Adam Taggart bagged a stunning double as injury-ravaged Glory secured a battling point in their Round 2 clash with Newcastle Jets at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The former Jets man gave the visitors the lead after just eight minutes via an impressive, instinctive finish, before Roy O’Donovan levelled things up with his fourth goal of the season.
Ronald Vargas then fired the hosts in front on the hour-mark, but Kenny Lowe’s men were not to be denied and two minutes into stoppage time, Taggart’s thumping header earned them a deserved share of the spoils.
The result extended Glory’s remarkable unbeaten record in the Hunter Valley which stretches back to November 2011 and was all the more impressive given the disruption to their preparations caused by late injuries to Shane Lowry, Alex Grant and Andreu.
The visitors’ line-up showed three changes to that which started against the Wanderers, with injury-replacement signings Jeremy Walker and Mitch Mallia both included, along with Brandon Wilson, while 16-year-old scholarship player Jacob Italiano was named on the bench.
There was also a change in formation, with Andy Keogh moving to the left wing as part of a five-man midfield, leaving Taggart to operate as a lone striker, a role which he fulfilled superbly.
Glory survived an early scare when Liam Reddy was called into action to foil Vargas from close range, but moments later, the visitors hit the front.
Diego Castro’s ball in from the right was an inviting one and Taggart got in front of his marker at the near post before clipping the ball past Jack Duncan.
On 25 minutes, Glory looked poised to double their advantage when Castro was played in on goal by Mallia, but the Spaniard was just unable to get the ball out from under his feet, allowing Nigel Boogaard to clear the danger.
And the Jets soon capitalised upon that let-off as O’Donovan drew them level.
The influential Vargas sent Andrew Nabbout away down the left and his low cross was swept home from close range by the onrushing Irishman.
Daniel Georgievski, who had earlier been booked for a nasty foul on Joseph Mills, should have put his side in front in first-half stoppage-time, but instead contrived to blaze over from six yards out with the goal gaping.
Chris Harold was introduced for Mallia at the start of the second half, moving alongside Jacob Burns into third place on Glory’s all-time Hyundai A-League appearances list in the process and the 25-year-old was soon back helping out his defence as Newcastle applied the early pressure.
Nabbout and Dimitri Petratos both failed to hit the target when well placed, but Vargas made no mistake soon after, bundling home from inside the six-yard box after Nikolai Topor-Stanley had headed a Petratos free-kick against the post.
Glory’s response was swift, Harold forcing his way in on goal only to be denied by a fine sprawling save from Duncan and the substitute then turned provider for Taggart whose powerful header drew a stunning save from the former Glory ‘keeper.
The same combination produced the goods in stoppage time, however, Harold clipping in the teasing cross from the right and Taggart nodding home to earn his side their first point of the season.
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Match Details
Sunday, 15 October 2017
Newcastle Jets 2 (O’Donovan 30’, Vargas 60′) Perth Glory 2 (Taggart 8’, 90+2′)
Half-time – 1-1
McDonald Jones Stadium
Attendance: 16,633
Referee: Shaun Evans
Assistant Referee 1: Ryan Gallagher
Assistant Referee 2: James Cleal
Fourth Official: Ben Abraham
Video Assistant Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones
Newcastle Jets Squad: 1.Jack DUNCAN (gk), 4.Nigel BOOGAARD (c), 5.Ben KANTAROVSKI, 6.Steven UGARKOVIC, 7.Dimitri PETRATOS, 8.Ronald VARGAS (10.Wayne BROWN 72′), 9.Roy O’DONOVAN, 13.Ivan VUJICA (22.Lachlan JACKSON 81′), 15.Andrew NABBOUT (24.Joe CHAMPNESS 76′), 17.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 44.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY
Substitutes not used: 16.Nick COWBURN, 20.Glen MOSS (gk)
Yellow cards: O’DONOVAN 22′, GEORGIEVSKI 40′, CHAMPNESS 90+1′
Red cards: None
Perth Glory: 33.Liam REDDY (GK), 5. Jacob POSCOLIERO (20.Jake BRIMMER 65′), 8.Xavi TORRES, 9. Andy KEOGH (c), 11. Mitch MALLIA (14.Chris HAROLD 46′), 15. Brandon WILSON, 16.Joseph MILLS, 17.Diego CASTRO, 22.Adam TAGGART, 23.Scott NEVILLE, 29. Jeremy WALKER
Substitutes not used: 13 Nick FEELY (GK), 19.Joe KNOWLES, 26. Jacob ITALIANO
Yellow cards: HAROLD 88′
Red cards: None
