Perth Glory boss Kenny Lowe feels his side’s inability to capitalise on their early opportunities cost them any chance of victory against Sydney FC on Sunday.
Glory striker Andy Keogh squandered as many as three sights of goal in the first 11 minutes at Allianz Stadium as the visitors flew out of the blocks.
And the misses proved costly as the Milos Ninkovic-inspired Sky Blues eventually found their groove and ran out emphatic 4-1 winners.
REPORT: Record-breaking Sky Blues steamroll Glory
HIGHLIGHTS: Sydney FC v Perth Glory
“You don’t take your opportunities early on then give a goal away like that, it changes the momentum of the game,” a philosophical Lowe said afterwards.
“You have opportunities you have to take them and then don’t give goals away.
“When that happens it flips to the other side. We had two great chances to get on the board early on and then it was a poor goal to give away and they get in the ascendency.”
Glory trailed 2-0 at the break but gave themselves a lifeline when Joseph Mills’ cross was deflected in off the boot of Sydney right-back Rhyan Grant.
They applied concerted pressure for about 15 minutes after that before the Sky Blues scored twice in the last 12 minutes to put a gloss on the scoreline for the hosts.
“At the end of the day the game ended up the way it did because we were chasing the game,” Lowe said.
“We were trying to get back into it and maybe were a bit gung-ho about the way we chased it.”
Lowe also played down any talk of a rift with skipper Rostyn Griffiths, who threw his captains armband to the ground and didn’t shake his coaches hand when substituted with 15 minutes left.
“That’s just players. They don’t want to come off,” he said.
“It just looked as though he was a bit leggy at the end there and I took him off just to protect him a little bit.”
Glory has dropped to fifth spot with that result ahead of Friday night’s clash against champions Adelaide United at nib Stadium.
