<\/p>\n
Perth Glory coach Alex Epakis says his team can’t afford to get distracted by the ups and downs of Melbourne Victory as the race for fourth spot in the A-League Women heats up.<\/p>\n
Glory’s four-match winning streak has put their finals destiny back in their own hands.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Victory sat 11 points clear of Glory.<\/p>\n
That margin has now been whittled to five points and Glory have two games in hand on the fourth-placed Victory.<\/p>\n
Perth will be aiming to continue their hot form when they host ninth-placed Western Sydney at Macedonia Park on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Victory, who have been held to draws by Adelaide and Brisbane in their past two matches, are next back in action on March 13 when they take on third-placed Melbourne City.<\/p>\n
A win for Perth on Sunday would place huge pressure on Victory, but Epakis wants his team to focus on themselves rather than thinking too much about how their top-four rivals are going.<\/p>\n
“If we worry about what next door is doing, our own grass is going to grow a little bit too long and we’re going to have to cut it,” Epakis said.<\/p>\n
“So we need to keep our own house in order and make sure things are running smoothly.<\/p>\n
“We were working very hard to put ourselves in this position now.<\/p>\n
“We let the shackles off and said we’re just going to go out to play to win, play every game as if it’s a final, and that’s going to continue to be the message.”<\/p>\n
The Wanderers will no doubt have done their homework on Hana Lowry after the emerging Glory star scored two goals in last week’s 2-0 win over Brisbane.<\/p>\n
Epakis is confident the 19-year-old will be able to handle anything thrown her way.<\/p>\n
“She’s definitely very level headed and grounded. She won’t get carried away with what happened last weekend,” Epakis said.<\/p>\n
The Wanderers will be aiming to bounce back from their 3-0 loss to Canberra last week.<\/p>\n
“They do have the players that if we’re not focused and if we’re expecting to roll up and get the job done, they will hurt us,” Epakis said.<\/p>\n
“We can’t take anything for granted.<\/p>\n
“They have a few players who in transition and in attack can cause damage with their speed and directness.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n