For the second consecutive season Canberra United has come from two goals down to record a 2-2 draw with Perth Glory.
For the second consecutive season Canberra United has come from two goals down to record a 2-2 draw with Perth Glory.
The result seeing Canberra United collect their first point in the third round of the Westfield W-League season at Clipsal Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
A gutsy effort away from home, two goals in the second half from Tseng Shu-O and Ashleigh Sykes salvaged a well deserved draw in what could be a season turning result.
Winless and the only side in the Westfield W-League not to record a point after the first two rounds, Canberra United had a tumultuous start in the west when they conceded twice within the first ten minutes of the match.
The Glory struck after only six minutes when defender Ellie Brush brought down star striker Lisa de Vanna inside the penalty area and Collette McCallum stepped up to converted the penalty just inside Lydia Williams- left post.
The horrible start was made even worse when Canberra United conceded again only two minutes later when a failed clearance fell to Mariana Tabain who found Williams off her goal line and scored.
In the 36 degree heat that led to the game having mandatory drink breaks, Perth continued to control much of the play for the remainder of the first half and nearly extended their lead if it weren-t for the combination of Williams and the up right.
McCallum swung a free kick into the box which forced Williams into making a fingertip save which then rebounded onto the post in the 26th minute.
Working hard up front, Ellie Raymond, Tseng and Sykes toiled away but couldn-t trouble Glory ‘keeper Emma Wirkus as scores remained 2-0 in favour of the home side at half time.
A much needed half time break rejuvenated the visitors as they started the second half brightly and were eventually rewarded for their pressure when Chinese Taipei international Tseng made it 1-2 after Perth failed to clear a goal line scramble.
Subsitute Snez Veljanovska did well to chase down a through ball before cutting it back to Sykes- who-s header hit the underside of the crossbar before the resulting rebound was brilliant slotted home by Tseng through a sea of players.
The goal provided an injection of confidence to Canberra United as the visitors pressed for an equaliser and pinned the Glory in their own half.
In a case of déjà-vu, an Ashleigh Sykes goal late in the match again levelled the scores between the two sides for the second year in a row against the Glory.
Defender Ellyse Perry broke down the right hand side into an attacking position before providing Sykes with a perfect cross as the striker got enough of a header to see it past a hapless Wirkus as Canberra United equalised in the 82nd minute.
Despite the draining conditions both sides continued to press late in search for a winner but it wasn-t to be with the visitors to happily settle for a draw after conceding twice in the first ten minutes.
“It was good, it showed a lot of character and to score goals was pleasing, but we also could have pinched it,” Canberra United head coach Ray Junna said following the match.
“They just showed a lot of character to come back from that.”
“The season is still going to be very tough and I think every game will be like this, but you hope that they do gain confidence from it and I hope it is [a turning point].”
Match Details:
Perth Glory 2 (McCallum 6-, Tabain 😎
Canberra United 2 (Tseng 61-, A. Sykes 82-)
Perth Glory squad: 1. Emma WIRKUS (gk), 3. Carys HAWKINS, 5. Shannon MAY, 8. Tanya OXTOBY (c), 9. Dani CALAUTTI, 11. Lisa DE VANNA (18. Ellis GLANFIELD 77-), 13. Elisa D-OVIDIO, 14. Collette McCALLUM (7. Elissia CANHAM 85-), 15. Alex SINGER, 16. Sadie LAWRENCE (6. Ella MASTRANTONIO 53-), 17. Marianna TABAIN, 19. Katarina JUKIC
Subs not used: 20. Zoe PALANDRI
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Canberra United squad: 1. Lydia WILLIAMS, 4. LIN Chiung Ying, 6. Ellie RAYMOND (3. Bronwyn STUDMAN 68-), 7. Ellie BRUSH (c), 9. Grace GILL, 10. TSENG Shu O, 11. Cian MACIEJEWSKI (5. Kahlia HOGG 47-), 14. Ashleigh SYKES, 15. Nicole SYKES, 16. Ellyse PERRY, 19. Jennifer BISSET (12. Snez VELJANOVSKA 61-),
Subs not used: 20. Jocelyn MARA
Yellow Cards: Brush 7-
Red Cards: Nil
