American import Gabby Hollar has marked her long-awaited return with a double as Perth Glory ended 22 months of road pain with an impressive 3-1 win over Western Sydney in their A-League Women season opener.
The start of Friday night's match was delayed by 75 minutes because of lightning strikes, with heavy rain ensuring a wet pitch when play finally got under way at 8.15pm (AEDT) at Wanderers Football Park.
Hollar scored two goals in her first match since being diagnosed with blood clots in January, while fellow American Rola Badawiya also got on the scoresheet for the visitors.
Glory winger Grace Johnston was crucial in the win by setting up two of the goals.
The result marked Glory's first away win since defeating Central Coast 2-1 on December 31, 2023.
For the Wanderers, the result was a poor start to their campaign as they attempt to bounce back from last season's wooden spoon.
Glory opened the scoring in opportunistic fashion, with Hollar's outstretched boot poking the ball in from close range after Wanderers goalkeeper Brianna Edwards had spilled a cross.
Edwards was left fuming, believing she had fumbled the ball due to a Glory player knocking into her, but replays showed she had been accidentally bumped by her own teammate.
The start of the second half was a crazy affair as three goals were scored in the space of five minutes.
Glory made it 2-0 in the 47th minute when Badawiya turned in a dangerous cross from Johnston.
The Wanderers hit back four minutes later when Ella Buchanan scored from a goal-mouth scramble.
But the home fans barely had a minute to celebrate, with the Wanderers defence caught asleep on the job as an unmarked Hollar headed home at the far post following a pinpoint cross from Badawiya.
