A-League: Western United, Sydney FC win over Perth Glory at UTAS Stadium

The double-header in Launceston closed out the Glory's time in Tasmania but ultimately they left with an undesired result in front of a sparsely populated crowd.

Perth Glory Women's side opened up the Sunday double-header as they welcomed Sydney FC to the expanses of UTAS Stadium.

Alex Epakis' side were eager to push the ladder-leading Sydney FC with a win key to their finals chances as the regular season races towards a close.

The two sides have never played a draw in their time in the competition with an average of four goals per game and it appeared early on that Sydney's attacking press would open the account.

Cortnee Vine, with her pace and intent, gave Natasha Rigby a tough first-half up and down the touchline when she was played in during the opening 20 minutes but a tough angle resulted in a skied shot.

Glory were trapped largely in midfield for the opening stanza as they were buried deep by Sydney's pressing intensity and struggled to generate any impetus or speed on the counter.

Susan Phonsongkham had Perth's best opportunity of the opening half as the Glory worked it up to the edge of the box on a break as Phonsongkham levelled a shot straight at Jada Mathyssen-Whyman.

As they had threatened to since the opening whistle, Sydney broke the deadlock although it was a defender rather than striker that led the way.

Mackenzie Hawkesby delivered her seventh assist with a low, flat cross into centre back Natalie Tobin as she showed the touch of a striker rather than a defender to volley it past Courtney Newbon.

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After the break, Epakis injected Matildas legend Lisa De Vanna to the mix as the rain came down at UTAS Stadium.

Vine, a persistent threat on the right wing, was untroubled by the damp conditions as she found Remy Siemsen with a delightful ball, only for the striker to miscue the shot.

De Vanna was at the heart of things for Glory as the Perth worked down the wing to find Hana Lowry but a desperate and despairing Ally Green made a crucial intervention.

Vine proved lightning on an increasingly heavy track as she ran through onto a Hawkesby pass and left the Glory defence in her wake before finishing past Newbon for Sydney's second.

If that was not enough, the league leaders added a third as Princess Ibini's low cross found Vine in space for a quick-fire double.

It threatened to be a landslide at UTAS Stadium until De Vanna swivelled and layed-off a perfectly weighted pass onto an on-rushing Aideen Keane who slotted it past Mathyssen-Whyman for 3-1.

The coaches rang the changes, including Vine being subbed off with injury and Whyman's collison stopping play, but Sydney closed out the win to maintain their push for the Premiers Plate.

Vine was unsure about her injury post-game, which be a scare for Sydney fans given her season could have her in Julie Dolan Medal calculations.

"It is a bit sore, not too sure what's going on," she said.

"I got kicked in the leg, bit of nerve stuff going on not too sure where I am at with that.

"We came out there and showed everyone what we could do and why we're top, I am really proud of the girls."

Perth Glory wanted to fly the flag for the sake of state pride and leave their Tasmanian adventure on a high after a win and a loss preceding Sunday.

With marquee man Daniel Sturridge stuck on the sidelines due to injury and and former Millwall striker Andy Keogh also out, Perth's attacking burden fell to captain Bruno Fornaroli.

Their opposition in United were no sloth's in defence given they boasted one of the competition's best defence and the most 1-0 wins so far this season.

Fornaroli threatened to give the Western Australians the upper-hand at their home away from home as he tried to finesse one on a tight angle past veteran goalkeeper Jamie Young.

It was only the defensive industry of Neil Kilkenny and a Young left hand that stopped United from going behind in the middle of the first-half as both side grew into the game.

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The Victorian side broke the scoreline when Nikolai Topor-Stanley, usually at home deep in defence, ventured further afield.

The A-League Men's journeyman had the ball pin-ball towards him as he displayed a deft touch to Aleksandar Prijovic, who slotted his fifth of the season and United's first of the game.

For a lack of possession from John Aloisi's men they certainly made the most of what they did have with 11 shots of their 13 coming inside the box and four of them on target.

Fornaroli received some heavy attention from United in the second-half, courtesy of heavy tackles from Josh Risdon and Kilkenny, as the Victorians thwarted the Glory marksman.

Kilkenny was at his best with two-way running through the midfield when he spot-up Ben Garuccio on the wing in the 56^th minute.

After making waves on social media for a jaw-dropping scorpion kick, Garuccio turned provider as he skimmed in a perfectly weighted ball to an unmarked Dylan Pierias for their second goal to send the passionate United supporters into a series of chants.

Glory had their chances but were largely forced into taking optimistic long range efforts for the majority of the second-half which rarely troubled Young as United closed out the win.

"It's good, we always bring games down here to Launceston and I think we've got a pretty good record down here, we're undefeated," United's Lachlan Wales said post-game.

"Hopefully we can come back later in the season, I think we've got two games here, and if the Tassie fans can get out here that'd be awesome."

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