Canberra United kick started their season with a resounding 3-0 victory at home over Perth Glory in Round Four of the 2025/26 Ninja A-League Women’s.
United continued their season of fast starts and raced out of the gate to take a two-goal lead within eight minutes thanks to Captain Michelle Heyman and defender Emma Robers. Bethany Gordon, returning to the side after missing last week’s trip to Adelaide, put the game to bed for United with 30 minutes to go to record United’s first win of the season.
United also recorded their first clean sheet of the season, thanks in part to the return of Elizabeth Alton, who returns to United after a season in Europe with Norwegian side Kolbotn IL Fotball. Anton’s addition to the side allowed United to tweak their formation with blistering results.
United opened their goalscoring account for the day in the third minute of the match courtesy of Heyman, who took her season tally to two goals. Bertolissio launched a defence splitting pass over Glory heads to find Aulicino on the run, who played a perfectly weighted ball to the back post where an oncoming Heyman could drive the ball into the back of the net.
United continued their quick start with a second goal on the 8th minute mark when Gordon made the most of a United freekick to find Robers at the back post. The curled ball found a leaping Robers whose looping header kissed the underside of the crossbar before bouncing in to make it 2-0 for United.
With a little over ten minutes to go in the first half Heyman had a chance for her second. The chance once again came from a cross to the back post, this time delivered by Taylor-Young, however the veteran striker could only produce a glancing header on the bouncing ball to force a routine save from Glory keeper Dall’Oste.
United officially put the game to bed in the 57th minute through a passing combination that ended with a beautiful Gordon Strike. United won the ball in Perth’s final third through Aulicino, who found Heyman lurking on the edge of the box. Heyman expertly touched it first time into the path of an oncoming Gordon who connected sweetly from outside of the box to bury her shot in the top left corner.
United were still hungry for goals and were unlucky not to make it four after a corner left both sides scrambling in the Glory box. Robers first had a shot blocked by United substitute Wardlow, before returning the favour and blocking the follow up from the United substitute with shoulder before Glory could clear.
United repeatedly found themselves attacking with a numerical advantage against a Glory side that was pushing bodies forward in an attempt to get back into the match but could not add to their three-goal tally before the full-time whistle.
Canberra United’s next match is against Sydney FC at McKellar Park, Saturday November 29th at 4pm.
Words: James Whybrow
Match Details
Ninja A-League 2025/26 Season Round 4
Canberra United 3 (Heyman 4’, Robers 8’, Gordon 57’) Perth Glory 0
Half-time: 2-0
McKellar Park
Saturday 22 November 2025
Referee: Rachel Mitchenson
Canberra United: 1. Sally JAMES (gk), (2. Alex MCKENZIE 68’ ), 3. Elizabeth ANTON, (5. Jazmin WARDLOW 68’), 6. Josie AULICINO, (7. Emma HAWKINS 57’), 8. Sasha GROVE, (10. Mary STANIC-FLOODY 79’), 11. Emma ROBERS, 12. Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG, 19. Sienna DALE, 23. Michelle HEYMAN, (25. Darcey MALONE 79’), 28. Tegan BERTOLISSIO, 32. Bethany GORDON, 33. Nanako SASAKI
Substitutes not used: 18. Coco MAJSTOROVIC (gk)
Perth Glory: 33. Alyssa DALL’OSTE (gk), 3. Emma TOVAR, 5. Grace JOHNSTON, 6. Tijana MCKENNA, 9. Gabrielle HOLLAR, 10. Susan PHONSONGKHAM, 12. Bronte TREW, (13. Naomi THOMAS-CHINNAMA 45’), (16. Olivia WOOD 66’) 17. Rola BADAWIYA, (22. Ischia BROOKING 45’) 24. Julia SARDO, (25. Ella LINCOLN 57’), (26. Tanika LALA 79’), 27. Charli WAINWRIGHT, 29. Onyinyechi ZOGG
Substitutes not used: 30. Jessica SKINNER (gk)
Yellow Cards: HOLLAR
