Glory’s long-awaited return to ISUZU UTE A-League action ended in a 1-0 defeat to Brisbane Roar at Moreton Daily Stadium on Wednesday evening.
View full match highlights HERE.
After a 43-day enforced hiatus, Richard Garcia’s men predictably struggled for fluency at times, but defended stoutly until the 77th minute when former Glory NPL midfielder Henry Hore bundled home from close range after Scott Neville had nodded a corner back into the six-yard box.
The visitors looked more threatening during the second half than they had done in the first and were bolstered by the presence of marquee man Daniel Sturridge who made his second appearance for the club when he came off the bench in the 68th minute.
Garcia welcomed the sight of the former England man getting some game-time, but acknowledged that his charges lacked match sharpness.
View his full post-match media conference HERE.
“It definitely took us a long time to find our feet and from the start the guys looked leggy,” he said.
“I thought second half they came out and showed they’d got their second wind, so to concede from a set-piece was disappointing.
“After we did concede, the guys were still pushing hard and you could tell it was taking a toll on their bodies.
“But that’s where we need to get to, to find that match fitness and get into a position where we can run out games and feel comfortable playing again at that tempo.
“I was pleased for Daniel that he came on.
“It was good to be able to give him those minutes so that he can build his way into it as well.”
It was the hosts who came flying out of the blocks on a typically humid Queensland evening, with Cameron Cook forced into a save from home skipper Jay O’Shea inside the opening minute.
Roar’s Argentinean import Juan Lescano then twice went close with headed efforts before Bruno Fornaroli drew a regulation save from Macklin Freke at the other end with Glory’s first shot on target.
Brisbane’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes arrived in the shadows of half-time when the lively O’Shea pounced upon an error from Cook and curled the ball goalward, only for Jonathan Aspropotamitis to produce a superb goal-line clearance.
With Glory growing into the game after the break, Roar’s chances largely dried up, with the exception of a 65th-minute Nikola Mileusnic header which flashed just wide of the target.
But just as the visitors looked to have weathered the storm, Hore struck.
Alex Parsons’ corner reached Neville at the far post, he nodded the ball across the face of goal and Hore, who had been introduced from the bench just a minute earlier, bundled it over the line.
Glory went close to equalising almost immediately, Sturridge fizzing a free-kick centimetres wide of the mark with Freke beaten, but as fatigue continued to creep in, they were ultimately unable to find a way through in the final moments.
Match Details
Brisbane Roar 1 (Hore 77′) Perth Glory 0
Half-time: 0-0
Referee: Alireza Faghani
Brisbane Roar: 1.Macklin FREKE (GK), 2.Scott NEVILLE, 7.Rahmat AKBARI ( 15.Jesse DALEY 67′), 8.Matti STEINMANN, 10.Nikola MILEUSNIC ( 16.Joshua BRINDELL-SOUTH 75′), 21.Nicholas OLSEN, 22.Alexander PARSONS, 23.Juan LESCANO ( 13.Henry HORE 75′), 26.James O’SHEA (C), 27.Kai TREWIN, 35.Louis ZABALA ( 19.Jack HINGERT 67′)
Substitutes not used: 4.Anton MILNARIC, 11.Jez LOFTHOUSE, 12.Jordan HOLMES (GK)
Yellow Cards: Neville, Hore
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 12.Cameron COOK, 2.Aaron CALVER, 5.Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITIS, 7.Adrian SARDINERO ( 14.Jack CLISBY 84′), 8.Kosuke OTA, 9.Bruno FORNAROLI ( 15.Daniel STURRIDGE 68′), 10.Andy KEOGH, 13.Brandon O’NEILL (C) ( 18.Daniel STYNES 60′), 19.Callum TIMMINS, 29.Darryl LACHMAN ( 23.Mitch OXBORROW 60′), 38.Ciaran BRAMWELL ( 21.Antonee BURKE-GILROY 46′)
Substitutes not used: 22.Josh RAWLINS, 33.Liam REDDY (GK)
Yellow Cards: Oxborrow
Red Cards: None
#OneGlory
