Adam Taggart struck twice to take his tally for the season to 14 as Glory staged yet another dramatic late comeback to secure a 2-2 draw with Newcastle Jets at HBF Park.
View full match highlights HERE
View Alen Stajcic’s post-match media conference HERE
Goals either side of the break from Clayton Taylor and Lucas Mauragis had secured a formidable lead for the visitors, but with 18 minutes left, Taggart swivelled in the box and rifled home to halve the arrears.
And with Socceroos Head Coach Graham Arnold watching on from the stands, the Glory skipper repeated the feat in the last minute of regulation time by meeting Giordano Colli’s pinpoint corner with an emphatic header which sent The Shed into raptures.
Remarkably, that goal ensured a fifth successive 2-2 draw between the two sides who both still harbour Finals hopes with seven games left to play.
It was the Jets who settled more quickly into the game, creating its first chance on six minutes when Oli Sail got down smartly to keep out a shot from Taylor.
The Glory ‘keeper then made an even better stop to tip Thomas Aquilina’s long-range effort around the post as the Jets continued to press.
Glory responded by creating a couple of chances of their own, Colli just failing to connect with a Riley Warland corner when it reached him at the far post and Mustafa Amini seeing his stinging drive parried by Ryan Scott.
But Newcastle certainly shaded the first half and ended it in front when the home defence was unable to clear a Maurgais cross and Taylor reacted quickest to lash the ball past Sail.
The New South Wales side proceeded to double their advantage ten minutes after the restart, a deflected effort from Mauragis finding the net after Apostolos Stamatelopoulos was foiled by Sail in a one-on-one situation and the ball broke loose in the box.
Finding themselves behind heading into the last half-hour has been familiar territory for Glory this season, however and as they have done on so many previous occasions, they roared back into the contest.
Taggart’s first goal showcased several of his qualities as he chested down a ball into the box from David Williams, held off his marker, turned smartly and slammed a shot past Scott.
Glory thought they had levelled it up three minutes later, only for Kaelan Majekodunmi’s header to be ruled out for an apparent obstruction in the build-up, but the men in purple would not be denied for much longer.
As stoppage-time loomed and with the home fans in full voice, Taggart found a pocket of space between two defenders in which to meet Colli’s corner and head home.
And there was still time for Glory to come within centimetres of bagging a sensational winner as Johnny Koutroumbis picked out David Williams and the substitute’s glancing header clipped the crossbar.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE A-league 2023/24 Season Round 20
Perth Glory 2 (Taggart 72′, 90′) Newcastle Jets 2 (Taylor 40′, Mauragis 54′)
Half-time: 0-1
HBF Park
Saturday 9 March 2024
Attendance: 6190
Perth Glory: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 7.Stefan COLAKOVSKI (9.David WILLIAMS 57′), 8.Mustafa AMINI (31.Joel ANASMO 57′), 14.Riley WARLAND, 15.Aleksandar SUSNJAR (28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI 71′), 16.Josh RAWLINS (2.Johnny KOUTROUMBIS 67′), 17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO (19.Trent OSTLER 57′), 20.Giordano COLLI, 22.Adam TAGGART (co-c), 23.Daniel BENNIE, 29.Darryl LACHMAN
Substitutes not used: 13.Cameron COOK (gk), 42.Aiki TSUKAMOTO,
Yellow Cards: Taggart
Red Cards: None
Newcastle Jets: 1. Ryan SCOTT, 5. Lucas MAURAGIS, 6. Brandon O’NEILL, 8. Apostolos STAMATELOPOULOS, 10. Reno PISCOPO (19. Callum TIMMINS 73′), 13. Clayton TAYLOR (7. Trent BUHAGIAR 83′), 14. Dane INGHAM, 17. Kosta GROZOS, 22. Phil CANCAR, 33. Mark NATTA, 39. Thomas AQULINA (26. Archie GOODWIN 90+2′)
Substitutes not used: 3. Jason HOFFMAN, 18. Daniel STYNES, 20. Michael WEIER (gk), 25. Carl JENKINSON
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
#ONEGlory
