A brace from Adam Taggart helped Glory end the Isuzu UTE A-League season on a winning note as they downed Wellington Phoenix 2-0 at Sky Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
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Click HERE for David Zdrilic’s post-match media conference
Click HERE for Adam Taggart’s post-match interview
The club skipper gave his side a deserved lead shortly after the half-hour mark with a neat finish and sealed the deal in stoppage-time by cleverly dinking the ball home at the end of an incisive counter-attack.
David Zdrilic’s men were good vale for what was Glory’s first away victory over the Phoenix since 2019, with Luke Amos and Jaylan Pearman both going close to making the scoreline more emphatic.
On a chilly afternoon in the New Zealand capital, Glory wasted no time in warming to the task and proceeded to dominate for much of the first half.
Amos went within centimetres of finding the net via a crisp strike from 20 metres out with eight minutes on the clock, before Pearman was foiled by home ‘keeper Josh Oluwayemi in a one-on-one situation moments later.
The Phoenix managed to respond with what proved to be their best opportunity of the opening stanza as Hideki Ishige dragged a low shot wide when well placed, before Glory swiftly reasserted their superiority.
The lively Pearman stung Oluwayemi’s palms with a fierce shot from the edge of the box and then, ten minutes before half-time, the breakthrough Glory deserved finally arrived.
Yuto Misao picked out Taggart with a fine ball from the left channel and after cleverly rolling Alex Rufer, the club’s top scorer opened up his body to place a shot across the face of goal and into the far corner.
Glory thought they had doubled their lead moments later, but after a lengthy referral to the VAR, Pearman’s effort was ruled out for offside.
A reaction was to be expected from the home side at the start of the second half and they did begin to look more threatening.
Substitute Paulo Retre fired over the bar when well placed and Kosta Barbarouses was similalry off-target from right in front having latched on to a downward header from Corban Piper.
But even as they were forced to dig deep defensively, Glory continued to pose a serious threat on the break and almost made it 2-0 when Pearman’s curling effort from 25 metres out flashed just wide.
Ngo was then denied a first senior goal by a fine piece of goalkeeping from Oluwayemi who blocked the substitute’s close-range effort with an outstretched leg.
But Ngo retained his composure and played a key role in helping Taggart to make the game safe right at the death.
Adam Bugarija, who had also been introduced from the bench, led a rapid breakway and picked out Ngo, who in turn found Taggart.
There was still plenty for the Socceroos frontman to do as Oluwayemi rushed out to narrow the angle, but showing his trademark composure, he calmly clipped the ball over the advancing ‘keeper to claim his tenth goal of the season.
To round off what was an encouraging finale to a challenging campaign, there was an historical moment to savour as Seb Despotovski, son of Glory legend Bobby, made his senior debut off the bench in stoppage time.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 Season Round 29
Wellington Phoenix 0 Perth Glory 2 (Taggart 34′, 90+2′)
Half-time: 0-1
Sky Stadium
Sunday 4 May 2025
Referee: Declan Woods
Wellington Phoenix: 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 3. Corban PIPER, 4. Scott WOOTTON, 7. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 9. Hideki ISHIGE (41. Nathan WALKER 64′), 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Isaac HUGHES, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD (17. Gabriel SLOANE-RODRIGUES 64′), 19. Sam SUTTON, 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA (27. Matt SHERIDAN 46′), 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH (8. Paulo RETRE8. Paulo RETRE 64′)
Substitutes not used: 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE, 23. Luke SUPYK, 40. Eamonn MCCARRON (gk)
Yellow Cards: Retre
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 10.Nikola MILEUSNIC (35.Seb DESPOTOVSKI 90+3′), 17.Yuto MISAO (26.Khoa NGO 82′), 20.Trent OSTLER, 21.Luke AMOS (6.Brandon O’NEILL 75′), 22.Adam TAGGART (c), 25.Jaylan PEARMAN, 27.Will FRENEY (16.Adam BUGARIJA 82′), 28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI, 29.Tomi MRCELA, 36.Takuya OKAMOTO
Substitutes not used: 4.Tass MOURDOUKOUTAS, 12.Taras GOMULKA, 13.Cameron COOK (gk)
Yellow Cards: Amos
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
