Perth Glory’s bid to end Western United’s perfect start to the A-League Women season has come undone in heartbreaking fashion in a 3-2 loss at Macedonia Park.
Glory were on track for their second win of the season after goals either side of halftime to Rylee Baisden and Hana Lowry gave them a 2-1 lead on Sunday.
United supersub Chloe Logarzo, still working her way back to full fitness after an ACL tear, leveled the scores in the 67th minute.
And the visitors snatched all three points when Glory substitute Demi Koulizakis put the ball into her own net while trying to clear Hannah Keane’s close-range shot off the line.
“She chased it in and she had to find a way to stop the ball going into the back of the net,” Glory coach Alex Epakis said of the own goal.
“With that momentum, it’s tough. The goal was a goal, regardless of what she tried to do.”
Ninth-placed Glory have just five points from seven games, with their finals hopes in tatters.
United, in their first season in the women’s competition, have won their opening five games and shaped as a legitimate title contender.
“It’s unbelievable,” United coach Mark Torcaso said of the winning run.
“It’s something we pinch ourselves about all the time. That game there probably describes what we’re about as a team – we just fight and keep going.”
Glory went ahead in the seventh minute when Sofia Sakalis won the ball on the left flank before finding Cyera Hintzen, whose pass across the box was poked home by Baisden.
United leveled 10 minutes later thanks to a slice of luck.
Glory goalkeeper Sarah Langman did well to palm away Sydney Cummings’ header, but the ball bounced back off the crossbar and into the path of Keane, who bundled the ball in.
Perth attacker Sakalis should have done better in the 42nd minute when she found herself one-on-one against the goalkeeper.
Sakalis’ touch was too heavy, and she crumpled to the turf as goalkeeper Hillary Beall stretched out wide in front of her.
Glory’s penalty appeal fell on deaf ears, and Sakalis was handed a yellow card for simulation.
United hit the crossbar twice in first-half stoppage time, with Glory fortunate to enter the break with just one goal scored against them.
Glory went 2-1 up in the 53rd minute when Lowry held off an opponent with strength before scoring from close range.
But the home side were made to pay dearly for a defensive lapse in the 67th minute which allowed Logarzo to latch on to Jessica McDonald’s slow rolling cross and slam through a goal.
There was more heartbreak to come for Glory, with Koulizakis’ last-gasp bid to clear the ball off the line backfiring as she scuffed the shot into the net.
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