The PGFC Academy First Team will head to the Lions’ den on Saturday when they take on Stirling Lions at Macedonia Park in Week Five of the Football West NPL.
Richard Garcia’s side are coming off the back of a 2-2 draw at ECU Joondlaup in which they scored twice in the dying moments to secure a valuable point.
Attacking midfielder Ethan Brooks produced a man-of-the-match display in that clash in the northern suburbs and he felt that Glory were good value for their point.
“It was a great comeback and nothing less than what we deserved,” he said.
“I felt we played a very convincing game even though we only came away with a draw against a strong ECU side.
“We showed plenty of positives, especially towards the back end of the game when we were really under the pump, to get something from it.”
The 18-year-old, who claimed an assist for Glory’s stoppage-time equaliser, is adamant that the nature of the comeback reflects the strong resolve within this season’s playing group.
“There has been a change in attitude from recent years,” he said. “Everyone in the team is really close and we know every time we step out on the pitch, we give 100% for not only ourselves, but each other.
“We go to war together and we come away with results together, which is what I think can help set us apart from other teams in the league and will play a huge role in our success.”
In terms of Sunday’s game, meanwhile, Brooks is aware that Stirling have not enjoyed a good start to the campaign but still expects them to provide a stern challenge at Macedonia Park.
“Every game is the same for us,” he said. “No team is incapable of coming away with a win, so we treat every team with the same respect and make sure that we perform at the highest level for 90 minutes every week.
“I think as long as we continue to work hard and implement what Richie has in place for us, we can come away with a win and hopefully continue to make a statement to the rest of the league.”
As for Garcia, he was also impressed by his charges’ determination in the draw at ECU, but feels that there are still errors they need to eliminate from their game.
“I thought we had the better of the game, played the majority of the game in their half and the boys didn’t lose belief,” he said.
“There is a great deal of trust in this group and they are getting better each week. It’s a testament to them that teams are sitting off and playing deep and trying to catch us on the counter and that’s a good thing, but we have to learn to deal with it.
“We have spoken about last week and yes, there were some positives. But the two goals we conceded were preventable and it’s something the lads need to improve upon.
“As a group, we have made great strides, but the players know consistency is the key and it’s something we’ve spoken about all season.
“We’re hoping to put in a strong performance on Saturday and come home with a positive result.”
The First Team game is set to start at 3pm, following on from the Under-20s (1pm) and the Under-18s (11am).
Do get along to lend the youngsters your support if you can, or failing that, you can watch a live stream of the Under-20s and First Team games via Football West’s Facebook page HERE.
#OneGlory
