Perth Thundersticks Stay Perfect: Malan and Byrnes Strike Twice Each in 4-0 Cobras Win
Perth’s women just keep winning. The Thundersticks beat Melbourne Cobras 4-0 in their first home game of the season at Perth Hockey Stadium on Sunday, and they did it without ever looking troubled.
Liné Malan did the damage in open play. She opened the scoring with a field goal in the 22nd minute, then doubled the lead from a penalty corner in the 33rd. Two goals, two different ways, and the Cobras never found a way back into it.
Sarah Byrnes finished the job in the final minute, striking twice in the 60th minute as listed on the match centre to turn a comfortable win into a rout. Four goals, a clean sheet, and a home crowd that waited three rounds for this finally got the performance it deserved.
The win keeps Perth as the only unbeaten women’s side in the competition. They came into this round on three wins from three, having edged NSW Pride 3-2 in Sydney last weekend, and now it’s four from four. For our money, they’re the team to beat in this league right now. They defend leads, they score from set pieces and open play, and they don’t panic when games get tight.
For the Cobras, it’s a second defeat of the season. They arrived in Perth sitting third, with wins over the Pride and the Chill behind them and only the derby loss to HC Melbourne on their record. A 4-0 defeat on the road against the league leaders isn’t a disaster, but it shows the gap they still have to close. They’ll get another crack at the top sides soon enough, and they’ll need to be sharper in both circles when it comes.
The men’s game followed at 3:45pm AWST at the same venue, with the Cobras men still chasing their first win of the season. That result was not final at the time this piece was prepared, so it belongs in its own update once the full-time score is confirmed.
Related:
https://sportscursor.com/perth-thundersticks-homecoming-ogilvie-debut-pickering-return-cobras-1-november-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/hockey-one-round-4-weekend-tassie-blaze-adelaide-pride-perth-cobras-31-october-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/womens-hockey-one-saturday-blaze-shootout-pride-7-0-fire-31-october-2026/
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