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AAP
AAP
Alex Mitchell

Perth Glory, Brisbane Roar play out ALW stalemate

Emily Gielnik's last-gasp thunderbolt earned Melbourne Victory a 3-2 ALW win over Canberra. (Rob Prezioso/AAP PHOTOS)

Brisbane Roar have been left to rue their wastefulness in front of goal after being held to a 0-0 draw away at Perth.

The visitors battered the Glory and registered a whopping 25 shots to 11 on Saturday, but couldn't break through and find a winner despite bashing at the door.

No chance was better than Ayesha Norrie's penalty late in the first half, denied by a quality save from Perth keeper Morgan Aquino.

Sharn Freier was another Roar player to fluff her lines, shinning an effort from close range over the bar after Aquino parried a shot in her direction.

Perth, who rarely ventured forward in the second half, missed their best chance to nick the points against the run of play with English striker Millie Farrow firing a one-on-one effort straight at Roar keeper Jordan Silkowitz.

Glory substitute Susan Phonsongkham then blew the best late chance, blasting an effort over the bar from point-blank range in stoppage time.

The point keeps Perth second on the table, although their form has plummeted in recent times having won just one game in six outings.

Michelle Heyman
Michelle Heyman's two goals were in vain as Canberra lost at home to Melbourne Victory. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

Earlier, star substitute Emily Gielnik earned Melbourne Victory their first win in five games in Canberra with a stunning goal in second-half stoppage time

The 31-year-old Matildas forward broke the deadlock with Canberra United in the most outrageous fashion, cutting inside on her left foot and curling the ball home from well outside the box to pinch a 3-2 win at McKellar Park.

The last-gasp win was their first in five matches since December 16, when they beat the same opposition 2-0.

Canberra boss Njegosh Popovich said there was little his team could have done to stop Gielnik's late winner.

"What do you do when somebody scores a goal like that?" he asked.

"If I've got Emily Gielnik coming off the bench, we're sitting pretty good ... a Matilda, scores a goal top-bins. If she puts it anywhere else, it probably doesn't go in.

"To come back against a side like Victory, being 2-1 down at halftime, is a mammoth effort.

"We had our opportunity there too to make it 3-2 to us and missed it, that's what happens in football."

Victory went 2-1 ahead when Matildas forward Alex Chidiac bundled in her first goal since returning to the club in December.

Rachel Lowe had netted for the visitors on 18 minutes with another serious moment of class, latching on to a Kayla Morrison through-ball and lobbing Canberra keeper Chloe Lincoln from 30 yards.

Victory's goals dampened a celebratory atmosphere for Canberra's first home game since club legend Michelle Heyman notched her 100th ALW goal last weekend.

Heyman thanked the home fans with a clinical double, her second goal squaring things at 2-2 on 71 minutes.

Melbourne City playmaker Rhianna Pollicina.
Rhianna Pollicina opened the scoring as ALW leaders Melbourne City beat Wellington 2-1. (Rob Prezioso/AAP PHOTOS)

Melbourne City beat Wellington Phoenix 2-1 at the City Football Academy, courtesy of second-half goals from Rhianna Pollicina and Emina Ekic.

Wellington's Mariana Speckmaier gave her side a lifeline with 10 minutes to play, but City held on despite Ekic being sent off in the 86th minute for a second yellow card.

It was Wellington's fifth consecutive loss by a single goal in Australia, as the ninth-ranked side continued to struggle away from home.

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