Perth Glory face another of the PS4 NPL WA title contenders on Sunday when they welcome second-placed Bayswater City to Ashfield Reserve.
The youngsters lost by the odd goal to league leaders Inglewood United last week, with young striker Bayley Brown-Montgomery on target.
The striker’s second-half finish took his personal tally for the season to four, but he felt that his side’s disappointing first-half performance ultimately cost them dear.
“I think we didn’t play to the conditions in the first half which really let us down,” he said.
“But after half time we came out and played the way we should have and if we had played that way in the first half, I think the result would’ve been different.”
The 18-year-old is in his first season in the Glory program, having previously trained with a number of clubs in England.
“I went over to Aston Villa as a youngster,” he said, “which was one of the best experiences of my life and one of the most professional clubs I’ve ever been with.
“I’ve also trained at EPL club West Bromwich Albion, along with Fulham.
“They are both great clubs as well and my time with them showed me what I need to do to play professional football.”
Glory come up against the form-team of the league on Sunday, but Brown-Montgomery said they are looking forward to the challenge and have been focusing purely upon themselves in the build-up.
“For us it’s just another game,” he said. “All the games in this league are challenging, but our focus is always on us.
“[Head Coach] John Gibson has worked hard on our game ahead of this one, but it’s about what we can do rather than the other team.
“We will prepare as normal and hopefully go out and get the three points.”
Gibson himself, meanwhile, was delighted with Glory’s second-half display last week, but is looking for a 90-minute performance this weekend against a strong Bayswater side.
“Last week we performed well for extended periods of the game,” he said, “but we need to produce that level of football for 90-plus minutes.
“It was positive to challenge the league leaders Inglewood, but we are demanding of ourselves and want greater consistency.
“Although we made it pretty difficult for ourselves, we showed good character to challenge them in the second half. There were some fantastic learning moments for the group.”
Gibson acknowledged that Bayswater will be a tough nut to crack, but is viewing the clash at Ashfield Reserve as a chance for his players to impress.
“Bayswater will be another tremendous challenge for us,” he said, “and we thrive on these opportunities against strong opposition.
“They are on a good run of form and have experienced players all over the park, but we always display self-belief and confidence.”
The first-team game kicks off at 3pm, with the Under-20s in action at 1pm and the Under-18s getting things underway at 11am.
So do get along to Ashfield Reserve and lend the lads your support if you can.
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