Glory’s 2023/24 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign ended with a 7-1 defeat against Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Watch full match highlights HERE.
Watch Alen Stajcic’s post-match media conference HERE.
Despite creating a flurry of chances in the first half, the visitors found themselves 3-0 down at the break courtesy of a header from Jordan Courtney-Perkins, a close-range finish from Joe Lolley and Luke Brattan’s penalty.
When Adam Taggart slammed home his 20th goal of the season just short of the hour-mark, hopes of a dramatic comeback were raised.
But instead it was the Sky Blues who pulled away as Robert Mak scored twice and substitute Joel King also found the net before Lolley grabbed his second of the game to round out the scoring in stoppage-time.
On a mild afternoon in Sydney, the home side hit the front inside the opening five minutes when Courtney-Perkins rose highest to head a Mak free-kick past Oli Sail.
Glory’s response to that early setback was swift as Daniel Bennie played in Stefan Colakovski who raced in on goal only to be thwarted by Andrew Redmayne in a one-on-one situation.
Mustafa Amini then went close for the visitors as he curled a shot from the edge of the box centimetres wide of the target with Redmayne scrambling, while at the other end, Sail saved twice in quick succession from Lolley.
As the chances continued to flow, Redmayne produced a fine save to parry a stinging drive from Giordano Colli and Jarrod Carluccio could only force the loose ball into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Another goal seemed inevitable at that stage and it was Sydney who claimed it, Lolley finding the net from close-range after Sail had done well to block Jaiden Kucharski’s initial effort.
And in the shadows of half-time, Glory were dealt another blow when VAR adjudged that Colli had handled a Corey Hollman cross in the box and Brattan converted from the spot to make it 3-0.
There was no let-up in the goalmouth action once the second half got underway, with Sail denying both Lolley and Girdwood-Reich before Taggart provided what appeared to be a lifeline for the men in white.
After good approach work down the left, Carluccio was able to nudge the ball into Taggart’s path and from just inside the box, this season’s A-League Golden Boot winner-elect rifled an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
But that proved to be a good as it got for Glory, with Sydney running riot in the latter stages of the game.
Their fourth goal arrived in the 68th minute, the ball looping up kindly for Mak to head in after Sail had pawed away a shot from Lolley and the Slovakian import made it 5-1 moments later, this time applying a composed finish having been played in on goal by Hollman.
Sail continued to perform heroics in the Glory goal, but he was powerless to prevent substitute King from tucking away an angled strike with nine minutes left.
And right at the death, Lolley’s cross-shot flashed its way through a crowded box into the bottom corner to complete an afternoon to forget for the visitors.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2023/24 Season Round 26
Sydney FC 7 (Courtney-Perkins 5′, Lolley 41′, 90+1′, Brattan (pen) 45+2′, Mak 68′, 74′, King 81′) Perth Glory 1 (Taggart 58′)
Half-time: 3-0
Allianz Stadium
Sunday 28 April 2024
Referee:
Sydney FC: 1. Andrew REDMAYNE, 4. Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS (16. Joel KING 69′), 8. Jake GIRDWOOD-REICH, 10. Joe LOLLEY, 11. Robert MAK, 12. Corey HOLLMAN (18.Matthew SCARCELLA 85′), 17. Anthony CACERES, 23. Rhyan GRANT, 25. Jaiden KUCHARSKI (22. Max BURGESS 61′), 26. Luke BRATTAN (c) (6. Jack RODWELL 46′), 27. Hayden MATTHEWS
Substitutes not used: 15. Gabriel LACERDA, 19. Mitch GLASSON, 20. Adam PAVLESIC (GK)
Yellow Cards: Caceres
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 2.Johnny KOUTROUMBIS, 3.Jacob MUIR (36.Khoa NGO 74′), 7.Stefan COLAKOVSKI ( 9.David WILLIAMS 54′), 8.Mustafa AMINI (34.Andriano LEBIB 54′), 16.Josh RAWLINS, 17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO (77.Bruce KAMAU 65′), 20.Giordano COLLI (19.Trent OSTLER 54′), 22.Adam TAGGART (co-c), 23.Daniel BENNIE, 28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI
Substitutes not used: 13.Cameron COOK (gk), 27.Jayden GORMAN
Yellow Cards: Amini, Colli, Majekodunmi, Taggart
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
