Canberra United have temporarily moved into the top six, pending other results, with a thrilling win away to Perth Glory.
Two changes were made to the side that fell to defeat against Sydney FC in Round 20, with Sofia Christopherson and Bethany Gordon back into the starting eleven, with Maja Markovski to the bench and Liz Anton having sealed an overseas move.
Sally James was called into action early for United, easily dealing with a long range shot from Kelli Brown.
With both sides needing a win to play finals, there were chances aplenty in the opening quarter of an hour, with United scoring first.
A perfectly flicked on header from Mary Stanic-Floody fell to Michelle Heyman, with the striker making no mistake in slotting the ball home past Casey Dumont.
Minutes later, United had doubled their lead vie the penalty spot. After Aideen Keane was brought down in the box, Stanic-Floody stepped up to score her fourth goal of the season, in her 50th A-Leagues Women’s match.
Perth had chances of their own late in the half with Grace Johnston and Kelli Brown sending their attempts straight at James.
United came out firing in the second half, with an early penalty. After Heyman was brought down by Casey Dumont in the box, Bethany Gordon missed the resulting spot-kick to put United up by three early in the second stanza.
The hosts pulled one back on the hour mark, as Tijan McKenna found the ball at the back post from a well struck cross by Brown.
Brown had the chance for an equalizer soon after, denied by a last-ditch block from the in-form Hayley Taylor-Young.
The intensity grew in the high stakes clash, with neither side wanting to settle with the current scoreline.
Sally James was in fine form in goals, with Perth struggling to get many attempts to trouble the ‘keeper.
Some brilliant build play on the left from United saw Maja Markovski release Darcey Malone into the box with the midfielder’s cutback pass unlucky to not find a green shirt to tap home.
The hosts through everything they could at United in the closing stages of the heated match, but failed to find an equalizer against a resolute Canberra side, that finds themselves in sixth sport pending other results.
