Despite taking an early lead through Adam Taggart, Glory were unable to contain in-form Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium on Sunday and eventually succumbed to a 4-1 defeat.
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Taggart hooked home a Lachie Wales cross just six minutes in to prompt hopes of a second away win of the season for David Zdrilic’s side, but it was not to be as Aydan Hammond scored twice for the home side in the first half and Oscar Priestman and Bozhidar Kraev added further goals in the second.
In a game littered with chances at both ends, Glory were unfortunate not to add to Taggart’s effort as Yuto Misao struck the woodwork and Pat Wood and Josh Risdon were both thwarted by fine saves from Lawrence Thomas, while Hammond was denied a hat-trick by a superb block from Oli Sail and substitute Alex Gersbach struck the bar for the hosts late on.
The tone was set for a helter-skelter first half inside the opening two minutes as Josh Risdon cleared a Zac Sapsford effort off the line after the young midfielder had been picked out by Brandon Borrello inside the six-yard box.
Glory’s response to that early let-off was emphatic, with Taggart volleying home his seventh goal of the season to round off a sweeping move featuring a pinpoint long ball into the left channel from Misao and an equally accurate cross from Wales.
Back came Wanderers, however, Sail going full-length to tip away a stinging Sapsford drive, before Hammond picked out the top corner from the edge of the box to make it 1-1.
A brief lull in terms of clear-cut chances was ended when Wood forced Thomas into a smart stop with a 20m effort and six minutes before the break, the third goal of the game arrived at the other end as Sapsford crossed from the right for Kraev, his effort struck the post and Hammond was on hand to sweep home the loose ball.
There was still time for Glory to come close to heading into the sheds at 2-2, Risdon meeting Takuya Okamoto’s corner at the near post and Thomas keeping out the defender’s header with a superb reflex block.
The visitors came desperately close to restoring parity once again almost immediately after the restart as Yuto’s rasping left-foot drive cannoned back off the post and that moment was to prove pivotal as, within three minutes, Wanderers made it 3-1.
Glory were the architects of their own demise on this occasion, picked off while attempting to play out from the back by Priestman who calmly found the roof of the net.
Tomi Mrcela then prevented Hammond from clinching his hat-trick with a goal-line clearance, but Alen Stajcic’s men were not to be denied for long as Kraev steered home a low cross from the lively Sapsford.
And although Misao again went close for Glory with a late volley, the red-and-blacks also had chances to increase their margin of victory as Hammond drew another excellent save from Sail and deep into stoppage-time, Gersbach’s dipping shot from outside the box clipped the top of the bar.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 Season Round 21
Western Sydney Wanderers 4 (Hammond 14′, 39′, Priestman 51′, Kraev 67′) Perth Glory 1 (Taggart 6′)
Half-time: 2-1
CommBank Stadium
Sunday 2 March 2025
Referee: Lachlan Keevers
Western Sydney Wanderers: 20.Lawrence THOMAS (gk), 2.Gab CLEUR, 4.Alex BONETIG, 7.Zac SAPSFORD (9.Marcus ANTONSSON 73′), 18.Oscar PRIESTMAN, 19.Jack CLISBY (3.Alex GERSBACH 74′), 21.Aydan HAMMOND, 22.Anthony PANTAZPOULOS, 23.Bozhidar KRAEV (17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO 73′), 25.Josh BRILLANTE (13.Dean PELEKANOS 73′), 26.Brandon BORRELLO (64. Juan MATA 84′)
Substitutes not used: 6.Mohammed AL-TAAY, 30.Jordan HOLMES (gk)
Yellow Cards: Gersbach
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 7.Nicholas PENNINGTON, 10.Nikola MILEUSNIC (20.Trent OSTLER 70′), 17.Yuto MISAO, 18.Lachie WALES (3.Anas HAMZAOUI 81′), 19.Josh RISDON (14.Nathanael BLAIR 81′), 21.Luke AMOS, 22.Adam TAGGART, 23.Patrick WOOD (31.Joel ANASMO 70′), 29.Tomi MRCELA, 36.Takuya OKAMOTO
Substitutes not used: 12.Taras GOMULKA, 13.Cameron COOK (gk), 28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI
Yellow Cards: Risdon, Misao
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
