Jacob Burns bowed out of football at the nib Stadium in style, after Perth Glory sealed a 3-1 win against Central Coast Mariners in week 26 of the Hyundai A-League on Saturday evening.
Jacob Burns bowed out of football at the nib Stadium in style, after Perth Glory sealed a 3-1 win against Central Coast Mariners in week 26 of the Hyundai A-League on Saturday evening.
In front of a bumper crowd of 11,127, goals from Steven McGarry, Sidnei Sciola Moraes and an own goal from Zachary Anderson gave the former Socceroo a perfect send off and he left the field late in the game to a standing ovation from the supporters.
Nick Fitzgerald had brought the visitors level before half time, but a determined Glory side ran out worthy winners on the night.
Kenny Lowe made just the one change to their starting line up with Sidnei coming into the side in place of Jamie Maclaren. The Mariners, who had an in-flight emergency on the way to Perth in midweek, played the same eleven that beat Western Sydney Wanderers last week.
The Glory was quick out of the blocks early, and Sidnei tested Liam Reddy after only three minutes. Then on six minutes and with some of the supporters still finding their seats, they hit the front. Chris Harold-s shot from the angle was well saved by Reddy, but Burns was quickest to the rebound and fell under the challenge of John Hutchinson.
Debutant referee Stephen Lucas had no hesitation in pointed to the spot, and McGarry kept his nerve to fire the home side ahead.
It was one-way traffic and McGarry-s shot on the run drifted wide of the target, and the Scottish midfielder watched agonizingly has his curling shot dipped inches over the bar on the quarter hour.
But against the run of play on 18 minutes, the Mariners levelled. Burns challenge in the box on Fitzgerald was adjudged to be a penalty. Fitzgerald picked himself up and fired low past Jack Duncan to make it 1-1.
The Glory continued to take the game to the second place Mariners, and Rostyn Griffiths should have done better with a header from six-yards on 35 minutes, but the former Mariners midfielder-s headed over the bar when picked out by Nebojsa Marinkovic pinpoint corner.
With half time beckoning the Mariners went close to the lead. A free kick on the edge of the penalty area was curled around the wall by Eddy Bosnar, but it flashed inches wide of the target.
It was the same after the break the Glory pressing and creating chances.
On 50 minutes Burns picked out Sidnei on the right, his cross found Chris Harold, who headed wide from eight-yards.
Moments later Duncan came to his sides rescue. Storm Roux cut in from the right, and his shot was headed for the bottom corner, but the Glory custodian was down quick to save.
The big crowd were on the edge of their seats as the Glory continued to press. Sidnei shot on the hour skimmed the crossbar, and Griffiths- long-range shot was saved low by Reedy.
But on 71 minutes the fans were celebrating. Marinkovic whipped in a teasing cross from the right and Sidnei rose highest to head home from six-yards. It was no more than the Glory deserved, and the whole side looked determined to send their skipper out with a victory.
The Mariners still looked dangerous on the break, and six minutes later Fitzgerald sent second half substitute Mitchell Duke in on goal, but his shot was well saved by Duncan, before Harold-s run and shot whistled inches past the post.
There was a huge roar for the return of Danny De Silva off the bench on 83 minutes, and the teenage sensation was involved moments later as the Glory added a third. He found Burns, who slide a ball into the path of Sidnei, who was in an offside position but the ball deflected off Anderson and flew into the net giving Reddy no chance.
That wasn’t the end of it, the assistants- flag was up for offside, but the referee overruled him and awarded the goal, much to the displeasure of the Mariners players.
In stoppage time the Mariners had the ball in the net, Bernie Ibini-Isei firing home from close-range, but the flag was up for offside, and this time the referee agreed with his assistant.
Minutes before the final whistle Burns was substituted and he received a standing ovation, as he left the nib Stadium for the last time as a player.
It was a fitting end and performance from the Glory, as they celebrated the retirement of their skipper with a resounding victory, one that moved them off the bottom of the table.
Hyundai A-League – Week 26
Perth Glory 3 (McGarry 7- pen, Sidnei 71-, O-Goal 84-(Anderson))
Central Coast Mariners 1 (Fitzgerald 18-)
Venue – nib Stadium
Attendance – 11,127
Referee – Stephen Lucas
Perth Glory – GK Jack DUNCAN, 2 Jack CLISBY, 5 Rostyn GRIFFITHS, 16 Sidnei SCIOLA MORAES (28 Darvydas SERNAS 89-), 7 Jacob BURNS (4 Ryan EDWARDS 93-), 8 Nebojsa MARINKOVIC (20 Danny DE SILVA 83-),14 Steven MCGARRY, 17 Chris HAROLD, 19 Josh RISDON, 23 Michael THWAITE, 36 William GALLAS
Subs not used – RGK Luke RADONICH, 3 Brandon O-NEILL
Yellow Card – Clisby 79-, Griffiths 82-
Central Coast Mariners – GK Liam REDDY, 3 Joshua ROSE, 15 Storm ROUX, 25 Eddy BOSNAR, 5 Zachary ANDERSON, 17 Anthony CACERES, 11Nick FITZGERALD (20 Bernie IBINI-ISEI 78-) , 21 Mile STERJOVSKI, 7 John HUTCHINSON, 26 Kim SEUNG-YONG (8 Nick MONTGOMERY 43-), 19 Matt SIMON (9 Mitchell DUKE 56-)
Subs not used – RGK Justin PASFIELD, 6 Brent GRIFFITHS
Yellow Cards – Hutchinson 6-, Bosnar 23-, Simon 26-
