A big opportunity was missed to register a second away win of the season and close the gap on the top six, as the Glory succumbed to their first defeat since January at the hands of Western United.
It’s the second week in a row we haven’t found the back of the net, this time without a shot on target but make no mistake, there were some good chances which should have been dispatched.
Corners were the main source of those scoring opportunities, with three of the best four coming from deliveries into the box by Gio Colli.
Chance one came inside the first minute, as Adam Taggart directed his header into the ground and bounced over the crossbar.
The home side didn’t waste any time getting into the action themselves, as Matthew Grimaldi forced a sharp save from Oli Sail 90 seconds in having been setup by Lachlan Wales.
John Aloisi’s side had full control of the proceedings up until half time, maintaining 70% possession and restricting Perth to two shots for the half.
The second of those chances fell again to Taggart, who was unable to poke home a loose ball after Sutton had failed to clear another corner from Colli.
Minus his set pieces, Colli and in turn his midfield partner Jacob Muir had little influence over the contest, as they spent most of their time defending deep in their own box.
There was a heavy emphasis on long passes, most likely to do with the below average pitch conditions at Mars Stadium.
The Glory attempted 59 for the match, bypassing the midfield to either get the ball wide or launch it to the strikers and hope they could win it aerially or knock it down for a teammate.
Western United had a few good looks but couldn’t get the opener they craved, with Noah Botic striking a volley over the bar and having a powerful shot blocked by Daniel Bennie.
Darryl Lachman led the way with his defensive efforts, winning the most tackles, making the most blocks and also having the most clearances.
The second half saw the introduction and return of Mustafa Amini, taking the place of Muir in the midfield.
Botic remained the danger man for the Glory defence, clattering the crossbar from close range before finding the net to give his side the lead.
Josh Risdon made an interception and kept going, running past Colli in the centre and then sliding it through to Botic on the run. The young forward struck it first time past Sail, who came too far off his line and got caught in no man’s land.
David Williams was brought into the fray and thought he had got the Glory back in it with a well taken strike around the hour mark, but it was ruled out for an apparent foul in the build-up by Taggart on Kane Vidmar.
Amini’s influence helped the Glory keep more of the ball in the later stages, but even so there was little created in open play. Joel Anasmo provided a spark out wide but more often than not it was fizzled out by Risdon.
The best chance was saved for right at the end, when Lachman headed a Colli corner onto the bar. Bennie hit the rebound as the ball bounced up and spooned it over from a metre out, missing his chance to gain a point on the road and open his Glory account.
Western United should have had the win wrapped up earlier when Botic had an open goal but bundled it in with his hand, but nonetheless they kept a clean sheet and held on to record their fourth win of the season.
Aquino’s heroics save a point
The race for a spot in the finals is heating up, and thanks to Morgan Aquino the Glory remain well and truly in the hunt despite their form.
They walked away from Newcastle with a point, escaping with a 1-1 draw at Maitland Sports Ground against the Jets.
Tash Rigby single handedly created the opener, winning back possession and driving forward to deliver a cross into the middle, taking a deflection off Natasha Prior and into the net inside the first two minutes.
From then it was one way traffic, as the Jets registered 40 shots on the Glory goal, with the Glory offering zero shots on target in return.
The equaliser eventually came in the 77th minute through Melinda Barbieri, striking a superb volley which Aquino could do nothing about.
Substitute Josie Allan had the chance to win it for the Jets in the 95th minute but was denied by Aquino’s sensational reflex save onto the crossbar.
The Wrap Up
It would take a special run of form for Alen Stajcic’s side to make the top six, eight points behind Western Sydney with eight games to go.
Four games remain in the A-League Women’s season and Alex Epakis is on the cusp of making his first finals appearance as manager, still sitting equal on points with sixth and with a better goal difference.
The next three games will decide their fate, all against sides currently below them on the table. First up is Wellington on Friday night; a hugely important clash at Macedonia Park to kick off Pride Round in the ALW
Alen Stajcic will be back on the sideline this week after serving his suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.
The men are also back at home and will be squaring up against the Jets for the second time at HBF Park.
Both encounters have ended 2-2 thanks to Newcastle equalisers in stoppage time, so goals are to be expected in this battle.
A win is needed to have a realistic chance of reaching the top six. It’s a game which could decide where our season goes from here, whether it’s back down towards the bottom or higher up towards mid-table.
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