Bruno Fornaroli’s fifth goal in the last four games proved enough to secure a club-record sixth successive Hyundai A-League win for Glory as they defeated Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 at Bankwest Stadium.
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The Uruguayan frontman capitalised upon some sloppy home defending to put his side in front after just seven minutes and the visitors subsequently dug deep to claim the three points by keeping a fifth clean sheet in their last six outings.
On a sticky evening in Sydney both teams had efforts correctly ruled out by the VAR, but while Glory’s attacking prowess has drawn plenty of plaudits during the record-breaking run of victories, it was their defence that particularly impressed on this occasion as they successfully repulsed a Wanderers side desperate to improve upon their recent poor form.
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The men in white began the game brightly and their sharpness from the off was rewarded with an early goal.
Dylan McGowan’s ill-advised attempted pass to Patrick Ziegler was easily picked off by the alert Jake Brimmer who immediately released Fornaroli and his deflected effort left home goalkeeper Daniel Lopar grasping at thin air as it bobbled into the net.
At the other end, meanwhile, Liam Reddy was not called into action until the 27th minute when he pulled off a superb, one-handed save to block a sidefooted volley from Nicolai Muller who had been picked out by the lively Daniel Georgievski.
The home side fired another shot across the visitors’ bows moments later, Bruce Kamau’s cross finding Kwame Yeboah who glanced his header narrowly wide, while a cleverly-worked free-kick resulted in Mitch Duke’s goalbound effort being deflected wide by a cluster of Glory defenders.
Wanderers did have the ball in the back of the net early in the second half, but the VAR adjudged Yeboah to have forced Georgievski’s cross-shot over the line with his arm.
Muller and Kamau both flashed shots narrowly wide as the New South Wales side proceeded to enjoy their best period of the game and yet Glory continued to threaten on the break, Fornaroli coming close to doubling his side’s lead when he clipped Joel Chianese’s cross just wide of Lopar’s far post.
As the game opened up in the final quarter, Georgievski and Brimmer were narrowly off-target with long-range strikes at either end and Chianese’s effort was ruled out for offside by the VAR, denying the winger what would have been his fourth goal in as many games.
Greg Wuthrich then preserved Glory’s lead with a superbly-timed block which prevented Mitch Duke from sliding home Yeboah’s low cross into the six-yard box.
That was as close as the hosts came to securing a share of the spoils, with Glory showing great composure to see out the final moments and seal a hard-earned fourth away victory of the campaign.
Match Details
Sunday, 19 January 2020
Western Sydney Wanderers 0 Perth Glory 1 (Fornaroli 7′)
Half-Time: 0-1
Bankwest Stadium, Parramatta
Referee: Adam Fielding
Assistant Referee 1: Lance Greenshields
Assistant Referee 2: Kearney Robinson
Fourth Official: Kurt Ams
VAR: Kris Griffiths-Jones
Western Sydney Wanderers: 1.Daniel LOPAR (GK), 4.Dylan MCGOWAN, 5.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 6.Matthew JURMAN, 7.Mitchell DUKE (c), 9.Nicolai MULLER (35.Mohamed ADAM 82′), 11.Bruce KAMAU (33.Tate RUSSELL 69′), 19.Pirmin SCHWEGLER, 21.Tarek ELRICH, 27.Kwame YEBOAH, 34.Patrick ZIEGLER (22.Nicholas SULLIVAN 69′)
Substitutes not used: 23.Kosta GROZOS, 31.Noah PAGDEN, 40.Nicholas SUMAN (GK), 59.Dean PELEKANOS
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 33.Liam REDDY (gk), 2.Alex GRANT, 4.Gregory WUTHRICH, 7.Joel CHIANESE, 8.James MEREDITH (3.Jacob TRATT 78′), 9.Bruno FORNAROLI, 12.Kim SOO-BEOM, 16.Tomislav MRCELA, 17.Diego CASTRO (c) (28.Gabriel POPOVIC 90+2′), 20.Jake BRIMMER (29.Kristian POPOVIC 82′), 88.Neil KILKENNY
Substitutes not used: 1.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 23.Dane INGHAM
Yellow Cards: Fornaroli
Red Cards: None
#OneGlory
