The Wanderers are back

After a 4-0 thrashing last week against Brisbane Roar, the Wanderers were adamant on showing the league that they’re still a force to be reckoned with.

Caitlin Cooper started the comeback in the fourth minute, scoring her first goal of the season by heading the ball into the top corner to take the lead, before the Wanderers added two more goals to their name.

Today was a game the Wanderers really needed to win to keep challenging with Melbourne City and Sydney FC – and although their performance wasn’t at its best, they proved that they’re on their way back to their former glory.

Vine stepped up in the absence of Lynn Williams – the striker was able to set up some attacking opportunities for her team through quick passes and intelligent runs, as well as adding her name to the scoresheet in the second half from a composed strike into the corner set up by Ella Mastrantonio.

Denise O’Sullivan controlled the midfield in her last game in the red and black, while Ella Mastrantonio dribbled through Perth’s defence and played perfect balls through to the Wanderers attack.

The red and black are on their way back.

The problems with Perth…

After being defeated 3-1 by the Western Sydney Wanderers and with finals hopes just about diminished, the more obvious problems with Perth that have haunted them throughout the season were once again on display tonight.       

The Glory were very rarely in possession, and when they did have the ball it wasn’t long before they gave it away.

Perth players gave the Wanderers too much time on the ball and didn’t take advantage of the Wanderers’ mistakes.

In the front third, the press from Perth wasn’t enough to put the Wanderers under any significant pressure, and their front players weren’t physical on the ball.

Perth were able to score a scrappy goal in the second half that levelled them with the Wanderers, and they did have a short passage of time where they looked threatening – but it wasn’t enough to cause any significant problems for the Wanderers.

Perth aren’t altogether a bad team – they’ve been unlucky in parts, and it’s really a few small things that need to be checked that could made a big difference to their performances in the coming weeks.

Debuting goalkeepers

Two young goalkeepers on opposite ends of the pitch made their debuts in the W-League today.

Morgan Aquino entered the field as part of a triple substitution at half time made by Bobby Despotovski for Perth Glory.  

The 18-year old replaced Eliza Campbell who came off with a concussion, but Aquino stepped up and made some vital saves throughout the second half.

The youngster’s highlight of the game came late in the second half when she made a double save, first denying Caitlin Cooper from a long-range shot before extinguishing Vine’s attempt on the follow up.

At the other end of the field, Western Sydney Wanderers’ keeper Courtney Newbon made her first appearance in the red and black, holding the fort while Abby Smith is out with an injury.

Newbon, at 19 years old, was able to make a number of quality saves and keep calm whilst playing out from the back.

The future of goalkeeping is bright!