Perth Glory FC has moved closer to hosting a home final after defeating Hyundai A-League championship contenders Melbourne City 3-2 in front of a packed nib Stadium on Sunday night.
The Western Australians registered their tenth win in 11 matches in front of a 14,504 strong crowd- which was the club’s best attendance in three seasons.
Andy Keogh registered his eighth consecutive goal in as many games to set a new domestic league record for most consecutive scoring games.
Perth dominated the first half with the best chance falling to Keogh in the 8th minute. Josh Risdon cut the ball back for the Irishman who fired the ball just wide of the far post from eight yards out.
The period finished with a controversial incident which saw Shane Lowry booked as Fornaroli appeared to have made head-to-head contact with the defender.
The second half kicked off in similar fashion to the first, with Richard Garcia having a penalty shout waived away just two minutes into the half. The game was brought to life in the 55th minute when Keogh fired home from close range, scoring in his eighth consecutive match and registering his tenth goal of the season.
Keogh turned provider for the second goal as he crossed a delightful ball to Sandor who was left one on one with Sorensen, and fired the ball over him into the back of the net.
Moments later Diego Castro set nib Stadium alight as he volleyed home from outside the box to score one of the goals of the season. Keogh received the ball on right wing and wasted no time to send it into the path of Castro, who smashed the ball into the back of the net from the top of the box, sending the Glory faithful into raptures.
At 3-0 up Glory continued to launch attack after attack but City scored against the run of play, as the league’s leading scorer Bruno Fornaroli netted home his 23rd goal of the season. City managed to grab a last minute goal in injury time through Marino but the goal proved nothing more than a consolation as Perth held on for a gutsy 3-2 win.
Glory now sits one point behind 4th spot and a win next week could see Perth host a home final, something Glory fans haven’t seen since the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season when the team went on to finish runners-up.
Glory travel to Sydney this week for the last game of the regular season.
Key Moments:
First Half:
2’ Marinkovic swings in a corner which meets the head of Lowry and forces a fine save from Sorensen.
5’ Keogh gets down the left wing, cuts the ball back to Castro, turns his man inside out and shoots just wide
8’ Risdon wins the ball back in the front third and cuts it back for Keogh, who shoots wide
17 ’City win a free kick in a dangerous position. Mooy whips in a brilliant ball to Fornaroli but his header loops over the bar
23’ A quick counter attack by Glory sees the ball end up with Marinkovic who shoots from distance, but his shot curls over the crossbar
33’ Risdon plays a ball into the box from the right wing to Castro who lays it off for Sandor who strikes just over the bar
45’ Keogh sends in a cross from the left wing to Garcia, who attempts an audacious volley that doesn’t trouble the keeper
Second Half:
55’ Garcia wins a free kick in a dangerous position for the Glory. Marinkovic sends in a delightful ball to the back post which eventually falls to Keogh who fires home from close range to score in his 8th consecutive game and break the Australian domestic league record for most consecutive scoring games.
58’ Marinkovic finds space and lets one fly from 30 yards out but his shot curls just whiskers wide of the post
65’ Mooy plays Novillo into the box who gets past his man and shoots on target but Covic is there to deny him spectacularly
69’ Keogh chips a ball through into the box which leaves Sandor one on one with the keeper and he finishes over Sorensen into the back of the net
71’ Keogh lobs a ball to the edge of the box for Castro who volleys home into the bottom right corner for what has to be one of the goals of the season
73’ Fornaroli gets on the end of a lovely through ball before getting a lucky rebound off a Lowry tackle and sends Covic the wrong way
90’ Covic is called into action once again with another terrific save as Marino is denied from close range
90’ Glory go down the other end with a scintillating counter attack as Castro lobs the Melbourne City defence to Reiners whose diving header strikes the bottom of the post
90+2’ Marino gets through the Glory defence once again and makes sure of it this time, sending Covic the wrong way
WHAT THEY SAID
Kenny Lowe:
“Result was totally deserved. It was really a counter-attacking game, must’ve been a fantastic spectacle”
“It didn’t matter if we were in the finals or not in the finals, we fear nobody”
John Van’t Schip:
“We were disappointing this evening, and they were on top, they were more aggressive, winning every second ball and also more dangerous going forward”
SQUADS
Perth Glory: Ante COVIC (GK), Alex GRANT, Marc WARREN, Shane LOWRY, Joshua RISDON, Gyorgy SANDOR, Krisztian VADOCZ, Nebosja MARINKOVIC (Mitchell OXBORROW 73’), Chris HAROLD (Richard GARCIA 29’), Diego CASTRO, Andy KEOGH (Jamal REINERS 89’)
Unused Substitutes: Jerrad TYSON (GK), Aryn WILLIAMS
Melbourne City: Thomas SORENSEN, Michael ZULLO (Benjamin GARRUCIO 40’), Alexander WILKINSON, Patrick KISNORBO (Marc MARINO 77’), Ivan FRANJIC, Osama MALIK, Aaron MOOY, Anthony CACERES (Paulo RETRE 58’), Harry NOVILLO, Bruno FORNAROLI, Nick FITZGERALD
Unused Substitutes: Dean BOUZANIS (GK), Steve KUZMANOVSKI
Scorers: Andy KEOGH (55’), Gyorgy SANDOR (67’), Diego CASTRO (71’), Bruno FORNAROLI (73’), Marc MARINO (90+2’)
Red Cards: Nil
Yellow Cards: Shane LOWRY (45’), Osama MALIK (46’), Patrick KISNORBO (54’), Krisztian VADOCZ (82’)
Attendance: 14,504
Conditions: Clear
