Dean Heffernan and Steven McGarry may be preparing slightly differently for Friday night’s clash with Brisbane Roar, but both are equally confident that Perth Glory have what it takes to secure three vital points at Suncorp Stadium.
Dean Heffernan and Steven McGarry may be preparing slightly differently for Friday night’s clash with Brisbane Roar, but both are equally confident that Perth Glory have what it takes to secure three vital points at Suncorp Stadium.
While the former Central Coast man insisted that he won’t be driven by a desire to avenge last season’s Grand Final defeat, his midfield colleague confirmed that he is desperate to make amends against a side he now views as Glory’s biggest rival.
“We’re just taking it as another game,” insisted Heffernan.
“Maybe there’s a little bit of extra rivalry, but it’s not something that we think or talk about here.
“For us, it’s more about getting on a winning run.
“We had a good result last week and we’ve been playing well over the last few weeks without having that bit of luck.
“The three points against Newcastle were great and now we want to build on that.”
The 32-year-old also claimed that he would prefer Roar striker Besart Berisha to recover from his shoulder injury in time to take his place in the home side’s starting line-up.
“I’d rather he played,” he said.
“He’s a good player and you want to play against the best.
“He’s done well for them since he’s been here and it would be a shame if he didn-t play.
“I think he works so hard for them, he’s scored some good goals, he’s played most of their games since he’s been here and he’s a quality player.
“You know you have to fight if he’s playing and that’s what we want, we want the best from him.”
McGarry, however, made no secret of the fact that he is still very driven by the painful memories not only of the Grand Final, but also of the heavy away defeat Glory suffered at the hands of Roar during the regular season.
“The rivalry has developed from the Grand Final,” he said, “and we’ve always found it pretty tough over there.
“We got a bit of a doing over there 4-0 in the regular season last year and obviously the Grand Final still hurts, so much so that I’ve still not even watched the game back.
“A few times I’ve sat on the couch and tried to bring myself to watch it, but I just can’t do it.
“It was such a roller-coaster season last year and to get that far and come away with nothing was pretty gutting.
“There is definitely some feeling there and I know the fans are still hurting, so they (Roar) are probably our biggest rivals right now and every one of us is wanting to go over there and make amends for it.”
The versatile Scottish midfielder went on to claim that in focusing upon their own game, Glory may just have unearthed the secret to improving upon their poor record at the home of the reigning champions.
“I think we need to stop worrying about Brisbane,” he said.
“They are a very good team with some very good players, but I think we need to concentrate on what we are good at and how we can go and set the tone in terms of the way we want to play.
“We’re working on our game-plan rather than worrying about the Roar.”
Both players, meanwhile, will be in celebratory mood on Friday evening, with Heffernan set to make his 100th Hyundai A-League appearance and McGarry having become a father for the second time last week.
“I’ve been in the A-League since the start with a few trips overseas here and there,” said Heffernan, “and to get to one hundred games is really nice
“Hopefully I can get a hundred more.”
As for McGarry, his delight at the arrival of a baby boy is helping him push through the inevitable ravages of sleep deprivation.
“Friday was a brilliant day, but a hectic one,” he revealed.
“I was in the hospital from 6.30am, had little baby Charlie, managed to get home for a power nap for 30 minutes and then played the game.
“Getting the three points against the Jets just topped off a fantastic day.”
