Baisden’s ‘huge influence’ not enough to help Perth to first win of ALW season

Newcastle have twice overturned a deficit to earn a 2-2 A-League Women home draw against a Perth Glory side sparked by import Rylee Baisden.

American Baisden twice gave Glory the lead at No.2 Sportsground in Newcastle, the first time against the run of play, and also hit the woodwork late on.

“(Baisden) had a huge influence on the game,” Glory coach Alex Epakis said.

“Once she scored her first goal, her performance went to another level in other areas of her game, she’s a real asset.”

Newcastle have picked up four points from three games, two more than Perth.

Looking for their first win of the season, Perth continued their run of slow starts as Newcastle had 11 shots to two in the first half and the Jets were ultimately good value for their point. 

“We were more dominant in the first half, had a couple of chances, and they just scored on a good transitional break,” Newcastle midfielder Murphy Agnew told AAP.

“In the second half it was a bit more back and forth, definitely a bit more equal.

“It definitely is a bit of a morale-booster that we came back twice from being down a goal, it just shows our resilience as a team.”

The Jets lacked polish in the final third and Baisden made them pay just before halftime when Perth scored with their first on-target attempt.

Fellow American Cyera Hintzen swung across a fine ball from the left and Baisden finished in style at the far post with a fine close-range volley.

Galvanised by the goal, Glory almost added a second on the stroke of halftime when Hintzen’s 20-metre shot was palmed away by Jets goalkeeper Georgina Worth.

The Jets equalised in the 54th minute when Lauren Allan outmuscled Isabella Wallhead and chipped over goalkeeper Sarah Langham. 

The lead lasted just four minutes before Wallhead redeemed herself with a pinpoint cross headed in by Baisden.

Newcastle’s Tara Andrews headed straight at the goalkeeper from close range, but substitute Ashlee Brodigan  pulled the Jets level In the 77th minute when she slipped the ball past Langman.

Baisden almost completed a hat-trick and came close to winning the match for her side, but saw her powerful 80th-minute shot crash against the crossbar, with substitute Alana Jancevski firing just wide in added time.

“We played well enough to get the win, but we just didn’t do enough to shut them out,” Epakis said.

“When you go up twice and don’t win, you end up feeling a bit flat after.”