Defender Jamie Coyne and his Glory team mates are ready to make a statement when they host Sydney FC on Sunday at ME Bank Stadium, the first of three clashes with the table-topping Sky Blues in the second half of the season.
Defender Jamie Coyne and his Glory team mates are ready to make a statement when they host Sydney FC on Sunday at ME Bank Stadium, the first of three clashes with the table-topping Sky Blues in the second half of the season.
In a quirk of the fixture, the Glory has already played some teams twice but hasn’t been tested against a Sydney side that holds a narrow one-point lead over the rest of the competition.
After challenging for top spot early in the season, the Glory are sitting in fifth place and know that winning matches against teams above them is the best way to draw closer to the pinnacle of the league.
Following a rare weekend off the Perth boys are fit and firing and Coyne is confident the side can eradicate the small lapses that have costs them points over the past month.
“We have been working on the little things that we need to get right, it-s something we-re all confident we can put a stop to and have a break in the season allows you to focus on those sort of things rather than a specific opponent,” said Coyne on Tuesday.
“To concede goals late in the half, or near the end of the game, is pretty disappointing. Obviously soccer isn-t a high-scoring game so when you’ve got a 1-0 lead you want to keep it.
“We-ve probably allowed the pressure to build up and sat back a little bit when we’ve had the lead instead of maybe going for the kill and looking for a second goal.
“We-ll be rectifying that going forward,” Coyne said.
Coyne is well aware there will be no second chances against a Sydney side bristling with attacking talent like Alex Brosque, Mark Bridge and John Aloisi.
But he believes a good result in front of a home crowd at ME Bank Stadium will give the Glory great confidence as it faces the current league leader repeatedly in the run home to a possible finals appearance.
“We were up the top two or three for a couple of weeks and we’re pretty disappointed to drop that back a little bit,” Coyne said.
“There’s not a big gap there (between all sides on the table) … but as the season goes on I think one or two teams probably will pull away.”
“Hopefully we can get on that winning run and that can be us, so that’s something we’re going to strive for.”
“So it is a big game this weekend, having not played them so far. Hopefully we get the three points,” he said.
The break came at a perfect time for Coyne, the hard running defender given time to rest before this week ramping up his efforts to return to the side after missing Perth-s away draw against Wellington with a thigh strain.
“It was unfortunate to miss the game against Wellington but it (thigh) has come good in the last week or so and I-m ready for the game on the weekend,” he said.
“As long as the coach picks me I-ll be out there. I feel ready to play and have been working pretty hard the last four or five days to make sure.”
Coyne is also predicting a hot reception for former Glory skipper Simon Colosimo as he returns to play in Perth for the first time since leaving the club at the end of the 2007/08 season.
“When Simon left here it wasn’t the best circumstances,” Coyne said.
“He’s a friend of mine and obviously he’s a good player and has been having a good season, but hopefully he plays pretty ‘crap- on the weekend,” he joked.
“That would be nice and hopefully the fans get stuck into him,” Coyne said with a wry smile.
Perth Glory members and supporters are reminded that the match against Sydney will be played at ME Bank Stadium not Subiaco Oval as originally scheduled. Kick-off for the main game is 4.00pm while the Glory Youth side will play a curtain raiser at 1.15pm.
