Andy Keogh opened his account for the season as Tony Popovic’s tenure in charge of Glory began with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Head Coach’s former club, Western Sydney Wanderers.
https://players.brightcove.net/5498268486001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5851648671001
In front of a healthy crowd of 10,206, the hosts hit the front after 25 minutes when Neil Kilkenny dispossessed Ruon Tongyik before playing in Keogh and although the Irishman saw his initial effort parried by Vedran Janjetovic, he stayed alert to crash home the loose ball.
Glory were pegged back just after the hour-mark, however, when Roly Bonevacia latched onto Tarek Elrich’s ball over the top and beat Liam Reddy with a low shot.
Moments earlier, Alex Grant had rattled the bar with a header, while Keogh, Kilkenny and Ikonomidis also all went close, leaving Popovic feeling that his side could well have emerged with a first-up victory.
“The performance was a good one,” he said.
“There were a lot of very good signs in terms of what we’ve been trying to do in pre-season and it’s just unfortunate that we didn’t get the three points.
“In these kinds of games, if you can get two goals up when you’re dominating, then you find you probably finish the game off quite well.
“They scored when they had their period early in the second half, but we recovered well and I thought we could have won it in the end.
“It’s disappointing that we weren’t clinical enough in front of goal.
“We created some good opportunities having played some good football to get into the final third.
“But it’s promising that we created those chances and now the next step is that we take them”.
https://players.brightcove.net/5498268486001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5851646509001
Glory showed plenty of attacking intent right from the off, with only a last-ditch intervention from Brendan Hamill preventing Keogh from sweeping home Joel Chianese’s low cross after seven minutes.
Wanderers mustered an immediate response through a 20m effort from Rashid Mahazi which flew narrowly wide, but with the home side continuing to look the more likely, it came as no surprise when Keogh broke the deadlock.
Glory then went close to increasing their lead in the shadows of half time, Keogh heading over another fine cross from Chianese and Kilkenny stinging Janjetovic’s palms with a fierce strike from the edge of the box before Ferreira volleyed the rebound over the bar.
Following the restart, the chances continued to flow as Liam Reddy was twice called into action to keep out Jaushua Sotirio’s shot and Oriol Riera’s downward header.
And after those two let-offs, Glory came within centimetres of making it 2-0 when Grant rose highest to meet Kilkenny’s corner, but his thumping header crashed against the bar.
To rub salt into the hosts’wounds, Wanderers levelled things up only three minutes later as Elrich linked up with Bonevacia and the Dutchman showed great strength to burst through and find the net.
Riera then missed a gilt-edged chance when he blazed over with the goal at his mercy, but it was Glory who came closest to clinching it at the death as substitute Ikonimidis got on the end of a fine cross from Ivan Franjic only to see his header flash just wide of the far post.
Match Details
Sunday, 21 October 2018
Perth Glory 1 (Keogh 25′) Western Sydney Wanderers FC 1 (Bonevacia 64′)
(Half-time 1-0)
nib Stadium, Perth
Referee: Peter Green
Assistant Referee 1: Josh Mannella
Assistant Referee 2: Arvin Shanmuganathan
Fourth Official: Adam Fielding
VAR: Kris Griffiths-Jones
Perth Glory: 33.Liam REDDY (gk),2.Alex GRANT, 3.Jason DAVIDSON, 4.Shane LOWRY (c), 5.Ivan FRANJIC, 7.Joel CHIANESE, 9.Andy KEOGH, 16.Tomislav MRCELA (23.Scott NEVILLE 82′), 22.Fabio FERREIRA (19.Chris IKONOMIDIS 65′), 27.Juande (20.Jake BRIMMER 72′), 88.Neil KILKENNY
Substitutes not used: 1.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 15.Brandon WILSON
Yellow cards: Juande, Lowry
Red cards: None
Western Sydney Wanderers FC: 20.Vedran JANJETOVIC (gk), 4.Josh RISDON, 5.Brendan HAMILL (c), 9.Oriol RIERA, 10.Alexander BAUMJOHANN (7.Nick FITZGERALD 82′), 12.Ruon TONGYIK, 16.Jaushua SOTIRIO (11.Bruce KAMAU 72′), 17.Keanu BACCUS, 21.Tarek ELRICH, 22.Rashid MAHAZI, 28.Roly BONEVACIA
Substitutes not used: 1.Danijel NIZIC (gk), 8.Jordan O’DOHERTY, 24.Raul LLORENTE
Yellow cards: Mahazi, Elrich
Red cards: None
#OneGlory
