A-League Women: Perth Glory fall to back-to-back defeats with 2-0 loss to Wellington Phoenix

January 4

A disjointed Perth Glory have lost their second A-League Women’s game on the bounce as former forward Grace Jale’s howitzer helped her Wellington Phoenix to a 2-0 win at Jerry Collins Stadium.

After a promising month performance-wise, even if results have not always been forthcoming, Perth sunk to a disappointing defeat and turned in one of their worst showings of the season.

While injuries have exposed the squad’s depth in recent weeks, Perth failed to throw a punch against the Phoenix, who entered the match just two points ahead of the Glory.

Defeat left Perth in 10th spot on the ladder and just four points off the foot of the table.

In her first match against the Glory since departing the club, Jale’s long-range bomb shortly after half-time gave Wellington a deserved lead, before Olivia Fergusson’s well-placed header sealed the win.

Nothing was going right for Perth and everything was a mess despite heaving the wind behind them in the first-half as they struggled to play through midfield, their best moments going forward coming from broken plays.

Camera IconMiku Sunaga on the wrong end of a strong challenge. Credit: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

By contrast, Wellington started well and Maebe Tanaka had a golden opportunity after Casey Dumont mis-read a cross, but Grace Johnston blocked her attempt on the line.

Annalie Longo was the Phoenix’s driving force in midfield, and she almost contributed to them taking the lead when her cross found Tanaka, but the winger’s stooping header failed to trouble Dumont.

The chances continued to come for the hosts as Olivia Fergusson hit the side-netting, while former Glory attacker Jale and Tanaka had efforts saved by Dumont.

Perth entered half-time without a single shot on target, and it was Jale who had the first shot on target two minutes after the break, unleashing a vicious attempt which skipped just before Dumont’s glove and found the corner of the net.

Having copped a fine from immigration authorities in New Zealand for bringing an apple into the country, Glory forward Gabby Hollar’s week went from bad to worse as she copped a knock to the nose which forced her off the pitch, with Tanika Lala replacing her.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconCharli Wainwright eludes Tiana Jaber. Credit: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

It got worse for Perth when Lara Wall’s looping cross was met by Fergusson in the 69th minute, and she directed her header into the corner of the net with Dumont caught on the hop.

Perth finally landed a shot on target when Lala stormed through on goal, only to be denied by goalkeeper Carolina Vilao, before Miku Sunaga’s follow-up crashed down and out via the crossbar.

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