Perth Glory coach Kenny Lowe says player transfers between the two clubs will add even more spice to the contest when Western Sydney Wanderers FC head to Perth for a huge Westfield FFA Cup quarter-final.
Perth Glory, last year’s beaten-finalists, will host the current AFC Champions League winners in an all Hyundai A-League match up at Dorrien Gardens on Tuesday, September 29.
And there is sure to be plenty of inside information passed on at each club, with a number of names switching between the two outfits in recent times.
Glory recruited Wanderers trio Ante Covic, Jerrad Tyson and Antony Golec for the new season, while Perth old boys Mitch Nichols, Scott Jamieson and Scott Neville now call ‘Wanderland’ home.
You can be sure the banter will be flowing pre-game and maybe on the park.
“It’s going to be exciting…I think it’s a really interesting game for both clubs,” Lowe told www.theffacup.con.au .
“Maybe Ante [Covic] and [Tyson] are looking at it with a little bit extra, and probably Mitchy [Nichols] and Jamo are as well.
“It’s going to be great. It’s a quarter-final so both teams will be pretty keen to win. We’ll just have to see how it pans out but I’m sure it will be a tough match.”
After difficult Hyundai A-League campaigns last season – for vastly different reasons – both Glory and Wanderers have undertaken a major squad rebuild ahead of the new season.
It sure to make it difficult for both coaches to plan for what to expect in this quarter-final match-up.
Asked what he thought of the new-look Wanderers, Lowe said: “I haven’t watched too many of the Cup games to be honest, I’m more focused on us.
“You’re just thinking we have to get through each round. But now we’ve drawn them we’ll go and have a little look.
“It’s probably difficult because they are maybe evolving a little bit as well. A slight change of style, a massive change of players so you don’t know what to expect.
“Other than they will be a Tony Popovic side that’s really well organised, incredibly fit and difficult to play against. That’s a given.”
Glory survived a major scare in the previous round to make the last eight, playing 114 minutes with just 10-men before emerging 1-0 winners over Lions FC after extra-time.
The gritty performance and victory reaffirmed to Lowe the qualities he has in his side.
“It really sums us up as a club,” Lowe said.
“That’s probably the way I am, the way I’ve been brought up in a way through my Mum and Dad, you have to work hard for what you want.
“No one gives you anything and we’re a bit like that as a team.
“We want to work hard, be honest, win games and enjoy ourselves. That’s our mantra really.”
Having fallen at the final last year, privately Glory is hungry to go all the way in 2015 and secure some long-awaited silverware for the club.
And Lowe knows the more meaningful games they play is only going to be beneficial come the start of the A-League.
“We’re two wins away from another final, that’s how you have to look at it,” he said.
“The big thing for us is winning the games in the FFA Cup allows us to keep our pre-season alive because we find it difficult over in the west to get friendly games against A-League opposition.
“It costs money for them to come here, us to go there, we can’t just jump on the bus and go and play Victory or City.
“These games are important for so many reasons which is why I love them and I know the players do too.”
