W-LEAGUE: Glory hold off Roar to stay top

Perth Glory held their spot atop the W-League table on Saturday, seeing off a second-half resurgence from Brisbane Roar to draw 2-2 at Queensland Sports and Athletic Centre.

The visitors held a two goal lead going in to the half-time break courtesy of Kate Gill and Marianna Tabain, however Brisbane levelled terms via a spirited comeback, netting through Tameka Butt and Katrina Gorry in the final half hour.

Glory striker Gill opened the scoring on 34 minutes following a frantic goal mouth scramble from a corner, the Matildas representative pouncing on Roar custodian Kate Stewart’s reflex parry to steer the ball through the heavily trafficked keeper’s area and across the line.

 The visitor’s second also came from a second bite of the cherry after Roar failed to adequately clear the danger after Ella Mastrantonio’s shot cannoned off the crossbar. Tabain subsequently regained possession at the edge of the area and delivered a curling shot into the far crook.

Half-time substitute Butt clawed the first back for Brisbane on the hour mark when Emily Gielnik’s saw her shot parried back by Telford. Gielnik’s miscued her second attempt, striking it directly toward Butt at the far post, who reacted assuredly to steer the ball homeward from close range.

Katrina Gorry secured Roar a share of the points with a blistering strike in the 86th minute after being teed up by Butt and given space by a surge of runners in to the box.

Glory took to the game to Roar early, energetically pressing in the muggy mid-morning conditions, and almost stole an early lead when Gill dispossessed an isolated Erika Elza on 10 minutes, the host’s blushes only spared by some desperate scrambling defence.

Soon after, Brisbane’s star-studded midfield showed the first glimpses of promise – Clare Polkinghorne and Elise Kellond-Knight combining to play in Emily Gielnik, who picked out the surging Vedrana Popovic at the far post before Popovic’s first-time strike went wide of the target.

It began a purple patch for the hosts, their best chance of the opening half coming on 17 minutes when Katrina Gorry cut a swathe through Perth’s midfield before unleashing Amy Chapman, however the in-form attacker’s left-footed strike scooted wide of the near post.

Perth’s high-pressing continued to harry the Roar defence, Elisa D’Ovidio’s charge down of Brisbane custodian Kate Stewart’s clearance deflecting close enough to elicit the ooh’s and aah’s of the crowd.

At the other end, Chapman was proving increasingly elusive – running well on to Lana Harch’s through ball before miscuing a first-time shot then flirting with Kellond-Knight’s floated cross to the far post a minute later.

However, just as Brisbane looked the team most likely, Perth struck at the other end via targetman Gill; and while Roar attempted an immediate response - Telford spectacularly denying Gielnek’s fiercely struck right-footed shot – by half’s end the hosts had again conceded.

Roar coach Belinda Wilson responded by introducing Tameka Butt for the second half and the Matildas representative made an immediate impact – calling upon Telford to make a save only a minute after the restart.

Butt continued to threaten, combining well with Gielnik and Chapman at the apex of Brisbane’s formation, to get behind the Perth defence and was repeatedly denied by a combination of the linesman’s flag and Telford’s quickness off her line.

On the hour mark, Butt and Gielnik finally combined to effect, albeit somewhat fortunately.

Five minutes later the pair combined again when Butt got on the end of Gielnik’s right-sided cross, however despite her best athletic efforts, Butt was unable to get over the ball, blasting over at the far post.

Brisbane’s renaissance briefly spurred Perth back to life, McCallum shooting solidly but directly at Stewart from twenty yards following a well-worked set-piece with twenty minutes remaining.

Perth coach Jamie Harnwell, looking to secure the result, introduced Lisa De Vanna for the final ten minutes and the former Roar striker’s pace proved dangerous on the counter, however undisciplined passing put paid to several promising breaks from the visitors.

On 86 minutes, as the game increasingly devolved in to an end-to-end, attacking slug-fest, Gorry dramatically struck the equaliser for Brisbane with her bulleted strike.

McCallum attempted to singlehandedly secure the win in the frantic final minutes, her tenacious tackling in the attacking third seeing her regain possession in a promising position before striking her shot straight at Stewart.

Perth’s last chance at glory went begging when Tabain combined adroitly with De Vanna soon after; however, Tabain was unable to repeat her earlier long-range heroics and failed to hit the target from twenty yards.

At the other end, Gielnik went to ground in the box after a shoulder-to-shoulder contest with Bronwyn Studman for a long ball, however referee Kirralee Gardener waived away the felled attacker’s penalty appeals.

A final chance fell for the Roar in final minute of time added on when Butt’s headed shot bounced back off the crossbar and fell to Gielnik, who reflexively snatched at the shot and missed the target from five yards.

The result sees Perth and Brisbane remain first and second on the W-League ladder, respectively. Perth will hold first place going in to next round, while other results may see Brisbane drop as low as fourth by the end of the current round.

Final Score:

Brisbane Roar 2 (Tameka BUTT 60', Katrina GORRY 86')

Perth Glory 2 (Kate GILL 36', Marianna TABAIN 45')