Despite leading twice, a riveting draw denied Perth Glory the chance to jump into a top-six spot.
Despite the humidity, the game started off in a lively manner, with Glory having the stronger opening of the two, as demonstrated by Jelacic’s early strike, which narrowly missed the target in the first minute.
Not soon after, Darryl Lachman’s dribbling skills became surprisingly apparent; a completely unopposed run through the centre left him one-on-one with Jack Duncan, but his strike was lashed wide of the target.
The first water break arrived, and two things became clear in the minute’s prior. Perth’s discipline issues were amiss—two yellow cards in less than twenty minutes—and Beka Mikeltadze’s deep-lying position was creating overloads centrally, allowing for both Newcastle midfielders to drift out-wide and receive the ball uncontested.
A corner was to follow after Jack Duncan’s superb save in the 26th minute. This corner was taken short, and Daniel Stynes’ ill-timed tackle in the box resulted in a penalty. David Williams stepped up, but unfortunately for him, the goalkeeper’s heroics prevented him from scoring his fifth goal of the season.
Tensions heightened, and the next goal was undeniably crucial, as now both teams were pushing forward.
Rising to the occasion quite literally, Luke Bodnar headed Glory into the lead, scoring his first A-League men’s goal, and sending the Perth fans into delirium.
14 minutes into the second half, Reno Piscopo’s hurtled strike at goal put Newcastle level, completely changing the mood of the game as Arthur Papas’ team wolfed all momentum into their favor.
However, Glory did prevail, a terrific leap in the 79th minute allowed Beevers to header the ball into a vacated net. Scoring his first in the famous purple outfit, and a vital one at that.
Just as the game appeared to be coming to a close, Cameron Cook’s erratic goalkeeping gave 18-year-old Archie Goodwin an open goal, which he calmly converted into. Leveling the scores completely against the run of play.
An entertaining end to a competitive game where both teams gave it their all.
Unbeaten Glory Prevails
Perth Glory’s unbeaten home run continues in a remarkable turnaround from how they woefully started the season.
Regular, consistent high attendance at Macedonia Park with spirited fans rallying behind the team would’ve been nothing short of a dream. But Zadkovich’s men have made that a reality and transformed their connection with what was previously a distant relationship with the fans, coming off of Perth’s dismal 21–22 season.
The question looming now is: how long can they keep this run going for, and can they translate these performances into ones away from home?
Careless Cook Proves Costly
The error by Cameron Cook—his second of the year—has ultimately cost Glory what would have been a fantastic home victory that would have propelled them into a finals position.
Injured Brad Jones, ageing Liam Reddy, and rookie Pierce Clark do not provide sufficient backup or a valid first-team option. Therefore, it is necessary for Glory to sign a seasoned, elite goalkeeper during the upcoming transfer window.
Final Score
Perth Glory 2 (Luke Bodnar –44th minute and Mark Beevers -79th minute)
Newcastle Jets 2 (Reno Piscopo –59th minute and Archie Goodwin -88th minute)
