Summary
Simply put, that’s one of the most remarkable individual performances, collective performances, and one of the most amazing two hours of football you’ll ever watch.
Sam Kerr. She raised eyebrows ahead of the season being handed a massive contract and marquee status - and she’s returned that investment, as she has all season, in absolute spades today.
Player for player the premiers Victory were on paper a better squad (with the exception of Kerr). Coach Jeff Hopkins has been there before, and got it done. But that wasn’t counting for the inspirational turn from the Perth skipper, who led her team brilliantly, scoring three goals, and putting on an assist for her side’s other goal.
Terrific performances from Rachel Hill, Leticia McKenna, Shannon May - in fact, there weren’t too many in white and purple who didn’t deliver today.
The premiers crash out. And if you missed any of this one, I humbly suggest you scroll back to the beginning and re-live this one from scratch.
What. A. Game.
Full-time: Melbourne Victory 2-4 Perth Glory
120 min: Thar she blows! And that, quiet honestly, is one of the most remarkable games of football we’ve seen in the W-League.
Forget that it’s a final. Forget that it’s against the premiers. That was something very, very special from Perth Glory. Amazing entertainment.
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118 min: Ooph, this is globetrotters stuff now. Hill, who also hasn’t stopped running with a tremendous turn and cross to pick out Kerr, centrally. She tries the acrobatic, first-time volley - but the whistle goes for offside. That really would have been the cherry on top, although the shot did flash over the crossbar. Razzle-dazzle stuff from the Glory.
115 min: It’s something that has to be seen to be believed - after nearly two hours in the hot, hot sun, Perth have lofted a long ball to find Kerr, but it’s been cut out. And as the most forward player on the pitch, the league’s marquee has made a 80m recovery run to force Gielnik out for a corner. She dropped the head, and ran, and ran. What an inspiration!
She’s like Cristiano Ronaldo. If Ronaldo played for the team as well, that is.
113 min: And after nearly two hours, Bobby Despotovski has decided one of his players can have a rest. Remarkable stuff.
He famously said he was a punisher of a coach - on this showing, he’s not wrong. And finally - Mautz, the obvious substitute from about an hour ago, makes way! Perth’s first substitution of the game, and it’s a defender for a forward.
111 min: All of a sudden its McKenna who keeps finding herself in acres of space. She jinks past her marker, but Mason-Jones does well to stand tall and save the shot with her body.
They’re out on their feet, the Victory defenders. Somebody stop the fight.
Goal! Melbourne Victory 2-4 Perth Glory (Kerr)
107 min: We’ve never had a hattrick in a W-League finals match. Well guess what - we have now.
Leticia McKenna with some brilliant work once again down the left, and she crosses to find an unmarked Kerr in the middle.
How’s the fitness, that’s a great late run, and she tucks home with aplomb. It’s a Kerr hat-trick. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??
Extra-time, second half!
105 min: And we’re back underway. Fifteen minutes to salvage this, the Victory.
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Extra-time, half-time: Melbourne Victory 2-3 Perth Glory
105 min: I’m struggling to keep up with this one, I’ll be honest. We’ve had shots, we’ve had niggle. Mason-Jones does brilliantly between the sticks to deny Perth a fourth. That definitely could have been curtains.
They need a spark the home side - can this rapidly growing crowd lift the home side in the final fifteen?
102 min: He’s not lost a W-League final in four previous matches, but the experienced Jeff Hopkins has a battle on his hands here. He’s played all three subs, his team is down to ten. It’s all down to the players in dark blue now. Can Nairn and Alleway and Dowie lift their teammates?
99 min: Ay, ay, ay. It’s bad to worse for Victory - we’ve got a red card!
That’s pure frustration from Sam Johnson, who tangles with Kerr once again, and as she did in the first half, she’s earned herself a yellow card.
She lashes out in frustration - my, the import has to be careful, she’s almost slapped the card out of the referee’s hand! A petulant reaction; just pure anger and disappointment for the Victory centre half - but she’s off, and the premiers are down to ten!
Goal! Melbourne Victory 2-3 Perth Glory (Kerr)
97 min: Can you bloody believe this! It’s Hill. It’s Kerr. It’s goal. For the third time today!
A drifted ball finds the Australian out wide, she shrugs her marker, and Mason-Jones flies off her line to smother. But it’s far too much composure from the Matilda - and she lifts the ball brilliantly over the advancing ‘keeper, and lobs home!
96 min: Sheesh - it’s Kerr again! From the resulting corner Victory fail to clear their lines, and off all people a bobbling ball falls to Kerr inside the box - but her lashed finish drifts agonisingly wide.
