Perth Glory FC has walked away with a point after a frustrating day out against Newcastle Jets at Hunter Stadium on Sunday.
Glory opened the scoring in the seventh minute after a defensive mistake from the Jets. Striker Adam Taggart pounced on the loose ball and scored against his former club with a tidy finish, sliding the ball past Newcastle keeper Jack Duncan.
It was Taggart’s sixth goal of the season from seven starts
Glory continued the pressure and two minutes later Andy Keogh almost doubled Perth’s lead with a curling left foot shot which went just wide of the post.
Glory had registered five shots in only eight minutes of play and were playing in front of 100 Glory Shed fans who were on their annual Tour Of Duty.
Winger Chris Harold should have made it 2-0 when he headed Joe Mills’ cross straight into the crossbar- it was one of three strikes on goal which hit the woodwork, to save Newcastle’s skin.
The Jets were visibly stunned by Glory’s sharp start but eased their way back into the contest with Morten Nordstrand and Andrew Nabbout causing some headaches for Kenny Lowe’s troops.
Mateo Poljak levelled the ledger after the Jets were awarded a dubious penalty at the 35-minute mark when Shane Lowry was judged to have fouled Nordstrand in the area.
Newcastle, buoyed by the equaliser, hit the lead on the stroke of half-time as Nabbout’s shot inside the box found the back of the net.
Despite the deflating end to the opening period, Glory responded positively with another string of great chances, as Castro struck the crossbar twice.
Keogh then made it 2-2 with 55 minutes gone, with his outstretched leg connecting with Harold’s sublime cross to restore parity. It was the winger’s 8th assist of the season as he continues his fine form.
There was controversy at the end of the match when skipper Rostyn Griffiths accumulated his second yellow of the match and was then shown a red card for dissent.
Glory were desperately unlucky to not gain the lead for a second time through Taggart, with his shot from point blank following Keogh’s ball across the box heroicly saved by Jack Duncan.
Perth, who were reduced to 10-men following Rostyn Griffiths dismissal late in proceedings, closed out a 2-2 draw in a fiery and thrilling encounter at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Glory remains unbeaten in its last four games and continues its five-year run without a loss away at Hunter Valley following another end-to-end encounter with former Jets hero Adam Taggart opening the scoring.
Key Moments:
First Half
7′ A mistake from Lachlan Jackson leads to a simple finish for former Jet Taggart, who slots home from well inside the area into the bottom left-corner.
14′ Taggart almost doubled his side’s lead with his header from Joseph Mills’s perfect cross from the left thumping against the crossbar.
16′ Andrew Nabbout tricky run from the left leads to the home side’s first shot, but it is blocked and cleared for a corner.
23′ Morten Nordstrand’s well-timed run into the box leads to a great chance, but his cutback is cleared by Shane Lowry.
25′ Nick Cowburn’s miss-hit cross almost found its way into Liam Reddy’s net, but the veteran was equal to the task and tipped over for another corner.
32′ Castro’s smart ball into the box finds Keogh, who then passes to Taggart unmarked inside the box, but the Socceroo’s shot is straight into the hands of Duncan.
36′ An innocuous challenge from Lowry on Nordstrand is judged a penalty by referee Stephen Lucas, and Mateo Poljak converts.
45+1′ Nabbout puts the Jest in front with almost the last action of the first half, Nordstrand with the assist.
Second Half
47′ Harold’s cross evades everyone and Castro hits it with his left onto the frame of the goal.
49′ The Spanish midfielder again hits the crossbar just moments later, with his long range effort glancing over.
55′ Keogh pokes home the equaliser from Harold’s aboslutely perfect cross to the back stick.
66′ Nordstrand’s volley following Ma Leilei’s free-kick is blocked by Alex Grant.
69′ A brilliant counter attack from Glory results in Keogh finding Taggart, but the striker’s shot from point blank is saved by Duncan.
SQUADS:
Perth Glory: 33. Liam REDDY (GK), 2. Alex GRANT, 4. Shane LOWRY, 8. Rostyn GRIFFITHS (C), 9. Andy KEOGH, 14. Chris HAROLD (7. Joel CHIANESE 75′), 16. Joseph MILLS, 17. Diego CASTRO, 19. Josh RISDON, 22. Adam TAGGART, 24. Milan SMILJANIC (15. Brandon WILSON 75′)
Yellow Cards: 8. Rostyn GRIFFITHS 20′, 4. Shane LOWRY 36′, 2. Alex GRANT 65′,
Red Cards: 8. Rostyn GRIFFITSH 87′
Subs not used : 13. Nicholas FEELY (GK), 11. Richard GARCIA,
Newcastle Jets: 22. Jack DUNCAN (GK), 3. Jason HOFFMAN, 4. Nigel BOOGARD (C), 6. Steven UGARKOVIC, 7. Andrew HOOLE, 8. Mateo POLJAK (28. John KOUTROUMBIS 74′), 15. Andrew NABBOUT, 16. Nick COWBURN, 18. Ma LEILEI (9. Aleksandr KOKKO 82′) 19. Morten NORDSTRAND (23. Devante CLUT 86′), 22. Lachlan JACKSON
Subs not used: 50. Tomislav Arčaba, 2. Daniel MULLEN
Yellow Cards: 7. Andrew HOOLE 45′, 19. Morten NORDSTRAND 53′, 18. Ma LEILEI 74′, 28. John KOUTROUMBIS 88′
