Glory extended their unbeaten run to six games and claimed a second clean sheet of the season as they held in-form league leaders Wellington Phoenix to a 0-0 draw at HBF Park on Saturday evening.
View full match highlights HERE.
View Alen Stajcic’s full post-match media conference HERE.
In a game that was far more entertaining than the scoreline suggests, both sides went close to breaking the deadlock with Ben Old striking the post for the visitors and Adam Taggart sending two efforts just centimetres wide in the first half.
The result sees Glory climb above Adelaide United into ninth spot in the table, while Wellington extend their lead at the top to seven points.
Roared on by the biggest crowd of the season, the hosts almost hit the front inside the opening two minutes as Riley Warland’s strike from outside the box fizzed narrowly wide of Alex Paulsen’s left post.
Taggart was next to threaten the Phoenix goal, sending his header from a Josh Rawlins cross just the wrong side of the upright and Glory’s top scorer was then denied by a smart block from Paulsen after racing onto a defence-splitting pass from Giordano Colli.
After Glory had looked the more likely for much of the first half, Phoenix seized the initiative early in the second and only the woodwork prevented Old from putting them ahead at the culmination of a rapid counter-attack led by substitute Zawada.
Zawada was the next to go close for the men in yellow as his powerful header drew a spectacular, one-handed save from ex-Wellington ‘keeper, Oli Sail.
Having weathered that storm, Alen Stajcic’s side rallied impressively, but despite applying some concerted pressure, were unable to find another of the late goals which have been such a regular feature of games at HBF Park this season.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2023-24 Season Round 18
Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix
Half-time: 0-0
HBF Park
Saturday 24 February 2024
Attendance: 8252
Referee: Daniel Elder
Perth Glory: 1. Oli SAIL (gk), 3. Jacob MUIR (19. Trent OSTLER 60′), 7. Stefan COLAKOVSKI (9. David WILLIAMS 61′), 14. Riley WARLAND, 15. Aleksandar SUSNJAR, 16. Josh RAWLINS (27. Jayden GORMAN 90+1′), 20. Giordano COLLI, 22. Adam TAGGART (co-c), 23. Daniel BENNIE (31. Joel ANASMO 70′), 29. Darryl LACHMAN, 77. Bruce KAMAU
Substitutes not used: 11.Adam ZIMARINO, 13. Cameron COOK (gk), 34. Andriano LEBIB
Yellow Cards: Muir, Colli, Rawlins, Kamau, Susnjar
Red Cards: None
Wellington Phoenix: 40. Alex PAULSEN (gk), 3. Finn SURMAN, 4. Scott WOOTTON, 5. Fin CONCHIE (17. Youstin SALAS 54′), 6. Tim PAYNE, 8. Ben OLD, 10. David BALL (11. Bozhidar KRAEV 61′), 12. Mo AL-TAAY (9. Oskar ZAWADA 61′), 14. Alex RUFER (c), 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 26. Isaac HUGHES
Substitutes not used: 23. Luke SUPYK, 24. Oskar VAN HATTUM, 25. Jack DUNCAN (gk), 43. Matt SHERIDAN
Yellow Cards: Zawada
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
