. Their return to action on 13th March sees a home game with Sydney FC – another team desperate for a win to make the six.
Teams: NEWCASTLE JETS (4-4-2): Ritchie, Cicco, Prior, Bates, Breier, L.Allan, Copus-Brown, Dundas, Lancaster, Ayres, Hoban. Substitutes: J.Allan, Boertje, Brown, Collins, Johnson, Wilson.
Scorers: Dundas 16′, Ayres 61′.
PERTH GLORY (4-3-3): Morrissey, Tathem, McKenna, Zogg, Johnston, Tovar, Dalton, Wainwright, Hollar, Badawiya, Lincoln. Substitutes: Anderson, Skinner, Cassidy, Lala, Trew, Westaway.
Scorers: Hollar 45′, Westaway 68′, McKenna 85′.
Referee: Isabella Mossin.
Attendance: 1,152.
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