Liz Anton has had a good week. She captained the side, in the mysterious absence of Michelle Heyman, against a side she made 62 appearances for over the last few seasons. She scored the winning goal. She was voted Player of the Match, along with Hayley Taylor-Young, and was selected for the Football Ferns, New Zealand’s national side for the upcoming games against Costa Rica. Anton has become an important player for Canberra this season, expertly marshalling a defence that has had to chop and change through injury. She’s a key reason why Canberra’s defence has improved significantly this season. Her good form and leadership were there for all to see in this match.

How the team lined up

Perth Glory were up against it from the start in this match. Travelling from Perth to play is not easy. It’s a disadvantage they must put up with. Perth Glory have not won any of their away games this season, having had 2 draws and 5 losses. They are also a team that plays very energetically, pressing players on the ball all over the park. This makes it even harder, particularly when it’s hot and humid.

Perth, predictably, started with plenty of energy. The early skirmishes were held mostly in Canberra’s half. Darcey Malone was unlucky to be booked early for holding back Wainwright. The game soon degenerated into a messy scrap for possession with no side really gaining meaningful ground. This was largely due to Perth’s pressing game and Canberra’s inability to hold possession once they gained it. The pitch appeared to shrink with players jostling and the referee giving her pea a good workout.

In the 24^th minute the referee rightly blew for a foul by Anton just outside the penalty area. Dalton was off target but made there’s only one Sally James think about it. Bertolissio then joined Malone in the referee’s book after bringing down former Canberra player Isobel Foletta. Anton was in the thick of the action again, this time in Perth’s penalty box, getting on the end of Stanic-Floody free kick but directing the header wide. Canberra then got the hattrick of bookings as the referee found the familiar yellow card, this time for Hayley Taylor-Young. A sense of injustice descended over the home crowd as the referee’s whistle kept interrupting Canberra’s efforts to take control. The first half ended with neither side having created a reasonable chance. It was a half where Perth marginally out muscled and harassed Canberra. Not a half that will linger in the memory for long.

Given the way the first half played out, where Canberra had zero shots, and given the quality on Canberra’s bench, you’d expect it would not be long before Heyman and/or Keane took to the field. The game was crying out for some individual quality.

Canberra started the second half better than Perth. Canberra started to win more of the duals and were now benefitting from a whistle happy referee. In the 55^th minute they won a corner.  Robers floated over a dangerous ball that Perth was unable to deal with. It dropped among a sea of legs but the only ones that mattered belonged to Liz Anton, who joyfully stabbed the ball over the line. A messy goal for a messy match. Canberra’s players piled onto Anton like they’d won the grand final. This is how it is when a breakthrough happens in a match that was going nowhere.

After the goal Canberra’s confidence started to grow. Passes started to hit the mark with a higher percentage than in the first half. To combat the Canberra resurgence Perth started bringing on their substitutes, including the dangerous Sarah O’Donoghue and Ella Abdul-Massih. It was a good move from coach Steven Peters and it shifted the momentum again. Perth fought back and caused a goalmouth scramble. Bethany Gordon managed to get her head to the ball first and deflected it onto the post. Legs were flying and Canberra managed to clear.

Canberra counter punched and made their first substitute. A little surprisingly, it was Ruby Nathan who came on in place of Mary Stanic-Floody. Logic would have it that Heyman and/or Keane would come on first to add more quality and calmness to proceedings. One thing you can say about Jagarenic is that he is not afraid to give young players a go. And why not.

Heyman and Keane did come on with 15 minutes to go in place of Malone and Christopherson.  A strong substitution. Canberra still had not had a shot at goal all afternoon. Perth kept coming and substitute Sunaka had a poke at goal that should have tested there’s only one Sally James more. Keane then went on a fine run, reminding the home crowd of what they had missed for most of the season. Canberra’s first serious shot came in the 82^nd minute from, inevitably, Michelle Heyman, who created her own space from a through ball, and blasted it over the bar from distance. There’s only one Sally James put hearts in mouths when she tried to dribble out of her own box and was nearly caught. The game played out with no further dramas.  The referee was not quite done and managed to fit Bethany Gordon into her yellow card book for good measure.

This was a messy game. Canberra United will have been pleased to have come away with 3 points. The positives were that Canberra kept a clean sheet and Anton proved once again her value to the team. Hayley Taylor-Young, the third-choice centre back, also showed her strength and adaptability. Aideen Keane is fit again, ready for the remainder of the season. You feel for Perth Glory who have now played 8 games away from home without a win. It’s a tough task for a young side.

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