Sydney FC are one win away from securing a historic first Liberty A-League Premiership threepeat following a 4-2 win over Perth Glory at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Indiana Dos Santos became the club’s youngest ever goal scorer with a first half opener before Perth equalised twice either side of a stunning Cortnee Vine strike.
Despite some Perth pressure, the Sky Blues kept their nerve as Haley and Ibini scored in the last quarter to put the result beyond doubt and Sydney FC one point clear at the top.
Sydney FC 4 (Dos Santos 24’, Vine 45’+2’, Haley 75’, Ibini 88’) def. Perth Glory 2 (Jancevski 45’, Coleman 58’)
Moments That Mattered:
DOS SANTOS GOAL – 24’ – Vine shrugs off her defender wide right and drives towards goal. Her cross is only cleared as far as Dos Santos who smashes it home from 12 yards to become Sydney FC’s youngest ever goalscorer.
HAWKESBY OFF THE BAR – 26’ – Vine gets to the byline on the right and crosses, but Perth can only clear as far as Hawkesby who clips the bar with her shot.
JANCEVSKI GOAL – 45’ – Referee Reibelt awards a penalty to Perth after a perceived foul on Lowry in the box. Jancevski steps up and slots the ball home.
VINE SCORES SUPERB GOAL – 45’+2” – Vine receives the ball on the touchline, takes on three defenders, gets into the box and drills a low shot inside the far post.
IBINI SHOT SAVED – 49’ – Ibini turns the Perth defence both ways and fires off a shot but it’s parried by the Perth keeper.
DOS SANTOS EFFORT TIPPED OVER – 50’ – Vine feeds Dos Santos who unleashes a drive from distance which Aquino has to tip over.
COLEMAN GOAL – 58’ – Blake’s mis-hit cross heads towards goal which Whyman can only push across the goal-line and Coleman is there from a yard out to head home.
VINE CHANCE – 63’ – Haley plays a fantastic ball across the field to put Vine one on one but she slides it past the far post.
HALEY GOAL – 75’ – Hawkesby’s free kick is headed in the air by Vine and falls to Haley on the volley to fire home.
IBINI GOAL – 88’ – Vine and Hawkesby win the ball back and Vine gets into the box where she squares it to Ibini who coolly passes the ball into the bottom corner.
What They Said: Ante Juric: “We dominated the first half and our dominance showed in the second too.
On Cortnee Vine who set up all four goals: “Viney is outstanding and has done it for three or four years, it’s no surprise to us, that’s her job out wide. Today she had a particularly good game.
On Indiana Dos Santos: “She’s excellent, when I first saw her a year ago she was playing in the 17’s and she is a gem of a talent and has developed well over the last couple of months and has taken her chance. She’s unbelievable for 15.
“We go out to win and next weekend the end result is the Premiership but we are focused on how we play and what we do, and the reward will be there if we get through.”
Indiana Dos Santos On Her Goal: “It just meant the world, I just couldn’t believe it, I was going to start crying but I just had to focus on the game.
“It’s shows all the hard work I’ve been putting in is finally paying off.”
Match Report: Sydney FC could create history on Saturday by becoming the first team in Liberty A-League history to win a Premiership threepeat.
The Sky Blues defeated Perth Glory 4-2 tonight to move one point clear at the top of the ladder knowing a win against Newcastle Jets on Saturday afternoon will secure the Premiership.
15-year old Indiana Dos Santos opened the scoring in the first half to become the club’s youngest ever goalscorer and make history for herself.
Perth were awarded a penalty before the interval and equalised through Jancevski before Vine scored a superb solo goal to restore the lead in first half stoppage time.
The visitors were level again on the hour as Coleman tapped in a header to make it 2-2.
A nervy period followed but the Sky Blues stood firm and Haley volleyed home a Hawkesby free kick to add a third, before Ibini sealed it late on.
The Sky Blues will be crowned Premiers anyway if Western United fail to beat Western Sydney Wanderers.
Sydney FC: 1. Jada WHYMAN, 4. Anna GREEN (5. Kirsty FENTON 58’), 6. Sarah HUNTER, 8. Rachel LOWE (9. Madison HALEY 58’) , 11. Cortnee VINE (23. Anika STAJCIC 90’), 12. Natalie TOBIN (C), 15. Mackenzie HAWKESBY, 16. Deborah-Anne DE LA HARPE, 19. Charlize RULE, 20. Princess IBINI-ISEI, 22. Indiana DOS SANTOS (21. Shay HOLLMAN 87’).
Unused Subs: 30 Katie OFFER (GK).
Yellow Cards: Haley 76’.
Red Cards: None.
Perth Glory: 1. Morgan AQUINO (GK), 3. Kim CARROLL, 4. Natasha RIGBY, 7. Elizabeth ANTON, 8. Hana LOWRY, 12. Sofia SAKALIS (15. Cyera HINTZEN 46’), 13. Sarah CAIN, 14. Hannah BLAKE, 18. Sadie LAWRENCE, 19. Isabella FOLETTA (21. Ella MASTRANTONIO 54’), 23 Alana JANCEVSKI (42. Gabriella COLEMAN 46’).
Unused Subs: 20. Sarah LONGMAN (GK), 6. Tijan MCKENNA.
Yellow Cards: Mastrantonio 85’,
Red Cards: None
Venue: Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Referee: Casey Reibelt
