An undermanned Perth Glory has struggled manfully against the AIS but was eventually forced to settle for a 5-2 loss in the National Youth League encounter at 6PR Stadium on Saturday.
An undermanned Perth Glory has struggled manfully against the AIS but was eventually forced to settle for a 5-2 loss in the National Youth League encounter at 6PR Stadium on Saturday.
The AIS came into the contest in sixth spot with 19 points from 14 matches, but the 5-2 victory over the Glory has seen them leapfrog Perth, the Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar into third position, and just a point behind second-placed Sydney FC.
It also improves their goal different and puts it in the positive now by three goals and based on the form showed in Perth, they will be hunting a big finish to the season.
The win was set up by first half goals by Yianni Perkatis, Aaron Peterson and Jesse Makarounas before Anthony Proia and Corey Brown found the back of the net after the break. The Glory posted a goal in each half through Sebit Oyet in the first and Al Jovic late in the second.
However, the Glory, last season’s runners-up in this competition, can take heart from the fact that several key members of their National Youth League squad have been taken to Wellington to play for the seniors as the club starts to rebuild for next season.
The AIS’ goal run began in the 18th minute when some poor Glory defending allowed Perkatis to score. He found it all too easy as the ball came to him in the box and all he had to do was chip it through a gap in the defence and it went easily into the back of the net from just six yards.
It only took four minutes for the second goal to come and again it was made all the easier because of some disappointing defending from the home team.
Peterson cruised through the defence to be left one-on-one with goalkeeper Tim Doyle. He then stepped around the stopper and dribbled the ball right into the awaiting open goal.
The Glory did manage to reply with a goal of their own just before injury-time when some outstanding creative work from Sahr Musa found a waiting Oyet in the box for Perth and he did well to strike it perfectly for a good finish.
However, any thoughts of a comeback were buried deep into injury time just before half-time when Makarounas scored the Institute’s third goal of an impressive opening half.
He had one strike saved by Doyle, but the ball deflected right back to him and this time he was able to boot the ball into the back of the net.
The AIS continued their strong attack in the second half and peppered the Glory’s goal. Jake Barker-Daish was unlucky not to score when he struck a cross tremendously but a superb save from Doyle denied him.
The fourth goal was never far away, though, and it came in the 68th minute courtesy of Proia when he cruised around the defence and had no trouble striking the ball strongly into the back of the net.
It was then a fifth for the AIS when Brown scored in the 87th minute before the Glory clawed one back through Jovic a minute later.
Next week the AIS take on the Melbourne Victory on Saturday in Canberra while the Glory takes on the Mariners at Pluim Park, Central Coast also on Saturday.
Perth Glory 2 (Oyet 45, Jovic 88)
Australian Institute of Sport 5 (Perkatis 18, Peterson 22, Makarounas 48, Proia 68, Brown 87)
