A brave effort from 10-man Perth Glory wasn’t enough to stop Adelaide United recording a 2-0 win at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday evening.
A brave effort from 10-man Perth Glory wasn’t enough to stop Adelaide United recording a 2-0 win at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday evening.
On a warm night in the city of churches, the Glory produced one of their most committed first-half performances of the season as they created eight shots on goal to just two.
But when Perth went down to 10-men just after the hour when Naum Sekulovski received a second caution for handling the ball, the Reds scored from the resultant free kick through a quality Iain Fyfe header, before Sergio van Dijk added some polish to the result in injury time.
The result sees Adelaide return to the winner’s list after two straight losses, the Reds now just one point behind competition leader Brisbane Roar, as Perth maintain eighth on the Hyundai A-League table.
Glory interim coach Ian Ferguson made five changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Wellington last Sunday, with two of those forced as Jacob Burns was suspended and Mile Sterjovski injured.
Young trio Tommy Amphlett, Brent Griffiths and Howard Fondyke were all dropped to the bench after playing the last two matches as Ferguson attempted to keep his side fresh through a hectic schedule of games, with Sekulovski, Steven McGarry, Adriano Pellegrino, Jamie Harnwell and Robbie Fowler all promoted to the starting XI.
Led by Scott Neville, who shrugged off a nasty cork to be skipper in Burns’ absence, the Glory produced an intense first half where their pressure on the Adelaide players was second to none.
Coming off two losses themselves, the Reds looked hesitant in the opening stages, although they weren’t allowed a moment’s peace in possession by Perth’s robust defensive play.
The pressure translated into chances for Perth as well, as McGarry saw a third-minute effort deflected over the bar, before Reds’ stopper Eugene Galekovic had to be quick coming off his line to take the ball from a rampaging Jamie Coyne, who had been intelligently set up by Fowler.
In the 26th minute, Fowler had more time than he realised, the Liverpool legend opting to pass when a shot could have seen Glory take the lead, while Neville produced a long-range 40 metre attempt 10 minutes before the break.
Having settled somewhat after the early Glory onslaught, Adelaide started to gain some control of possession as the brilliant Cassio inspired his side with several raids down the left.
In the 38th minute Cassio burst forward and would have been free to shoot, but for some quality defence from Jamie Harnwell. The Brazilian continued to pursue the ball however, his cross back in from the left cleared by a Harnwell header, only to fall at Paul Reid’s feet.
Reid pulled the trigger but luckily for Perth, the ball took a slight deflection off Todd Howarth’s shoulder and went narrowly over the bar.
Adelaide also enjoyed a good chance seconds before the break when Tando Velaphi was forced to beat away another excellent Cassio cross, but despite taking the momentum into half-time, the Reds were immediately on the back foot in the second half.
In the 49th minute Jamie Coyne nodded over from a brilliantly executed Fowler free kick before Neville’s desperate effort to regain possession two minutes later ended with a Fowler strike that forced Galekovic to palm around the post.
Adelaide heeded the warning and stepped up the attack, largely through half-time substitute, skipper Travis Dodd, who used his pace to attack the Glory defence.
Dodd nodded one effort just over the bar in the 54th minute, before van Dijk glanced wide moments later.
But the Reds finally opened the score when Sekulovski saw red in the 63rd minute.
Perth had already been paying a high price for their defence in terms of yellow cards, with Sekulovski one of six Perth players cautioned.
But when the defender, playing his 100th Hyundai A-League game, was exposed by a quick Cassio counter, he handballed and was immediately sent to the sheds.
Adding insult to injury, from the resultant free, Lucas Pantelis delivered perfectly for Fyfe to wedge himself between two defenders and nod home.
Down a goal and a man, Perth battled valiantly to create chances and pressure for an equaliser, Pellegrino firing a powerful effort at Galekovic before Todd Howarth curled a sizzling shot in the 74th minute narrowly wide of the upright.
But worn out by their efforts with 10 players, the Glory couldn’t stop Adelaide finishing stronger as Cassio finished off a great night with a surging run, the Brazilian finding Iain Ramsey on the left, whose pinpoint cross was nodded in by van Dijk two minutes into added time.
Adelaide United 2
Perth Glory 0
Crowd: 10,023 at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
