W-LEAGUE: Debutant Sutton stars in Glory win

A clinical hattrick from stand-in striker Rosie Sutton fired Perth Glory to a 3-1 win over ladder rivals Sydney at nib stadium on Saturday.

The young centre-forward was handed her starting Perth debut in the absence of stars Kate Gill and Lisa De Vanna and responded magnificently with three well-taken goals, aided by the expert goalkeeping of Carly Telford.

A period of sustained pressure in which they had created most of the chances paid off for the hosts in the 19th minute when Rosie Sutton, on her starting debut for the club, evaded her markers from a corner to glance a near-post header between the legs of Sydney 'keeper Sian McLaren.

However, their good work was undone within a minute when Sydney striker Chloe Logarzo was on hand to tap-in the rebound from English international Telford's reflex save, following Lillie Billson's ball from the right that had caught out the Perth defence.

The stunning few minutes of action continued in the Perth goalmouth as the impressive Telford was called on to bail out her side twice in quick succession, first turning away a close-range header before denying Logarzo a quickfire brace, which was followed-up by a shot onto the upright.

The flurry of chances alerted Glory back into life and Sutton twice volleyed over as Jamie Harnwell's side looked to regain the lead.

Controversy arose minutes before half-time when Perth's Elisa D'Ovidio appeared to react with an intentional knee off the ball following a risky tackle from New Zealand representative Annalie Longo. Both went unpunished by the referee, however, and the teams entered the break with a goal apiece.

Logarzo spurned a glorious chance to hand the visitors the lead five minutes into the second period when she spurned Larissa Crummer's unselfish pass over the crossbar with only Telford to beat.

Clear-cut chances continued to be exchanged between as McLaren continued the theme of classy goalkeeping on denying D'Ovidio in a one-on-one before Emma Kete shot wide for Sydney, who had managed more opportunities without looking totally convincing.

Sights at goal became rarer as the second-half wore on with as the warm Perth heat, which required drinks breaks in each period, taking its toll on a previously rapid tempo.

Despite the testing conditions, Glory fought their way into the lead as Tabain's well-weighted cross into the penalty found Sutton peeling off her defender, and the 22-year-old striker buried the header into the far corner with just under fifteen minutes to play.

And it got even better for Perth and Sutton when she turned her first W-League goals into a hattrick five minutes from time, clinically punishing a stretched Sydney defence which settled an win for Perth which sees them consolidate their place as league-leaders.

FULL TIME: Perth Glory 3 - 1 Sydney FC

PERTH: Telford (GK), Milne, Studman, May, Andrews, Hawkins, Mastrantonio, D'Ovidio, Tabain, Luik, Sutton.

SYDNEY: McLaren (GK), Polias, Ralston, Bolger, Rollason, Longo, Logarzo, Crummer, Bromley, Kete, Billson.