Canberra United and Perth Glory have met 17 times since the beginning of the Westfield W-League, with Canberra United winning 12, the teams drawing four times and Perth taking all three points on just one occasion.
United will look to continue that dominant run this weekend as they host the Glory at McKellar Park, but first lets take a look at three classic clashes between the two teams.
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Season Seven, Round 12 | Canberra United 2 def. Perth Glory 1 – Viking Park
United needed a win to steal a seemingly unlikely berth in the Westfield W-League semi finals on the final weekend of the season, and a stinging volley from Ashleigh Sykes did the trick late on.
Sam Kerr and Kate Gill troubled United early for Perth but neither goalkeeper was really challenged until late in the half, and the scores remained level at 0-0 after 45 minutes. The action came to the fore in the second half though and the ladder leaders pounced as Gill slipped Kerr in behind and she finished truly to put her side ahead after 52 minutes. Only 16 minutes later United had a deserved equaliser after a period of strong pressure as Caitlin Munoz nodded a cross down for Michelle Heyman to fire home from close range.
Both teams went close with time winding down but it was United who came out on top as Sykes caught an aerial ball perfectly and rifled her effort home to jump her side into the top four, as United went on to win the Grand Final against Perth in the West.
Season Seven, Grand Final |Perth Glory 1 def. by Canberra United 3 – NIB Stadium
After the thriller in Canberra only weeks prior, Perth Glory and Canberra United met once more in the Grand Final in Perth to decide the season seven championship.
United took the lead after 22 minutes as Stephanie Ochs fizzed an effort home from outside the area, and Mackenzie Arnold did well to keep Canberra out as they looked to push further ahead throughout the half. She kept them at bay continually and it paid off in the second half when Glory skipper Collette McCallum produced her own stunning goal to pull her side level from range and set up a grandstand finish.
It was Sykes time to shine though, and she scored two goals in just three minutes, first seeing off her defender and firing home with 15 minutes to play before heading home shortly after to surely seal the deal for Canberra. Chantel Jones saved a Glory penalty in between as the action arrive in Perth, and Arnold saved a Grace Gill spot-kick in stoppage time to keep the margin two goals. But it wasn’t enough to stop United claiming their second championship since the league began.
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Season Nine, Round 12 | Canberra United 7 def. Perth Glory 2
Canberra United headed onto this clash looking to maintain pace at the top of the table as part of a barnstorming run to the finish off season nine. Ashleigh Sykes had taken over the role of primary forward after injuries elsewhere, and she scored just six minutes in to open proceedings, and doubled it 13 minutes later. That began a rout, and United were seemingly unstoppable as they turned on the class. Steph Ochs added a goal, as did Grace Maher and Sykes grabbed another on the stroke of the break to push the lead to five goals at the break.
Another for the star forward a minute into the second half and her day was done, coming off with complaints of sickness after an incredible 50 minutes and with Hayley Raso adding an extra goal the lead was a staggering seven goals. There was time for Vanessa Di Bernardo and Sam Kerr to add goals in the final 35 minutes for Perth, but the Sykes-orchestrated win was sealed at that point, and Sykes had also leapfrogged Kerr into leading the Golden Boot race, which she claimed as United won the Premiership on the final weekend.
