Skipper Adam Taggart grabbed both goals as Glory secured a hard-fought 2-2 draw with in-form Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium on Friday evening.
Click HERE for full match highlights
Click HERE for David Zdrilic’s full post-match media conference
Last season’s A-League Golden Boot winner opened his account for the current campaign with an opportunistic finish in first-half stoppage-time, only for the Reds to hit back with two goals in as many minutes immediately after the restart from Zach Clough and Bart Vriends.
But Taggart hauled his side back into it on the hour-mark, taking his Glory career tally to 49 with a bullet header from a Nicholas Pennington cross and the visitors held firm in the latter stages to secure a much-needed point.
The Reds came into the game off the back of three successive victories and predictably started on the front foot, with Stefan Mauk and Ethan Alagich both going close.
And they looked to have taken the lead on the half-hour, only for Vriends’ close-range finish to be disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR referral.
Glory proceeded to make the most of that let-off by hitting the front in the shadows of half-time, Pennington’s dinked ball into the box being half-cleared into the path of the lurking Taggart who rifled a low shot past James Delianov.
An enthralling contest then swung dramatically back in Adelaide’s favour early in the second half as Clough bagged his third goal of the season after being ted up by Ben Folami.
And the Englishman turned provider moments later, whipping in a teasing free-kick which was powerfully headed in by Vriends.
With the home fans in full voice, United surged forward in search of a third, but instead it was Glory who broke away and levelled things back up.
The impressive Pennington it was who supplied the pinpoint delivery from the right and Taggart got in front of his marker to plant a header which kissed the inside of the post on its way into the net.
Predictably, Adelaide redoubled their efforts in the latter stages, but other than an appeal for handball against substitute Brandon O’Neill, they failed to cause too many anxious moments for the Glory defence.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2024/25 Season Matchday 6
Adelaide United 2 (Clough 49′, Vriends 51′) Perth Glory 2 (Taggart 45+3′, 61′)
Half-time: 0-1
Coopers Stadium
Friday 29 November 2024
Attendance: 8443
Referee: Shaun Evans
Adelaide United: 1. James DELIANOV, 3. Bart VRIENDS, 6. Stefan MAUK (36. Panashe MADANHA 80′), 7. Ryan KITTO, 9. Luka JOVANOVIĆ (26. Archie GOODWIN 64′), 10. Zach CLOUGH (12. Jonny YULL 63′), 14. Jay BARNETT, 17. Ben FOLAMI, 20. Dylan PIERIAS, 51. Panagiotis KIKIANIS, 55. Ethan ALAGICH
Substitutes not used: 13.Max VARTULI (gk), 8. ISAÍAS, 27. Josh CAVALLO, 42. Austin AYOUBI
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 13.Cameron COOK (gk), 3.Anas HAMZAOUI, 5.Lachlan BARR, 7.Nicholas PENNINGTON (6.Brandon O’NEILL 80′), 12.Taras GOMULKA, 16.Adam BUGARIJA (23.Cristian CAICEDO 59′) (17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO 90+1′), 19.Josh RISDON, 20.Trent OSTLER (9.David WILLIAMS 80′), 22.Adam TAGGART (c), 26.Khoa NGO (14.Nathanael BLAIR 59′), 33.Luis CANGA
Substitutes not used: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 15.Zach LISOLAJSKI
Yellow Cards: Pennington
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
