Adam Taggart took his goal tally for the season to six as Glory were held to a 1-1 draw by reigning ALM Champions and Premiers Central Coast Mariners at HBF Park on Friday night.
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Click HERE for David Zdrilic’s post-match media conference
The skipper picked out the bottom corner via a slight deflection eight minutes in, before a Haine Eames shot eluded Oli Sail on the hour-mark to draw the visitors level.
Glory duly laid siege to the Mariners’ goal in the latter stages, but despite creating a string of chances, were unable to find what would have been a deserved winner.
Some Members and fans were still filing into the ground on what was a sticky Perth evening when Taggart fired the home side in front.
Lachie Wales was the architect, making an immediate impact in what was his starting debut for the club by surging to the edge of the box and when his run was ended by Brian Kaltak. the loose ball fell for Taggart who rifled a shot past Dylan Peraic-Cullen.
The chances then rather dried up at either end until a final flurry towards the end of the half when Oli Sail tipped an effort from Christian Theoharous around the post before Pat Wood saw his shot deflected wide by Kaltak and Taggart was unable to hit the target having been picked out by a fine cut-back from Will Freney.
Central Coast Head Coach Mark Jackson made a triple change at the start of the second half and his side duly enjoyed their best period of the game, culminating in an equaliser from Eames.
Sail looked to have the midfielder’s low shot well covered, but it ended up squirming through his grasp, under his body and into the back of the net.
Despite the crushing nature of that setback, the men in purple mustered a commendable response and had the Mariners on the ropes for much of the final quarter.
A superb, first-time cross from Anas Hamzaoui just eluded substitute Josh Anasmo as he stretched to reach it in the six-yard box, before Nicholas Pennington’s acrobatic volley flew centimetres wide of the post with Peraic-Cullen beaten.
Nathanael Blair also went close having come off the bench and yet somehow the New South Wales side hung on to deny Glory a second home win of the season.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 Season Round 18
Perth Glory 1 (Taggart 8′) Central Coast Mariners 1 (Eames 61′)
Half-time: 1-0
HBF Park
Friday 7 February 2025
Referee: Adam Kersey
Attendance: 5139
Perth Glory: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 3.Anas HAMZAOUI (17.Yuto MISAO 85′), 4.Tass MOURDOUKOUTAS, 7.Nicholas PENNINGTON, 12.Taras GOMULKA, 18.Lachie WALES (10.Nikola MILEUSNIC 68′), 20.Trent OSTLER, 22.Adam TAGGART, 23.Patrick WOOD (14.Nathanael BLAIR 75′), 27.Will FRENEY (31.Joel ANASMO
68′), 29.Tomi MRCELA
Substitutes not used: 6.Brandon O’NEILL, 13.Cameron COOK (gk), 28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI
Yellow Card: Wood
Red Cards: None
Central Coast Mariners: 40. Dylan PERAIC-CULLEN (gk), 3. Brian KALTAK, 4. Trent SAINSBURY, 7. Christian THEOHAROUS (23. Miguel DI PIZIO 46′), 10. Mikael DOKA (44. Lucas SCICLUNA 90′), 15. Storm ROUX (27. Sasha KUZEVSKI 75′), 16. Harry STEELE, 21. Abdul FAISAL (12. Lucas MAURAGIS 46′), 33. Nathan PAULL, 36. Haine EAMES, 99. Ryan EDMONDSON (9. Alou KUOL 46′)
Substitutes not used: 1 Adam PAVLESIC (gk), 24. Diesel HERRINGTON
Yellow Cards: None
Red Card: None
#ONEGlory