94 min: Haven’t Hill and Kerr combined well today? The qualities of Kerr are of course well known, but the American Hill has almost threatened to steal the limelight at times today. They combine once more, but for once the American flyer if offside.
It’s those two who combine again a minute later, and only a desperate save off the line from Mason-Jones forces a corner! How close was that!
Extra-time: underway!
90 min: So, it’s the sub-less Victory against the three-subs Glory; who will have the legs for another 30 minutes? And will we see a decider; or is this one going all the way to penalties?
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Full-time: Melbourne Victory 2-2 Perth
90 + 8 min: We’re in deep Fergie time, and Perth loft in a freekick - but Mason-Jones moves well to punch clear. And there’s the whistle. What a pulsating finish to this one!
We’ve got thirty more minutes! And those fans arriving to AAMI Park ahead of Victory’s A-League game against top of the table Perth Glory are in for a special treat; there are more turns in this one, you just know it.
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90 + 6 min: Well, it is all happening here! A long hopeful ball in and Campbell doesn’t claim. She hears the whistle for a foul though, as she was blocked by a Victory player, but Dowie is down in the background. I can’t tell what’s happened to the skipper, but she gets to her feet eventually.
Goal! Melbourne Victory 2-2 Perth Glory (Maher)
90 + 4 min: She lofts it in, Kerr rises, but it’s Alleway who makes contact. It falls inside for the diminutive sub, who tucks home brilliantly, flicking the desperate fingers of Campbell in the Perth goal, and it rifles home!
Just moments away from being bundled out. Can you believe that. Victory are level! And we could be heading to extra time.
90 + 2 min: Well defended from Kim Carroll. The 50+ cap former Matilda has been immense at the back for the Glory, and she shows strength to shield the ball dead for a goal kick.
Victory with another set piece. The big centre backs lumber forward. Nairn is over it.
90 min: And we’ve got SIX minutes of added time. Fair enough too, with a few lengthy injury stoppages.
Six minutes to salvage their season, the Victory - and to fight the curse of the premiers, who have failed to make the final for three consecutive seasons.
89 min: Good determination from the youngster Cooney-Cross who gets her body between two defenders to draw the foul. Nairn with an important set piece. She fires it in - and who’s there to clear? It’s Sam Kerr!
She heads clear, it comes back with interest from Mastrantonio - and again, it’s Kerr who blocks the shot and reefs it clear. She’s everywhere, the Glory skipper!
Goal! Melbourne Victory 1-2 Perth Glory (Hill)
86 min: Wowee! What a turnaround this. Perth with patient possession - May passes backwards and Naughton does well to hold her pass until she can find Kerr. She twists and turns and then digs out an inch-perfect cross to the far post. Not much Mason-Jones could do there once again, as Hill rises best to nod home!
They’ve come from behind the Glory!! And the premiers are on the ropes.
83 min: And here’s the final change for Victory - as sixteen-year-old Kyra Cooney-Cross enters the fray, Mindy Barbieri jogs off. You have to imagine this is the largest game of her life; but expect teammate Grace Maher to give her some encouragement; the then Canberra United youngster famously came on for a W-League debut during a grand final as a fifteen-year-old (if my memory serves correctly).
80 min: A nice combination between Kerr and McKenna, with the striker flicking a nice ball into the path of the midfielder, who loads up from long range and it’s a well-struck effort - but it’s equally well-held.
Nairn goes down in backplay, and we have another injury respite, as both sets of players get to the shade for drinks and words of encouragement.
77 min: So, what tricks does Jeff Hopkins have left? He’s already used two subs - one enforced with Mason-Jones, one optional with Grace Maher entering the fray.
74 min: I was just thinking they needed a spark from somewhere, the Glory, and wondering why Despotovski hadn’t gone to the bench to shuffle his pack. But he continues to keep faith with his starting XI, and who else - but Captain Kerr who delivers.
Goal! Melbourne Victory 1-1 Perth Glory (Kerr)
71 min: Glory with a chance to counter, and they build well from the back. Again Kerr looks to release Mautz, but Beard runs her opponent down and the moment is lost.
They come again, and this time it’s McKenna with a ball in from the right, and who else - and in such fashion - it’s Sam Kerr on the end of it!!
She’s ghosted between two defenders, Alleway lunges desperately to get something on it, but she connects poorly. Kerr, reacts, and stays calm - and Mason-Jones with no chance as one the world’s most lethal finishers tucks home.
Game on!!
