Sydney have ended Perth’s eight-game unbeaten run, beating the Glory 2-1 in a match that coach Ian Ferguson will certainly consider a missed opportunity.
Sydney have ended Perth’s eight-game unbeaten run, beating the Glory 2-1 in a match that coach Ian Ferguson will certainly consider a missed opportunity.
The Glory dominated the first half at the Sydney Football Stadium, wasting a number of opportunities but after half-time, a Brett Emerton-inspired home side claimed the three points.
In arguably his best performance since joining from Blackburn, Emerton scored his first goal for Sydney FC and then set up Bruno Cazarine for the Sky Blues’ second.
But Billy Mehmet made it interesting when he came off the bench to pull a goal back for the Glory with five minutes to go.
In the first half, Perth looked a big chance to make it nine games without a loss and move into second on the Hyundai A-League ladder.
The Glory’s midfield trio of Steve McGarry, Liam Miller and Jacob Burns led the visitors in pressing Sydney in their own half, which caused the Sky Blues to give the ball away on numerous occasions, allowing Perth to attack again and again.
But Ian Ferguson’s men failed to turn chances into goals.
The Glory’s best chance of the first half came in the 23rd minute after yet again stealing the ball off Sydney.
Mile Sterjovski won possession and broke forward before sending a cross into the box, which bounced off Shane Smeltz’s foot straight to Travis Dodd, who shot first time but Ivan Necevski made a great save to deny the right winger.
After holding Perth in the first half, Sydney were more aggressive after the break and almost took the lead in the 48th minute.
Scott Jamieson’s corner curled over Danny Vukovic and would have gone in save for a great diving header from Josh Risdon who was standing on the goal line.
Sydney didn’t have to wait much longer, though, with Emerton bobbing up to score six minutes later.
Karol Kisel took the ball into the left-hand side of the box and then chipped to the back post where Sydney’s stand-in captain was all alone as he thumped the ball into the back of the net.
And when Cazarine powered Emerton’s dinked cross home in the 72nd minute, the home side led 2-nil.
But the Glory have been in good form and showed their desire to maintain their unbeaten run for the rest of the match, which led to a deserved goal through Mehmet late on.
The big striker volleyed Dean Heffernan’s flat aerial pass past Necevski in the 85th minute to make it a tense finale to the game, although the boys in purple couldn’t find a second goal to snag a draw.
