Glory climbed to third on the A-League ladder as a neat Bruno Fornaroli finish and an own-goal from George Timotheou secured a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium.
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Despite being forced to play a fourth away game in just 13 days, Richard Garcia’s men dug deep after falling behind to Stefan Mauk’s opener midway through the first half and somehow found the energy to stage a grandstand finish.
Fornaroli’s close-range finish levelled things up 17 minutes from time before Daniel Stynes’ goalbound effort from just inside the box was deflected into the net by Timotheou to hand Glory a third win of the season.
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Immediately clicking into a high tempo, the vistiors looked the better side in the early stages of the game, with the attacking quartet of Fornaroli, Diego Castro, Andy Keogh and Nick D’Agostino asking plenty of questions of the Adelaide defence.
And yet it was the hosts who hit the front 19 minutes in, Ben Halloran making inroads down the right before cutting the ball back into the path of Mauk who gleefully swept home his second goal of the campaign.
With both sides keen to get bodies forward, the chances continued to flow and in the space of 30 seconds, James Delianov kept out Keogh’s angled strike at one end and Tando Velaphi bravely foiled Halloran at the other.
Three minutes later Fornaroli fizzed a fierce shot narrowly over Delianov’s crossbar from 25m out and Castro then forced the Reds’ ‘keeper to get down smartly to keep out a low strike.
The final chance of the opening period, however, was created by Adelaide as Halloran picked Darryl Lachman’s pocket but ultimately dragged his shot wide of the target.
Substitute Mo Toure and skipper Mauk both threatened as United began the second half in a similarly attacking vein and it took Glory until the hour-mark to respond in kind when Carlo Armiento fired straight at Delianov from the corner of the box.
While Adelaide continued to menace down the flanks as the half wore on, it was the men in white who struck in the 73rd minute.
Castro and Neil Kilkenny linked up superbly, allowing the latter to clip a low ball across the face of goal which Fornaroli forced home.
With their tails up, Glory got stronger as full-time approached and received their reward with seven minutes left.
The Adelaide defence failed to clear a corner and when the loose ball eventually fell to Stynes, he unleashed a thunderous low shot which deflected off the foot of George Timotheou and flew into the back of the net.
Match Details
Adelaide United 1 (Mauk 19′) Perth Glory 2 (Fornaroli 73′, Timotheou o.g. 83′)
Half-time: 1-0
Coopers Stadium, Adelaide
Referee: Adam Kersey
Adelaide United: 1.James DELIANOV (gk), 6.Louis D’ARRIGO (35.Al Hassan TOURE 46′), 8.Stefan MAUK (c) (16.Nathan KONSTANDOPOULOS 69′), 9.Tomi JURIC, 15.Noah SMITH, 18.Joe CALETTI, 19.Yaya DUKULY (17.Mohamed TOURE 34′), 22.Michael JAKOBSEN (3.George TIMOTHEOU 43′), 23.Jordan ELSEY, 26.Ben HALLORAN ((29.Kusini YENGI 69′), 34.Yared ABETEW
Substitutes not used: 2.Michael MARRONE, 46.Joe GAUCI (gk)
Yellow Cards: Elsey, Abetwe
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 1.Tando VELAPHI (GK), 5.Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITIS, 9.Bruno FORNAROLI, 10.Andy KEOGH (20.Carlo ARMIENTO 39′), 15.Brandon WILSON, 16.Nick SULLIVAN (34.Mason TATAFU 90+2′), 17.Diego CASTRO (C), 18.Nick D’AGOSTINO (24.Daniel STYNES 71′), 23.Dane INGHAM, 29.Darryl LACHMAN, 88.Neil KILKENNY
Substitutes not used: 19.Callum TIMMINS, 21.Bryce BAFFORD, 22.Josh RAWLINS, 33.Liam REDDY (GK)
Yellow Cards: Aspropotamitis, Sullivan, Velaphi
Red Cards: None
#OneGlory
