Perth Glory 2-0 Wellington Phoenix
By Emma Burke 2/11/26
Above: Georgia Cassidy. Photo: Perth Glory
Perth Glory have come away with the spoils in the first distance derby of the season, defeating the visiting Wellington Phoenix 2-0 at HBF Park.
Wellington came out with the first chance of the game when Brooke Nunn fed Makala Woods an exccellent ball into the box but The angle was just too tight for Woods to make it count.
Perth immediately answered that chance with the game’s opening goal.
Susan Phonsingkham recieved the ball wide on the left side of the field, making a simple cut inside to beat two defenders, she was able to find the run of Emma Tovar.
Already in front of her defender, Tovar was well in space in the box and able to fire the ball into the bottom right corner.
Tragedy struck for the Phoenix, when only 10 minutes later their striker in Makala Woods was helped off the pitch with an ankle issue.
Woods had been well attended to by the Glory’s defence, and two challenges that left her grounded and clutching her ankle was one too many.
It was Rola Badawiya who scored the second goal for Perth Glory, just before the half-time whistle.
Phonsongkham’s delivery from the corner was pinpoint, finding the head of Badawiya who was placed right in front of Vic Esson in goal.
Badawiya dedicated her goal to her father, who woke up at 4:45am to watch her play, taking off her boot and holding it up as a makeshift phone.
The second half saw the Nix step out clearly looking to find a way back into the game, but they unfortunately seemed to have left their scoring boots back in Wellington.
Every shot they took was either sent over the crossbar or out wide. The loss of Woods to injury early on had a serious impact on their forward movement.
This result sees Perth open their season with three clean sheets and without a loss.
Perth will remain at home for the next round, hosting Canberra United, while Wellington will continue to make their way home slowly, with a pit stop in Adelaide on their way back to New Zealand.
Perth Glory (4-3-3): Dall’Oste, Buchanan, Thew, Zogg, Sardo, Tovar, Cassidy, Westaway, Badawiya, Jenkins, Phonsongkham Substitutes: Dalton 63′, Wynne 63′, Lincoln 65′, Abdul Massih 73′, Trew 73′
Scorers: Tovar 4′, Badawiya 40′
Wellington Phoenix (4-4-2): Esson, Barry, Walker, Erceg, Eglinton, Riley, Jale, Yallop, Nunn, Woods, Vlok Substitutes: Taylor-Main 17′, Pickett 59′, Clegg 59′, Elliot 86′
Referee: Mikayla Ryan
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