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68 min: Some good work from Gielnik down the right, and she combines with Dowie, with both the tall strikers showing great strength, as well as patience, to hold up play, recycle and probe for openings. Eventually the former Roar striker pings in a cross, but is headed well clear by Kim Carroll. Great passage of play.
64 min: Mautz tries to get something going down Perth’s right, but it’s a disappointing contribution from the American. She’s been quiet today, by her high standards - Perth will need more from her, with defender Angie Beard definitely edging that battle.
And it breaks for Kerr, who looks to fashion a shot - but who’s there to stop her? Laura Alleway. Great block!
61 min: So a bit of zip going out of the contest; that long break for injury and perhaps the Melbourne heat taking some of the pulsating end-to-end action we saw late in the first half out of the game now.
Or is it just the quiet before a late storm? Perth line up for their first corner of the game. It’s again half-cleared, and Hill tries to spectacular curling effort from long range, but it curls over.
56 min: A break in play as Alleway receives some treatment. Hill with a bit of a flailing arm / elbow which makes contact with the face of the defender. Perhaps fortunate not to go into the book there. Nothing intentionally nasty, but it’s caught the defender.
53 min: And almost a carbon copy of the first half, having absorbed a tonne of early pressure in the first five minutes, Perth now begin to fashion chances of their own. Again it’s May looking to get something happening, but Mason-Jones does well to hold the lofted shot.
48 min: Victory with a set piece, and they look for the imposing figure of Alleway, but the big central defender acrobatically stretches for the delivery, and Perth eventually clear.
A minute later Nairn lines up another freekick, and she looks to catch Campbell unawares at her near post. Once bitten, twice shy? Absolutely no way the Perth ‘keeper was going to be caught at her near post by Nairn. Again.
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Second half!
45 min: So we’re back - and an early comfortable collect for Mason-Jones, and the home crowd give her an encouraging applause.
Dumont reportedly failed a half-time concussion test. Remarkable then that the shot-stopper had played out the half? We hope she’s okay - she has had some rotten luck injuries, Dumont.
So, some big news ahead of the second half - goalkeeper Casey Dumont has succumbed to injury, and Victory have gone to the bench and thrown on Bethany Mason-Jones.
She’s not played all season, and only has a handful of W-League caps to her name. What a time to make an entry!
Half-time: Melbourne Victory 1-0 Perth Glory
45 min: So, they huffed and they puffed, the Glory - but after 45 minutes they still couldn’t find the equaliser for a goal that came inside 90 seconds!
Some niggle and a fair bit of drama near the end of that stanza; Kerr and Alleway with a coming together which was awarded as a foul against the striker, who was otherwise through clear on goal.
45 minutes more of that, please.
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43 min: Ooh-ee! Terrific work from May who combines brilliantly with Hill once again, tricking her player before sneaking a one-two. Hill then looks to cross, and the Perth players appeal for a suspected handball in the box!
It definitely appeared to strike the arm of Alleway; but was the arm in an unnatural position? They might have grounds to feel aggrieved, the Glory - penalty not given!
40 min: Meanwhile, at the other end it’s Nairn and Dowie who combine brilliantly, but the Englishwoman is deemed offside, so even if her header had gone in, it wouldn’t have countered.
A lively end to the stanza - plenty of noise coming from the players and the crowd, especially as Sam Johnson receives a yellow for another foul on Kerr. That’s some battle going on, as well!
36 min: Victory enjoy some possession, but it’s another fast break, and again it’s Hill and Kerr featuring prominently.
Hill cuts into the box and looks to pick out the league’s leading marks(wo)man. Kerr tries to dig it out of her feet but is clattered into by Mastrantonio. She goes to ground and appeals for a penalty, in vain - even with two extra referees, nobody fancies it!
A few bronx cheers from home fans, but in reality that was one of those that could have gone either way, you suspect.
32 min: So, a very intriguing battle at this stage. They’re not exactly sitting back, the Victory, but they are affording Glory a fair chunk of possession. They’re defending well with two banks of four, but they won’t want to invite a team including somebody like Sam Kerr to attack too often.
27 min: She’s no shrinking violet herself, Nikki Stanton, but she’s caught up in one hell of a running ding-dong with Dowie so far. She’s like an English Matt Simon, the Victory talisman, and eventually is penalised for a “robust” sequence of shoulder-to-shoulder with the American defender.
24 min: Great hands! That’s better from Campbell in the Glory goal, after Ella Mastrantonio seized on a half-clearance and fired a fierce first-time strike on goal. She doesn’t score many, the former Glory midfielder.
