Glory were unable to end their three-game stint in Tasmania on a high note as they were downed 2-0 by ISUZU UTE A-League leaders Western United at Launceston’s UTAS Stadium.
Click HERE for full match highlights.
Aleksandar Prijovic gave United the lead shortly before half-time and they doubled their lead 11 minutes into the second half when Dylan Pierias swept home a Ben Garuccio cross.
Glory responded well in the final third of the game, substitute Adam Zimarino forcing a fine save from Jamie Young and fellow-replacement Daniel Stynes and skipper Bruno Fornaroli also going close to halving the arrears.
The defeat means the men in purple remain six points outside the top six, albeit with no fewer than five games in hand on sixth-placed Sydney FC and Head Coach Richard Garcia took a number of positives from his side’s performance.
Click HERE to view the full media conference.
“The difference between tonight and the other night [the midweek defeat against Macarthur FC] was like chalk and cheese,” he said.
“I thought the lads were a lot better; they played the way we need to play and we probably just need to be a bit more clinical and have a bit more cutting edge in that final third.
“The guys played very well up to the final third and were very patient, but just lacked that bit of ingenuity to break things down.
“Credit to Western United, they sit behind the ball and get everyone behind the ball very quickly and we just needed a bit more creativity in that final third.
“If we build off tonight’s performance, I think the guys are heading in the right direction.”
Liam Reddy was the first of the two goalkeepers called into action in what was a relatively cagey opening to the game, the Glory man reacting smartly to parry an angled drive from the lively Pierias.
The almost immediate response from Garcia’s side was a strike from Bruno Fornaroli who wriggled free in the box and drew a reflex stop from Jamie Young low to his left.
But it was the Victorians who ultimately made the breakthrough seven minutes before the break, Nikolai Topor-Stanley making a nuisance of himself in an advanced position and forcing the ball through to Prijovic who calmly slotted home his fifth goal of the season.
Glory were duly given a mountain to climb early in the second half when Neil Kilkenny sent Garuccio galloping away down the left and his low cross was converted by Pierias.
Fornaroli and Stynes were both narrowly off-target in the latter stages, during which Darko Stanojevic made his Glory debut off the bench, but there was to be no comeback as United reinforced their league-best defensive credentials by holding firm.
Match Details
Perth Glory 0 Western United 2 (Prijovic 37′, Pierias 56′)
Half-time: 0-1
Referee: Jonathan Barreiro
UTAS Stadium, Launceston
Perth Glory: 33.Liam REDDY (GK), 5.Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITIS, 8.Kosuke OTA (38.Ciaran BRAMWELL 64′) , 9.Bruno FORNAROLI (C), 14.Jack CLISBY, 19.Callum TIMMINS (18.Daniel STYNES 73′), 21.Antonee BURKE-GILROY, 22.Josh RAWLINS (43.Adam ZIMARINO 64′), 23.Mitch OXBORROW (13.Brandon O’NEILL 64′), 26.Giordano COLLI, 29.Darryl LACHMAN (16.Darko STANOJEVIC 73′)
Substitutes not used: 12.Cameron COOK (GK), 11.Nick FITZGERALD
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Western United: 1.Jamie YOUNG (GK), 4.Leo LACROIX, 5.Dylan PIERIAS (27.Jerry SKOTADIS 81′), 8.Lachlan WALES, 10.Steven LUSTICA (31.Adisu BAYEW 81′), 16.Rene KRHIN (9.Dylan WENZEL-HALLS 62′), 17.Ben GARUCCIO, 19.Josh RISDON (C) (6.Tomoki IMAI 83′), 44.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY, 88.Neil KILKENNY, 99.Aleksandar PRIJOVIC
Substitutes not used: 26.Nicolas MILANOVIC, 34.Christian THEOHAROUS, 37.Ryan SCOTT (GK)
Yellow Cards: Risdon, Skotadis
Red Cards: None
#OneGlory
