Skipper Adam Taggart struck twice as Glory came from behind, yet again, to secure a thrilling 3-2 win over Brisbane Roar at HBF Park on Saturday evening.
View full match highlights HERE
View Alen Stajcic’s post-match media conference HERE
With new club owner Ross Pelligra watching on from the stands, Taggart headed Glory ahead midway through the first half, only for Nikola Mileusnic to equalise with a shot on the turn just five minutes later.
Thomas Waddingham then netted from close range to send the visitors into the break 2-1 up, but as they have so often this season, Glory roared back in the second half.
Taggart picked out the bottom corner 17 minutes from time to level things up and soon after, substitute Stefan Colakovski capitalised upon a defensive error to clip home what proved to be the winner.
The victory, Glory’s fourth at home this season, moves them to within six points of what remains a remarkably congested Isuzu UTE A-League table.
Following a largely incident-free opening 20 minutes, the game burst into life in spectacular style when Taggart pounced to give Glory the lead.
Riley Warland delivered an inswinging free-kick from the right, Aleks Susnjar climbed above his marker to head the ball back across the face of goal and Taggart was perfectly placed to nod past Macklin Freke.
Brisbane’s response to that setback was impressive as they produced two goals within six minutes.
Former Glory man Antonee Burke-Gilroy provided the assist for Mileusnic’s well-taken equaliser and Waddingham then forced the ball home for number two after Oli Sail had done extremely well to block his initial effort.
Freke was forced to make a spectacular, one-handed save to prevent Taggart from restoring parity almost immediately and the Brisbane ‘keeper then repeated the feat to keep Warland and Daniel Bennie at bay as Glory began the second half on the front foot.
But the men in purple eventually found a way through as substitute Joel Anasmo burst into the box and when the ball eventually broke loose, Taggart reacted quickest to whip in his 12th goal of the season.
The Shed had barely stopped celebrating when Colakovski added his side’s third, coolly slotting past Freke after Bennie had seized upon an errant pass just outside the Brisbane box.
Stoppage-time drama has been very much the norm at HBF Park this season, but on this occasion, Stajcic’s men successfully held the visitors at arm’s length to lock down an impressive and vital victory.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-League 2023/24 Season Round 17
Perth Glory 3 (Taggart 24′, 73′, Colakovski 78′) Brisbane Roar 2 (Mileusnic 29′, Waddingham 36′)
Half-time: 1-2
HBF Park
Attendance: 6597
Saturday 17 February 2024
Referee: Adam Kersey
Perth Glory:Â 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 3.Jacob MUIR (19.Trent OSTLER 60′), 9.David WILLIAMS (31.Joel ANASMO 60′), 14.Riley WARLAND, 15.Aleksandar SUSNJAR, 16.Josh RAWLINS (17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO 64′), 20.Giordano COLLI, 22.Adam TAGGART (co-c), 23.Daniel BENNIE, 29.Darryl LACHMAN, 77.Bruce KAMAU (7.Stefan COLAKOVSKI 60′)
Substitutes not used: 13.Cameron COOK (gk), 27.Jayden GORMAN, 34.Andriano LEBIB
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Brisbane Roar: 1. Macklin FREKE (GK), 5. Tom ALDRED (C), 6. Joe CALETTI (17. Carlo ARMIENTO 82′), 10. Nikola MILEUSNIC (7. Florin BERENGUER 70′), 13. Henry HORE (3. Corey BROWN 56′), 16. Thomas WADDINGHAM (20. Marco ROJAS 56′), 19. Jack HINGERT, 21. Antonee BURKE-GILROY (32. James NIKOLOVSKI 69′), 23. Keegan JELACIC, 26. Jay O’Shea, 27. Kai TREWIN
Substitutes not used: 12. Taras GOMULKA, 29. Matt ACTON (GK)
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
