A-League Women: Perth Glory succumb to 1-0 defeat to Canberra United as finals hopes take further blow

Former Perth Glory defender Liz Anton has returned to haunt her former club, as Canberra United stole a 1-0 over the Glory in their A-League Women’s clash at McKellar Park.

In doing so, Anton dealt the Glory a hammer blow as their slim finals hopes took a hit as they sit nine points adrift of sixth spot with nine games left — a margin which could be 12 by the end of Sunday if Brisbane Roar win.

It was the story of Perth’s season writ once more, as they produced a battling performance which deserved more reward than they walked away with due to an inability to capitalise in front of goal.

Despite the visitors dominating the shot count and enjoying more possession, they were unable to carve out many goal-scoring opportunities and were made to pay when Anton rifled home from close range after the Glory failed to clear a second-half corner.

It was Canberra’s first and only shot on target of the game, eerily similar to the 1-1 draw the two sides played out earlier this season when Mary Stanic-Floody equalised with Canberra’s only shot on target in that match.

Amid an at-times scrappy first-half, the Glory enjoyed the bulk of the territory but were unable to seriously threaten Canberra goalkeeper Sally James despite more than 62 per cent of possession in the opening half.

Isobel Dalton stabbed an effort goalwards which had James scrambling, but it ultimately bounced wide, and the game’s first shot on target came in the 34th minute – a long-range, hopeful Charli Wainwright effort James dealt with easily.

Up the other end, Casey Dumont did not have a save to make in the first half as United failed to really trouble the Glory with their star Michelle Heyman on the bench due to load management.

Canberra started the second half the stronger of the two sides, and were rewarded when Casey Dumont could not get enough purchase on an attempted punch clear, and the ball fell for Anton to fire home off-balance among a forest of legs in the six-yard box.

The goal sparked Perth into action, as Natalie Tathem watched a shot fly wide before the returning Sarah O’Donoghue saw her shot deflected into the arms of James.

Perth had more chances late as substitute Miku Sunaga shot straight at the ‘keeper before Megan Wynne almost robbed James of possession with the ball at her feet.