Glory and Newcastle Jets shared five goals in a lively pre-season friendly at Bunbury’s Hay Park on Sunday, with the visitors eventually running out 3-2 winners.
Click HERE to watch Head Coach David Zdrilic’s post-match interview.
In front of a bumper crowd of over 2000, Glory fell behind after ten minutes when Dane Ingham converted at the far post, but were soon back on level terms as Kaelan Majekodunmi headed home an Anas Hamzaoui corner.
Having looked the more likely for much of the first half, David Zdrilic’s side deservedly hit the front two minutes before the break when the ball broke for David Williams in a crowded box and he thumped it past Ryan Scott in the Newcastle goal.
The Jets replied early in the second half via an Aleks Susnjar header, before Eli Adams bagged what proved to be the winner 11 minutes later.
To their credit Glory battled away right to the end and came close to restoring parity when substitute trialist Hamza Hina saw his cross crash against the near post.
On an afternoon of sunshine and showers, it was the Jets who began the brighter and they soon earned their reward as Brazilian recruit Wellissol delivered a teasing cross from the left and former Glory defender Ingham popped up at the far post to force the ball past Oli Sail.
Glory wasted no time in mustering a response, however, as Majekodunmi rose highest to meet Hamzaoui’s inswinging corner and plant a header into the far corner.
Taras Gomulka was then denied by Scott at full stretch, but there was nothing the Jets’ ‘keeper could do to prevent Williams from putting Glory ahead with an emphatic finish in the shadows of half time.
After the break, it was the visitors who gained the ascendancy and that was reflected on the scoreboard as Susnjar headed in a Daniel Wilmering free-kick and Adams added a third goal at the end of a swift counter-attack.
The final 20 minutes saw Glory hand opportunities to a number of trialists, including Hina, who saw his cross clip the woodwork in what was the final piece of goalmouth action.
Match Details
Pre-Season Friendly
Perth Glory 2 (Majekodunmi 15′, Williams 43′) Newcastle Jets 3 (Ingham 10′, Susnjar 55′, Adams 66′)
Half-time: 2-1
Hay Park, Bunbury
Attendance: 2043
Referee: Shane Skinner
Perth Glory: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 3.Anas HAMZAOUI (27.Pat LOUGHREY 42′), 4.Luke BODNAR (21.Alex BOLTON 60′), 5.Lachie BARR (33.Luis CANGA 68′), 6.Brandon O’NEILL, 12.Taras GOMULKA (16.Clay GIBBS (trialist) 80′), 17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 19.Josh RISDON (31.Hina HAMZA 72′), 22.Adam TAGGART (42.Pieter JACOBSZ 80′), 23.Cristian CAICEDO (9.David WILLIAMS 26′), 28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI (24.Luke COLLINS 80′)
Substitutes not used: 30.Jhett WARNER (gk)
Yellow Cards: Majekodunmi, O’Neill
Red Cards: None
Newcastle Jets: 1.Ryan SCOTT (gk) (21.Noah JAMES 67′), 9.Lachlan ROSE (29.Justin VIDIC 61′), 10.WELLISSOL (22.Ben GIBSON 44′), 13.Clayton TAYLOR (7.Eli ADAMS 61′), 14.Dane IGNHAM, 15.Aleks SUSNJAR, 17.Kosta GROZOS (c) (24.Alex NUNES 81′), 19.Callum TIMMINS (37.Lachlan BAYLISS 61′), 23.Daniel WILMERING, 33.Mark NATTA, 39.Thomas AQUILINA (6.Matthew SCARCELLA 61′)
Substitutes not used: 27.Nathan GRIMALDI, 28.Will DOBSON,44.Ben VAN DORSSEN, 66.Garang AROU
Yellow Cards: Ingham
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
