Glory were edged out 1-0 by Melbourne City in Saturday’s Isuzu UTE A-League Round 19 clash at AAMI Park, with Lawrence Wong’s stunning first-half strike proving the difference between the two sides.
Watch full video highlights HERE
Watch David Zdrilic’s post-match media conference HERE
David Zdrilic’s men created some decent chances of their own, notably through Tomi Mrcela who headed against the crossbar and Lachie Wales who drew a fine save from home goalkeeper Patrick Beach.
But ultimately they were unable to muster a reply to Wong’s 37th-minute strike during a second half which failed to come anywhere near matching the first in terms of goalmouth action.
After a cagey first 15 minutes, the game burst into life when the home defence failed to clear a Will Freney corner and Beach was forced to make an acrobatic, one-handed save from Wales.
Aurelio Vidmar’s side almost immediately responded in kind, Marco Tilio leading a swift counter-attack before finding Kavian Rahmani whose low shot was well blocked by Oli Sail.
Sail then denied Rahmani again moments later, this time clawing away a curling effort from just outside the box and as the chances continued to flow at both ends, Glory defender Mrcela saw his header from a Taras Gomulka corner crash against the woodwork.
At that stage the visitors looked to have wrested the momentum in their favour and yet it was City who broke the deadlock eight minutes before the break.
Tilio’s surging run was eventually halted on the edge of the box, but the ball broke for Wong and the 17-year-old beat Sail with a thumping drive to claim his maiden A-League goal.
There was still time in the opening period for Glory to threaten again, but a well-placed Freney was unable to keep his shot down after fine approach work from Anas Hamzaoui on the left.
If the first half was action-packed, the second was to prove anything but.
Glory’s Nikola Mileusnic did draw a regulation save from Beach with a long-range effort and City threatened to double their lead on several occasions late on as the visitors pushed up in pursuit of an equaliser.
But with neither side seemingly able to recapture their attacking verve, the 1-0 scoreline rarely looked like changing and the contest lost its zip in the latter stages.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 Season Round 19
Melbourne City 1 (Wong 37′) Perth Glory 0
Half-time: 1-0
AAMI Park
Saturday 15 February 2025
Attendance: 4441
Referee: Nathan Shakespear
Melbourne City: 33. Patrick BEACH (gk), 2. Callum TALBOT, 6. Steven UGARKOVIC (19. Zane SCHREIBER 61′), 7. Mathew LECKIE, 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 17. Max CAPUTO (38. Harry POLITIDIS 74′), 22. Germán FERREYRA, 23. Marco TILIO (50. Mikey GHOSSAINI 74′), 41. Lawrence WONG (39. Emin DURAKOVIC 61′), 47. Kavian RAHMANI
Substitutes not used: 40. James NIEUWENHUIZEN (gk), 36. Harry SHILLINGTON, 42. Ben DUNBAR
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 3.Anas HAMZAOUI (17.Yuto MISAO 60′), 4.Tass MOURDOUKOUTAS, 10.Nikola MILEUSNIC (31.Joel ANASMO 60′), 12.Taras GOMULKA, 18.Lachie WALES, 20.Trent OSTLER (14.Nathanael BLAIR 87′), 22.Adam TAGGART, 23.Patrick WOOD (36.Takuya OKAMOTO 74′), 27.Will FRENEY (6.Brandon O’NEILL 73′), 29.Tomi MRCELA
Substitutes not used: 13.Cameron COOK (gk), 28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
