A-League Women: Perth Glory coach Stephen Peters urges side to embrace chance to keep finals flame burning

Perth Glory coach Stephen Peters has acknowledged the enormity of Friday night’s match against Central Coast Mariners in the context of their A-League Women’s finals hopes. A 3-0 win over Western United has breathed life into Perth’s finals chances with five games to go, and Friday evening’s clash with the sixth-placed Central Coast at Industree Group Stadium looms as pivotal to their hopes. Depending on the result of Friday’s meeting between Western United and Canberra United (seventh), a Perth win over the Mariners could see them move within just three points of a top-six berth. While Peters stressed their finals hopes would not rest simply on defeating the Mariners, he admitted it was a vital game. “(It’s) massive. If you’re thinking about finals, then this is a finals-style game so you’ve got to get through this one,” he said. “We get through with three points, then we’ll have a different conversation next week.” “They’re all important. It’s very important for us to try and get our first away win of the season. We’ve only got two left, Central Coast and Sydney.” Peters implored his side to go at the Mariners with no fear and pointed out their best wins this season had come when they played with freedom in an attacking sense. “We’ve got to go out there and not be shy, we’ve got to go out there and attack and that’s when we look at best, when we’re on the front foot,” he said. “If you look at all the games we have won this season, that’s been a constant theme, so that’s what we need to go out there and do. “We need to not be afraid of the occasion of the game, if you will, but we’ve got to go out there and play a positive style, get in their face and let them know we’re there to compete and take three points.” While the Mariners have lost three in a row, Peters said his side still needed to tread with care. “They’re a very resolute team, they’re well organized, pretty tactically aware,” he said. “They’ve lost three in a row, but if you look at the nature of how they’ve lost them, they’ve been in the game for a long period and they’ve been tough games. “They’re still in the six, so the three points is huge for them. “What I’m expecting is a tight game, a hard-fought game and we’ve really got to be ready for the the level of effort that’s going to be required to go there and bring home three points.”