Don’t think she’d be too popular in her native Fremantle if that one had gone in.
20 min: Hill again the outlet down the left - she’s really rapid, and the former Matilda Allen will need all her experience and guile to handle her. She tries a shot from distance, but it sails harmlessly over the bar.
Victory were all over their visitors for the first five minutes, but have Perth settled better since then?
17 min: Great speed from Hill who rounds Teigen Allen with ease. She couldn’t quite find Kerr in the middle, and Victory clear. This is a good little spell for the visitors. Shannon May starting to pull the strings in midfield with some patient passing.
14 min: This is frenetic stuff, as you’d imagine from a semi-final. Kerr again runs at the Victory defence, this time turning provider as she slides a terrific ball to the American Rachel Hill. Dumont is off her line in a flash to smother, but she’s copped a nasty knock to the face for her efforts.
She’s back on her feet, the Victory shot-stopper, to applause from the home crowd.
12 min: Freekick just inside the Perth half, for Victory. Nairn lumps long, and Gielnik wins the contest and it breaks kindly for Dowie. The skipper looks to fashion a shot, but she’s well marshalled by the Glory defence. Shot blocked, and it’s scrambled clear!
8 min: First real look at Sam Kerr, who twists and turns to lose the attention of Laura Alleway - what a battle that will be today between two terrific Matildas. She runs from deep, perhaps 40m out and evades the attention of 2-3 Victory defenders to fashion a shot - but it’s well held by Dumont.
Something from nothing, that’s why she’s the league’s marquee!
5 min: So a far from ideal start from the visitors. What can Bobby Despotovski do to settle his side?
Gielnik now gets a free header inside the box - but it was a tricky angle, and perhaps she had time to control and try to turn and shoot.
They’re right on the back foot from the get-go, are Perth.
Goal! Melbourne Victory 1-0 Perth Glory (Nairn)
2 min: My, ooh my! That’s one hell of a start. And poor Eliza Campbell in the Glory goal looks like she would happily let the ground open up and swallow her.
It was the veteran American in a benign-enough part of the ground, near the far touchline, from an acute angle - but her mishit cross swerved fiercely towards the near post, and caught the Glory shot-stopper out - flicking the fingers on its way into the roof of the net!
Kick-off!
1 min: And we’re underway - Victory in their traditional dark blue, Perth, in their change strip of white, with purple trim.
Okay! The players are out on the field. Victory coach Jeff Hopkins boasts a four from four record in W-League finals; not too shabby - between him and the experience of players like Dowie, Nairn and Alleway you’d imagine there’s plenty of calm heads to prepare this Victory squad for today.
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So, your predictions today? Don’t forget to fire me an email or tweet to get your name up in lights.
For mine, as much as I’m hoping Sam Kerr will light up this contest, just so that we can greedily see her for another domestic final, I can’t go past this Victory XI. Too much experience and class across the pitch, and in Natasha Dowie (not to mention Emily Gielnik) they have players capable on their day of winning a game by themselves as well.
Hi all! We’re not too far away from our opening fixture of the day, so first some team news.
Melbourne Victory:
Here's our Semi Final line-up! #MVCvPER #WLeague pic.twitter.com/zREVpzeqMs
— Victory W-League (@victorywleague) February 10, 2019
Perth Glory:
Our @WLeague semi-final line up is in! pic.twitter.com/2LcOU5S9Zv
— Perth Glory FC (@PerthGloryFC) February 10, 2019
Preamble
It feels a long time since Melbourne Victory were a force in the W-League; in reality it’s only four years since their last finals appearance, and five since their previous Championship - but such has been the dominance of their cross-town rivals Melbourne City since their entry to the competition they’ve been very much relegated to the role of poor cousin. Until now.
Natasha Dowie has lead from the front, aided by the vastly experienced Laura Alleway at the back, and former Sydney FC duo Casey Dumont and Teigen Allen, and of course the ever-willing Christine Nairn.
Standing in their way for the double is of course an intimidating Perth Glory led by the one and only Sam Kerr. They may have only just squeaked into the finals but you get the sense that the league’s inauguaral marquee, voted as a top three player in the world recently, might just find an extra gear today.
Kick-off isn’t too far away - we’ll also have an A-League top of the table clash between these two sides, but in male version, a bit later as Tony Popovic and Kevin Muscat’s men go head to head; and stick around for the second of the W-League finals later on as Brisbane Roar play host to Sydney FC.
As always we’ll be round the grounds, so look out for AFLW, Big Bash, NBL action and more - all here, on Sunday Sportwatch!
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