Newcastle Jets 0-1 Perth Glory
by Ben Gilby (17/10/26)
Above: Perth Glory’s Ella Lincoln (white shirt) looks to beat her marker today. Photo: Newcastle Jets.
Perth Glory began their A-League Women campaign with an important victory on the road, with Rola Badawiya’s spot-kick sealing victory against Newcastle Jets in Cessnock.
However, this was a game of two penalty claims – one for each side. Perth were awarded theirs, but the Jets’ were turned down. Much more of that later.
It’s the second season in a row that the Glory have opened with victory on the road with Badawiya on the scoresheet – last year’s success at Western Sydney was one of two away wins – the other also coming at The Jets, so maximum points taken on the road are always hard earned for the Western Australians.
Glory boss Stephen Peters has as a strong defence, and an extremely creative midfield at his disposal. The only thing that has ever been in question ahead of the campaign is whether or not the goals are there.
Today, in a match that was largely closely fought (possession was 50% each, same number of passes made, and Perth having one more shot on target that the Jets), Badawiya’s penalty just before the quarter hour mark was literally the difference.
The spot-kick was awarded to the Jets’ frustration as Emma Tovar’s corner curled in from the right and was met by the head of Julia Sardo with the ball coming off Josie Allan’s arm. There was little Allan could do given how close she was to Sardo, but by the letter of the law, Caitlin Williams’ decision was the right one.
Up stepped Badawiya to dispatch the ball confidently into the bottom right corner.
Newcastle looked to respond, and six minutes later, they built a patient attack with Emma Dundas squaring a pass to Josie Allan from the ‘D’. Allan found Allie Thornton outside her, but there was not quite enough power in the shot from around 15 yards to trouble Alyssa Dall’Oste in the Perth goal.
Another half-chance fell the way of the hosts just before the half-hour mark. Zoe Karipidis took play along the right flank before it was delivered high into the box. Baxter Thew couldn’t clear, with the ball falling for Tamar Levin who couldn’t quite get power on the shot.
Libby Copus-Brown’s follow-up was blocked by Thew, but in doing so, the ball rolled up the Perth defender’s body and hit her arm and lower hand. Whilst there was little intent about it, the letter of the law would suggest this should have been a penalty as well. But it was not awarded – and that’s tough on the Jets. Particularly in a game of such fine margins.
Into the second half, and Dundas combined with Levin outside the box for Newcastle and played in Copus-Brown on the left of the box. She turned her defender and played in an inviting cross which a combination of Sardo and Onyi Zogg did well to clear.
Into the last 15 minutes, and the impressive Ella Buchanan drove forward through the centre of the park for the Glory, laying off for Bronte Trew outside her on the right. The substitute curled an effort goal wards with new signing Maggie Jenkins just failing to get a touch to assist it into the net, and the ball rolled wide of the far post.
The best chance of the game came as the clock ticked towards the 90th minute as Levin curled in a rocket of a free-kick from over 20 yards from the left of centre which bounced up off of the top of the bar. The Jets were that close.
Whilst Newcastle will be extremely frustrated at coming away from the game with nothing, with particular ire for the failure to be awarded a penalty for a similar misdemeanor that saw them concede one, Perth will point to a superb defensive display in which their entire back four should be rightly proud.
When the dust settles, both Stephen Hoyle and Stephen Peters will see major positives from their teams with a long season of tussles, twists, and turns for a place in the top six ahead. The marathon has started.
Teams: NEWCASTLE JETS (3-4-2-1): Henniger, Karipidis, Copus-Brown, Allan, Sandhu, Dundas, Davis, Prior, Thornton, Klos, Levin. Substitutes: Adams, Walandouw, Valladares, Hooks, Kilroy, Preston-Poole, RItchie.
PERTH GLORY (4-2-3-1): Dall’Oste, Thew, Tovar, Sardo, Buchanan, Badawiya, Zogg, Phonsongkham, Lincoln, Cassidy, Abdul-Massih. Substitutes: Anderson, Jenkins, Trew, Westaway, Wynne, McGreadie-Cole, Mouithys.
Scorer: Badawiya (pen) 13′.
Referee: Caitlin Williams.
Attendance: TBC.
Follow Impetus on social media:
@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram and TikTok.
