Glory fans are right to be frustrated with our recent run of results. No wins, three draws and eight losses in the 11 games since our last victory against Brisbane back in February.
This frustration was evident at HBF Park on Wednesday night, as I watched the Glory live from the stands for the first time since our homecoming fixture against Adelaide, which seems a lifetime ago.
Football is a results based business; we all know this. It’s the reason why Richard Garcia got the boot and Ruben Zadkovich was brought in.
However, the Glory find themselves in a unique position. With a first ever bottom placed finish likely and injuries piling up, the results from the six games left to come are not the main priority.
As long as the team displays commitment and desire, plus steady progression and improvement in our attacking build-up and output, I will be content for the remainder of the season.
Some wins to round off a tumultuous season would be a great confidence booster for the young players getting a chance, not to mention bring a little joy to the Glory faithful who haven’t had a lot to cheer about. Wins shouldn’t be expected, just improvement in our play. I really hope other Glory fans share this sentiment.
I saw enough to suggest on Wednesday night we are continuing to move in the right direction with Zadkovich. Tony Popovic’s teams are notoriously hard to break down defensively, so we shouldn’t be too disappointed in not finding the back of the net.
We had our chances though. An injury to Adrian Sardinero meant Pacifique Niyongabire got nearly a full game off the bench. He caused some headaches down Victory’s left hand side, shooting wide of target on two occasions in the first quarter of the game.
Jack Clisby spurned a glorious opportunity toward the end of the first half. He found himself alone on the left and made an overlapping run into the box. Callum Timmins played the ball into his path, but he too went wide of the mark.
These were all in the first half. Once the Victory took the lead in the 57th minute through Francesco Margiotta, they ceded possession and defended their lead doggedly, not giving us much room to operate in the final third.
Substitute Tyler Vecchio came closest in the second 45. Former Glory man Jason Geria poked the ball away from Niyongabire in the box straight to Vecchio in space. His first touch set him up nicely to strike across the keeper, but again it went wide of the upright.
The speed of play is just too slow. Our main form of attack once we went behind was to go out wide in search of space. It would take multiple passes too many to switch the ball to the other side and by that time, the Victory had it covered, and we would recycle the ball over again.
The ball movement in our defensive half before the goal wasn’t much better. The majority of passes to get up the pitch were between the wide players and the two centre halves. None of the starting midfielders were able to create space for others by receiving the ball in the midfield. The Victory pressed up high and we struggled to deal with it.
It’s what makes Daniel Stynes’ absence from the starting side so baffling. He’s only played a full game twice this season, the last of those being the 3-0 win against the Victory in our third game of the season.
I’ve seen quite a few social media posts on how we’re a better side going forward when Stynes is on the pitch, and I agree wholeheartedly. He is our only true midfielder aside from Brandon O’Neill whose highest pass direction percentage is going forward, and let’s not forget that despite only starting seven games, he’s our second highest goal scorer. Only Bruno Fornaroli and Stynes have scored multiple goals for the Glory this season.
A star-studded Victory attack were threatening in moments, but for the most part I thought our back four held off well defensively. Antonee Burke-Gilroy didn’t give Chris Ikonomidis a look at the Glory goal, not even a peek as he often tried to take him on.
Niyongabire did a fine job making sure Jason Davidson couldn’t provide much service higher up the pitch like he normally did when he was wearing a purple shirt. Most of the Victory chances came through majestic Kiwi Marco Rojas.
It was he who hit the post from a quick break after we’d given up possession in our own half in the 26th minute. I believe he also won the foul resulting in the Margiotta free kick which crashed into the left post.
Margiotta himself came close in the first half, his deflected shot off Darryl Lachman forcing a decent save out of Liam Reddy, who had a solid game between the sticks.
He did find that elusive goal in the second half. Brimmer made a run into the box and cut the ball back to the Italian, who had held his run into the area. In space, his first time left foot strike sailed past the outstretched gloves of our 40-year-old goalkeeper.
Rojas was my standout for the Victory. He is great at evading tackles and carrying the ball forward, characteristics the Glory are crying out for in a midfielder. A player of his ability is able to turn games on its head, just look at what he did in the derby.
I would call Wednesday night a respectable loss by the Glory.At times we were able to create opportunities for the forwards and we did well at denying the Victory many for theirs. The ball needs to move quicker, and our midfielders need to provide passing options for the defenders if we continue to play out from the back.
Just 11 days after meeting them at home, we travel to the Hunter to take on the box office Jets for a rematch. Newcastle are unbeaten at home in their last four games and have kept a clean sheet in three of them. We’re capable of winning this, but we’ll have to be at our best to take three points on the road once again.
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