Glory’s six-game unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday afternoon as Noah Botic’s second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory for Western United at Ballarat’s MARS Stadium.
View full match highlights HERE
View Nahuel Arrarte’s post-match media conference HERE
The home side created the lion’s share of the chances throughout a lively contest and eventually broke the deadlock just after the break when Josh Risdon’s pass split Glory’s defence and Botic raced through to slip the ball past the advancing Oli Sail.
To their credit, the visitors pushed for an equaliser right to the end and came within centimetres of securing one in the final minute of regulation time when Darryl Lachman headed a Giordano Colli corner against the bar and Daniel Bennie was unable to force home the rebound.
With Nahuel Arrarte directing operations from the touchline in place of suspended Head Coach Alen Stajcic who was consigned to the stands, Glory could have scored and conceded inside a frantic opening two minutes.
With less than a minute on the click, Glory skipper Adam Taggart saw his downward header bounce just over the bar, before Matthew Grimaldi almost immediately forced Oli Sail into a fine, reflex save at the other end.
Taggart soon went close again, this time just failing to prod the ball over the line after home ‘keeper Matt Sutton had flapped at a Colli corner and United responded in kind as Botic and Grimaldi both sent shots over the top when well placed.
And in the shadows of half-time both goalkeepers were called into action, with Sutton rushing from his line to thwart Stefan Colakovski before Sail saved bravely at the feet of Michael Ruhs.
It was the hosts who began the second half on the front foot and they managed to find a way through eight minutes in when former Glory man Risdon sent Botic scampering clear and he calmly slotted home his fifth goal of the season.
Glory substitute David Williams did have the ball in the net soon after, but his effort was controversially ruled out for a foul by Taggart in the build-up.
And with the clock on the cusp of ticking over into stoppage-time, the WA side were denied again as Lachman nodded Colli’s corner against the bar and when the loose ball fell for Bennie, he was unable to keep his shot down.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2023/24 Season Round 19
Western United 1 (Botic 53′) Perth Glory 0
Half-time: 0-0
Saturday 2 March 2024
MARS Stadium, Ballarat
Referee: Shaun Evans
Western United: 33. Matt SUTTON (gk), 6. Tomoki IMAI, 8. Lachie WALES (11. Daniel PENHA 64′), 9. Michael RUHS (77. Riku DANZAKI 64′), 17. Ben GARUCCIO, 19. Josh RISDON (43. Khoder KADDOUR 79′), 21. Sebastian PASQUALI, 22. Kane VIDMAR, 32. Angus THURGATE (42. Rhys BOZINOVSKI 79′), 38. Noah BOTIC (13. Nikita RUKAVYTSYA 90′), 39. Matthew GRIMALDI
Substitutes not used: 29. Charbel SHAMOON, 70. Michael VONJA (gk)
Yellow Cards: Garuccio
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 3.Jacob MUIR (8.Mustafa AMINI 46′), 7.Stefan COLAKOVSKI (31.Joel ANASMO 59′), 14.Riley WARLAND, 15.Aleksandar SUSNJAR (28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI 67′), 16.Josh RAWLINS (19.Trent OSTLER 79′), 17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO (9.David WILLIAMS 59′), 20.Giordano COLLI, 22.Adam TAGGART (co-c), 23.Daniel BENNIE, 29.Darryl LACHMAN
Substitutes not used: 13.Cameron COOK (gk), 27.Jayden GORMAN
Yellow Cards: Rawlins
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
