Gill brace leads Perth to Glory

Matildas co-captain Kate Gill scored a second-half brace to steer Perth Glory to a 2-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at Percy Doyle Reserve on Saturday night.

Matildas co-captain Kate Gill scored a second-half brace to steer Perth Glory to a 2-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at Percy Doyle Reserve on Saturday night.

Gill headed the ball into the back of the net in the 47th and 84th minutes to seal the three points for the home side after Emily Van Egmond put the Wanderers ahead in the first half.

The win lifted the injury-hit Glory to fifth place in the final game of the Westfield W-League season, while Western Sydney finished seventh.

Gill missed a large chunk of the season with illness, but scored six goals for the Perth side since her return in January.

Both teams were playing for pride in the Round 12 match, with neither side able to qualify for next weekend's semi-final.

Marianna Tabain was extremely unlucky not to have put Perth in front after 10 minutes when her shot hit the underside of the crossbar and deflected back into play.

Western Sydney then scored against the run of play five minutes later when Michelle Carney threaded the ball perfectly to Van Egmond through a cluster of Glory defenders and the Wanderers striker finished the job.

Carney had a chance to make it 2-0 in the minutes that followed, but she could not finish off the great work from Van Egmond.

Gill had a late chance to equalise before the break, but her header from a Cecilie Sandvej cross went across the face of goal.

But the Australian veteran made up for the miss just two minutes into the second half with a cool header from a Carys Hawkins cross.

Sandvej was moved into the midfield in second half and took on Wanderers goalkeeper Dimitra Poulos after intercepting a pass, but was unable to give Glory the lead.

Glory custodian Chantel Jones was kept busy and pulled off a brilliant diving save to deny Jessica Seaman in the 70th minute.

The resilient Wanderers defence also blocked consecutive chances from Tabain and Brownyn Studman.

Catherine Cannuli wore the captain's armband in her final game for Western Sydney before retirement and went close to putting her name on the scoresheet with a long-range attempt that cruelly hit the underside of the crossbar and rebounded away from goal.

Substitute Jess Dillon had been on the pitch for just five minutes before executing a brilliant cross that Gill calmly headed past Poulos to ensure Perth finished the season on a winning note.

Gill had a chance to complete a rare W-League hat-trick in the final minutes, but gave her shot too much air and it sailed over the bar.

Perth won three of their last four games to close out the season, while Western Sydney went winless in their final seven games.

Perth Glory 2 (Gill 47, 84) Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Van Egmond 15)

Played at Percy Doyle Reserve

Perth Glory:  1. Chantel Jones (GK), 2. Sarah Carroll, 3. Cecilie Sandvej, 4. Bronwyn Studman, 5. Shannon May, 6. Sasha Andrews, 12. Kate Gill, 17. Marianna Tabain, 19. Shawn Billam (18. Amy Knights 68m), 22. Emily Henderson (16. Thia Eastman 54m), 24. Carys Hawkins (15. Jess Dillon 78m).

Unused substitute: 28. Gabrielle Dal Busco (GK)

Yellow cards: Cecilie Sandvej 88m

Western Sydney Wanderers: 2. Caitlin Cooper, 5. Emily Van Egmond, 7. Heather Garriock, 8. Tori Huster, 11. Michelle Carney (19. Jordan Baker 85m), 12. Jessica Seaman, 13. Catherine Cannuli, 14. Alanna Kennedy, 15. Teigen Allen, 16. Linda O’Neill (18. Helen Petinos 90m), 22. Dimitra Poulos (GK).

Unused substitutes: 1. Mackenzie Arnold (GK) 9. Jenna Kingsley

Yellow cards: Emily Van Egmond 88m