ALM Match Wrap: Despotovski and Taggart on target as Glory draw in Gosford

Seb Despotovski and Adam Taggart both found the net as Glory fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Central Coast Mariners at polytec Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Click HERE for video highlights.

Click HERE for Adam Griffiths’ post-match media conference.

In what proved to be an end-to-end clash featuring a combined total of 38 shots, Adam Griffiths’ side raced out to a 2-0 lead inside the opening 17 minutes courtesy of Despotovski’s header and a typically assured finish from Taggart.

Glory would go on to be denied by the woodwork on no fewer than three occasions, but goals either side of the break from Ali Auglah and Bailey Brandtman proved enough to secure a share of the spoils for Central Coast.

The result dents the Mariners’ Finals hopes and leaves Glory seven points outside the top six with three games of the regular season left to play.

The skies may have been darkened by cloud and rain in Gosford, but Glory made arguably their brightest start to a game this season and were rewarded with the opening goal 14 minutes in.

Jaiden Kucharski was the architect, wriggling away down the right and delivering an inviting cross for Despotovski who needed no second invitation to nod home his second career A-League goal.

And the Mariners were still reeling from that setback when Glory doubled their lead just three minutes later.

This time Gio De Abreu claimed the assist, slipping the ball through to Taggart who span off his marker on the edge of the box, opened his body up and calmly curled a shot into the far corner.

2-0 so nearly became 3-0 almost immediately as Taggart’s stinging drive cannoned against the crossbar with Andrew Redmayne beaten and at that stage, Glory appeared to be in total control.

As the half wore on, however, the home side began to force their way back into the contest and they halved the arrears shortly before the break when Auglah curled home a 25m free-kick.

The pulsating pace of the game continued unabated as soon as the second half got underway, Kucharski rattling the cross bar with a vicious, angled strike and Despotovski failing to steer home the rebound.

A brave and timely block from James Donachie was then required to prevent Kucharski from increasing Glory’s lead before the plot took another twist as the Mariners made it 2-2 with their first chance of the second half.

Chris Donnell provided the deep cross to the back post where Brandtman was on hand to nod home his second goal against Glory this season having also found the net at HBF Park in Round 4.

In the final 15 minutes, both sides continued to go toe-to-toe and the woodwork yet again came to the hosts’ rescue as Taggart’s shot struck Lucas Mauragis and looped up onto the bar.

Gio De Abreu was next to go close for Glory, posting a curling effort which Redmayne did well to tip around the post at full stretch, while at the other end, Matt Sutton had to get down sharply to prevent a deflected Sebit Ngor shot from creeping in at the near post.

And the goalmouth drama continued right into stoppage-time when substitute Stefan Colakovski saw his clever, outside-of-the-boot strike saved brilliantly by Redmayne.

Match Details

Isuzu UTE A-League 2025/26 Season Round 23

Central Coast Mariners 2 (Auglah 37′, Brandtman 66′) Perth Glory 2 (Despotovski 14′, Taggart 17′)

Half-time: 1-2

polytec Stadium

Saturday 4 April 2026

Referee: Ben Abraham

Attendance: 4232

Central Coast Mariners: 30. Andrew REDMAYNE (gk), 2. James DONACHIE,5. Lucas MAURAGIS, 6. Haine EAMES, 11. Sabit NGOR (22. Arthur DE LIMA 86′), 15. Storm ROUX (18. Nathanael BLAIR 74′), 23. Oliver LAVALE (43. Jacob NASSO 74′), 26. Bradley TAPP, 37. Bailey BRANDTMAN, 48, Chris DONNELL (16. Harrison STEELE 86′), 72. Ali AUGLAH (17. Kaito TANIGUCHI 79′)

Substitutes not used: 24. Diesel HERRINGTON, 40. Dylan PERAIC-CULLEN (gk)

Yellow Cards: Donnell

Red Cards: None

Perth Glory Squad: 29.Matt SUTTON (gk), 2.Charbel SHAMOON (24.Andriano LEBIB 84′), 3.Sam SUTTON (15.Zach LISOLAJSKI 72′), 4.Scott WOOTTON, 7.Nicholas PENNINGTON, 9.Jaiden KUCHARSKI (67.Stefan COLAKOVSKI 72′), 22.Adam TAGGART (c), 25.Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI (23.Anthony DIDULICA 56′), 27.Will FRENEY (18.Luca TEVERE 46′), 39.Giovanni DE ABREU, 45.Brian KALTAK

Substitutes not used: 16.Gabriel POPOVIC, 40.Ryan WARNER (gk)

Yellow Cards: De Abreu

Red Cards: None

#ONEGlory