Goals in each half from Tom Lawrence and Tadi Kuzamba guided Glory to a 2-0 victory in Saturday’s Challenge Cup clash with the WA State Team at Kingsway Reserve.
Skippering the side on the night, Lawrence headed home a Will Freney cross shortly after the half-hour mark and 15 minutes from the end, Tadi Kuzamba found the net for the second time in as many pre-season games to make it 2-0.
Glory created plenty of opportunities to make the winning margin more emphatic, but starting WA ‘keeper Adrian Sinagra and his second-half replacement Sam Reiily kept them at bay with a number of fine saves.
What is traditionally a highly-competitive fixture certainly began that way, with both sides largely cancelling each other out in the first half hour, but Glory did eventually manage to break the deadlock with 34 minutes gone.
Sinagra seemed to get caught under Freney’s deep cross from the left and that left the way clear for Lawrence to calmly nod home.
The WA ‘keeper made amends shortly before the break, however, producing a stunning, one-handed save to thwart Henry Hore whose curling effort seemed destined to find the top corner.
Lawrence was duly withdrawn at the break as a precaution having copped a blow to his knee, but Glory coped well with the Welshman’s absence and began carving out chances on a more regular basis as the second half wore on.
Reilly had replaced Sinagra in goal for the State Team at half time and he was called into action almost immediately to palm away a long-range strike from Sebastian Despotovski.
It was Jaiden Kucharski who had replaced Lawrence in attack and he soon embarked upon a shooting duel with the overworked Reilly, firing in three shots in quick succession, all of which were repelled.
But Glory’s pressure eventually told when Lachie Jackson was picked out by a searching Kucharski pass and he in turn found Kuzamba who span neatly in the box before firing past Reilly.
There was still time for Reilly to frustrate Kucharski again before referee Finn Johnson brought the curtain down on Glory’s fourth and final pre-season outing.
Head Coach Adam Griffiths will now turn his full focus to next Saturday’s A-League season-opener against Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Stadium.
Match Details
2026 Challenge Cup
WA State Team 0 Perth Glory 2 (Lawrence 34′, Kuzamba 75′)
Half-time: 0-1
Madman Motors Arena (Kingsway Reserve)
Saturday 10 October 2026
Referee: Finn Johnson
WA State Team: 1.Adrian SINAGRA (GK), 2.Isaiah WINGELL, 3.Josh RISDON, 4.Oli ANNIS, 5.Jack CLISBY, 7.Chad NILSON, 8.Charlie CHECHLACZ, 9.Kade FEARNALL, 10.Santiago FLORES, 14.Liam BOLAND, 16.Daniel JANKULOSKI
Substitutes: 6.Luke DESMOND, 11.Luke BODNAR, 12.Sam POLLARD, 13.Federico ACHILLI, 15.Sasa NJEGIC, 17.Jack BAKER, 18.Sam REILLY (GK)
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 29.Daniel SOLSKY (GK) (1.Matt SUTTON (GK), 40′), 5.Lachie JACKSON, 7.Stefan COLAKOVSKI (11.Sebastian KUKUCKA 54′), 10.Tom LAWRENCE (9.Jaiden KUCHARSKI 46′), 13.Henry HORE (39.Giovanni DE ABREU 80′), 16.Lucas SCICLUNA, 18.Cher DENG, 25.Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI (17.Pieter JACOBSZ 60′), 27.Will FRENEY (28.Calem NIEUWENHOF 60′), 30.Tadi KUZAMBA, 44.Riley FOXE
Substitutes not used: 76.Lewis DONNELLY
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
Men’s Match Report: Glory round off pre-season with victory in Challenge Cup
