If you had to name a Glory game best describing the famous football phrase ‘a tale of two halves’, then the one against Sydney FC at Macedonia Park would be it.
Two goals down at the break and deservedly so. Ruben Zadkovich got his tactics wrong in the first half and paid for it.
The four-day turnaround forced the starting lineup to be altered for the clash against the Sky Blues. John Koutroumbis was moved to right wingback to make room for Jacob Muir to slot in as the third centre half with Mark Beevers and Darryl Lachman. Ryan Williams moved further up the pitch, playing more centrally alongside Luke Ivanovic.
The only thing more noticeable than the line up reshuffle was our lack of intensity and pressure to start the game. Whether it was a bit of fatigue setting in or a tactical choice, Sydney were given time on the ball and allowed to control the tempo of the game.
Usually at home we are the hunters and not the hunted. It was a complete reversal from what we’ve come to expect from this team and it opened the door for Steve Corica’s side to take an early lead. Keegan Jelacic was robbed of possession in the midfield and the ball ended up at the feet of Joe Lolley. The Englishman got onto his trusted left foot and wasn’t closed down, unleashing a powerful drive past Cameron Cook, off the post and into the net.
The midfield three of Luke Brattan, Anthony Caceres and Max Burgess had it all their own way for the rest of the half. Brattan sat deeper, receiving the ball from the defence and spraying it out wide to the fullbacks Diego Caballo and Rhyan Grant. They were making good runs and were picked out often, delivering some good crosses into the box and eventually getting rewarded for it.
Caballo was the man responsible, whipping in a dangerous ball into the area. Lachman got to it first but could only flick it toward the back post where Grant was waiting unmarked. A simple tap in followed for the right back to give his side the ascendency.
Our best moment in attack from the opening 45 came from a similar scenario, the left full back crossing it to the right full back. A good switch of play from Mustafa Amini found Jack Clisby in space, whose cross to the back post was met by a diving header from Koutroumbis, guiding it on target but not able to beat Andrew Redmayne.
It goes without saying since it’s not his natural position, but Koutroumbis was a liability for us at wing back. He doesn’t offer the attacking impetus we need in that position, and it made our play very predictable. He wasn’t making the runs or taking players on, so the ball would almost always go to the other side, and Sydney had no troubles dealing with it.
Zadkovich needed to make changes at the break, and he made three of them. David Williams came on for Luke Ivanovic, who I’ve been disappointed with this season. He hasn’t offered much at the heart of attack, rarely getting on the ball or being in the right position to get on the scoresheet.
Luke Bodnar made way for Zach Duncan in midfield and Adam Zimarino joined Williams up top, with Jacob Muir going off. This meant Koutroumbis shifted across into the back three and Ryan Williams moved to wing back.
The impact was instant. The press and hustle we’re known for came out in the second half and got us back into the contest. We won possession up the field and got a corner out of it. Clisby’s cross to the near post was met by Duncan, who got away from his man. A glancing header beat a stranded Redmayne and halved the deficit within a minute.
Everything about the second half was an improvement. Sydney’s midfield weren’t given the space to do what they liked, we made it difficult for them, winning the ball higher up the pitch and making better use of the wings with the pace of Williams.
The fightback could have gone horribly wrong if it weren’t for Cameron Cook. His reactions kept us in the game, twice making saves on the line to prevent Sydney opening up their advantage. An Adam Le Fondre flick on from a corner deflected off Lachman toward goal, which Cook was able to claim with both hands. The second time he had to palm away a Beevers lunge which wrong footed him. He got there right as the ball was about to cross the line and before Lolley could tap it home.
Macedonia Park got its first peak A-League moment when some of the lights surrounding the pitch went out for 10 minutes, halting play and giving us a mountain of stoppage time. It was a bit of a laugh and can happen at the elite level, with Molineux going into darkness for a brief moment in the FA Cup clash between Wolves and Liverpool.
The 14 minutes of additional time brought about an equaliser and some of our best chances. Jacob Dowse replaced Clisby and was superb in his cameo, setting up multiple great chances which included the equaliser. In the 102nd minute, Lachman sent a ball long down the line for Dowse, who hit it first time with pace into the box. David Williams arrived on the scene with a bullet header, giving Redmayne no chance of getting a hand to it and rescuing a point at the death.
More dropped points for Sydney and a poor second half showing keeps the coach under the pump. Steve Corica is in the hot seat and needs his side to hit their stride, currently sitting in eighth spot. Lolley coming back into the side is a huge bonus; he was instrumental in their attack, was comfortably their best player when the chips were down in the second half and showed his quality with the early goal.
The Glory keep their unbeaten run going at Macedonia Park for another week. A point won at the end was great for the fans and should give the team a lot of confidence. We’re ninth on goal difference but just a win away from breaking into the finals positions.
Our four-game home stretch ends against the Victory on Saturday, facing off against familiar foes on the pitch and on the touchline. They’ve been labelled the Glory B-team by Tony Sage and will be out to prove him wrong. They’re last in the league with a chip on their shoulder; we’ll have to bring our A-game to keep them at bay and continue climbing up the ladder.
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