The Western Sydney Wanderers will continue their run of games against sides in the top four when they take the long trip to face Perth Glory on Sunday.
They are coming into the match off a high and one of their best results in recent times, as they pulled off an upset win over the Melbourne Victory at Wanderers Football Park.
Despite having failed to defeat the Victory since 2015, they pulled off a stunning performance as goals from captain Amy Harrison and a counter attacking goal from Alexia Apostolakis secured just a second win ever for the Wanderers over Melbourne, lifting them to eighth of the table.
Not even the return of Matildas midfielder Alex Chidiac to the Victory side could stop the Wanderers, as they won their third game in the last five matches.
The game also marked the side’s third clean sheet of the season and was the first for goalkeeper Kaylie Collins, who started her second match in a row after a spell on the sidelines, and she pulled off some key saves to keep the Victory out.
It was the perfect way to bounce back from a disappointing home defeat in their previous game, and they will look to take that momentum in what will be a difficult clash on the road.
The Perth Glory had a red-hot start to the season as they won their first four games, scoring nine and conceding just three as they put the rest of the league on notice.
New import Millie Farrow has led the way for the Glory with six goals in 10 games, whilst New Zealand international Grace Jale and Philippines Jessika Cowart all impressing after joining the club in the off-season.
Their momentum has slowed in recent weeks, though, with defeats against Wellington and Western United on the road as well as home draws against Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC seeing them fall three points behind Melbourne City at the top of the pile.
They are still finely poised to qualify for the finals for the first time since 2018-19, where led by current world superstar and Matildas captain Sam Kerr they finished runners-up in the finals series.
They may not possess that kind of star power this time around, but they are a difficult side to break down, ahing only conceded 10 goals so far this season.
It will provide an interesting test for a Wanderers attack that sometimes can be free flowing, but also sometimes has its struggles.
Sophie Harding is still the key threat going forward despite having failed to score in her last two games, her six goals is the highest in the team so far this season.
Whilst coach Robbie Hooker will be happy with his side’s performances in recent weeks, he will be looking for more of his attackers to get on the scoresheet and to take some of the goalscoring burden off of Harding’s shoulders, with the likes of Maliah Morris still eager to score their first goal for the club.
The sides only met once last season – also at Macedonia Park in Perth – and the sides couldn’t be separated as an Amy Harrison penalty 10 minutes from time cancelled out Natasha Rigby’s opener; Perth ended up finishing the season nine points ahead of the Wanderers, only a point outside the finals places.
With a massive home match against ladder leaders Melbourne City to come after this game, the Wanderers would love nothing more than a positive result to continue their upward momentum in the New Year.
