Glory produced a stunning second-half comeback to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 victory over Brisbane Roar in Sunday’s Hyundai A-League Round 11 clash at Suncorp Stadium.
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Adam Taggart’s well-taken double sent the hosts into the break two goals to the good, but a brace of penalties from Neil Kilkenny saw the visitors draw level with nine minutes left.
Roar lost Daniel Bowles for his part in conceding the first of the penalties and Glory eventually exploited their numerical superiority, taking the lead via Reardon’s 85th-minute own-goal and almost immediately adding a fourth through Andy Keogh.
There was still time for Taggart to blaze a last-minute penalty over the bar before referee Adam Kersey brought the curtain down on a breathless encounter in the Queensland capital.
The win, Glory’s fifth on the road this term, returned Tony Popovic’s men to the top of the Hyundai A-League table, setting the scene for a huge clash with third-placed Sydney FC at HBF Park on Wednesday.
And Glory’s Head Coach was understandably thrilled with the victory.
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“We’ve shown real character and quality to come back from 2-0 down,” he said.
“It’s very satisfying because it’s always difficult here [in Brisbane]; the conditions and the pitch make it tough.
“We’re delighted to have come out of two difficult back-to-back away games with six points.
“I thought we started the game well and created plenty of opportunities, but then we conceded and that happens in football.
“After we conceded the second, though, I felt that we started forcing things and getting a bit anxious, so the message at half time was about getting back to how we started, trusting our game and believing in ourselves.
“That was it. The players did the rest.”
Following a cagey opening 15 minutes, Fabio Ferreira went close twice in the space of 60 seconds, firstly seeing a fierce shot blocked by Jack Hingert and then firing over after a clever dummy from Kilkenny had left him in a pocket of space on the edge of the box.
But Glory were then stung as Roar opened the scoring somewhat against the run of play, Taggart reaching Dane Ingham’s ball over the top ahead of Liam Reddy and slotting home his eighth goal of the season.
And 1-0 became 2-0 shortly before half time, Taggart rising highest to meet Eric Beautheac’s pinpoint corner and power an unstoppable header into the roof of the net.
Roar began the second half as brightly as they had finished the first, the lively Beautheac flashing a rasping drive narrowly wide, but just short of the hour-mark, Glory were handed an opportunity to force their way back into the game.
Keogh’s superb through-ball released Chianese whose searing run was finally ended when he was nudged over in the box by Bowles.
The Brisbane man saw red for his challenge and Kilkenny made no mistake from the spot.
Boosted by that goal and Bowles’ dismissal, Glory poured forward as the game moved into its final quarter, with Keogh denied by a superb block from Reardon and substitute Diego Castro then seeing home ‘keeper Jamie Young keep out his stinging low effort with his legs.
Young duly produced an even better save to deny Keogh in a one-on-one situation and Chianese was next to try his luck, heading a Jason Davidson cross narrowly wide.
The threatened breakthrough for the visitors finally arrived nine minutes from time, however, once again via a Kilkenny penalty.
This time Reardon was penalised for handling a shot from substitute Brendon Santalab and Glory’s number 88 calmly slotted his second spot-kick of the night past Young.
And there was more despair to come for the luckless Reardon moments later when his attempt to clear Chianese’s cross from the right resulted in the ball flying into his own net.
The cake was finally iced for Glory with three minutes left when Chianese supplied another dinked cross from the right and Keogh headed home from close range.
But the drama did not end there, substitute Henrique striking the post for Darren Davies’ side and Taggart then missing out on a hat-trick by firing over from the spot after Ivan Franjic had clipped him in the box.
Match Details
Hyundai A-League 2018/19 Season Round 11
Brisbane Roar 2 (Taggart 22′, 40′) Perth Glory 4 (Kilkenny (pen) 59′ (pen) 81′, Reardon (o.g.) 85′, Keogh 87′
Half-time: 2-0
Referee: Adam Kersey
Brisbane Roar: 21.Jamie YOUNG (gk), 2.Dane INGHAM (34.Aaron REARDON 60′), 4.Daniel BOWLES, 7.Thomas KRISTENSEN, 8.Jacob PEPPER, 9.Adam TAGGART, 11.Eric BAUTHEAC, 14.Alex LOPEZ, 17.Matt MCKAY (c) (26.Nick D’AGOSTINO 56′), 19.Jack HINGERT, 24.Connor O’TOOLE
Substitutes not used: 1.Brendan WHITE (gk), 23.Dylan WENZEL-HALLS, 33.HENRIQUE
Yellow cards: Pepper, McKay, Bautheac, Hingert
Red cards: Bowles
Perth Glory: 33.Liam REDDY (gk), 2.Alex GRANT (11.Brendon SANTALAB 75′), 3.Jason DAVIDSON, 4.Shane LOWRY, 6.Dino DJULBIC (5.Ivan FRANJIC 62′), 7.Joel CHIANESE, 9.Andy KEOGH, 20.Jake BRIMMER, 22.Fabio FERREIRA (17.Diego CASTRO 62′), 23.Scott NEVILLE, 88.Neil KILKENNY
Substitutes not used: 1.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 15.Brandon WILSON
Yellow cards: Franjic
Red cards: Nil
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