It’s incredible how a couple of wins and good form can make such a difference in the A-League. Brisbane went unbeaten for eight games and leapfrogged into the six from nowhere.
Two wins on the bounce, both against sides who had momentum, and the Glory now find themselves within touching distance of the top half of the table.
As each game passes by, the confidence in the playing group and the positive energy amongst the fanbase continues to rise. Macedonia Park is bringing the best out of this club.
Tuesday night wasn’t a pretty affair. Both of our goals came from a bit of good fortune, chances were hard to come by and for the final half hour, we didn’t look like the team with the man advantage.
The midweek fixture brought about a few changes in Ruben Zadkovich’s starting lineup. Opting for two up front, Adam Zimarino came in for his first start of the season pairing up with Luke Ivanovic.
Mark Beevers and Ryan Williams came back into the side after missing the Wanderers clash, replacing Jacob Muir and Salim Khelifi respectively.
Five at the back for both teams meant getting the ball into dangerous areas was very difficult.13 shots were taken throughout the match, with only four of those on target. For comparison, the Glory alone had 12 shots against Western Sydney.
I was very impressed with how we defended in the first half especially. Whenever Brisbane had the ball there was a Glory player pressing them, putting them under pressure and not allowing them to move the ball forward with any fluidity.
Zimarino and Ivanovic led the way with their tenacity, constantly hassling the two widecentre halves in Courtney-Perkins and Scott Neville. In midfield, Mustafa Amini and Luke Bodnar were both immense in forcing the pass either backwards, sideways or long down the line in hope.
Our first real chance came from Amini pressing and winning possession. Zimarino took possession, played a neat ball through for Jack Clisby to strike first time, shooting low to the right of Jordan Holmes, who got down and parried it away.
Our reward for a strong first half showing came in the 34th minute. Darryl Lachman got forward with the ball and gave it to Ivanovic on the wing. Accelerating past his man, he got in a low cross which Holmes should have claimed comfortably. Lachman made a run into the penalty area and was there to pounce, getting to the loose ball after Holmes spilled it and poked it home for his second Glory goal.
Having not troubled Cameron Cook in the opening 45, Brisbane started the second half with a flurry and got their equaliser thanks to a set piece. A poor touch and foul from Ivanovic set the scene for a Carlo Armiento free kick. His curling ball into the box found the head of Connor Chapman, who comfortably beat Clisby in the air and nodded home from close range.
It sparked a wild five minutes which changed the course of the game. We found an immediate response, and again it came from a cross out wide. Ryan Williams beat his man for pace and got a ball into the area. The resulting clearance bobbled out to Amini, who struck it first time, deflecting off two Brisbane defenders and past Jordan Holmes, who could only watch as the ball found its way into the corner.
Two minutes later, Brisbane’s night went from bad to worse when skipper Jay O’Shea received his second yellow and got his marching orders from Ben Abraham. In all honesty, I thought the second yellow was harsh on O’Shea; if it had been a Glory player, I would have been annoyed since the replay showed a minimal amount of contact.
What should have been the catalyst for us to score a third and kill the game off instead saw us concede most of the possession to Brisbane. If we had been efficient on the break against the 10 men, it wouldn’t be as bad but we offered next to nothing in transition. Beevers hit the nail on the head in his post-game interview: in that situation we need to play a lot better and not give the ball away as much.
Brisbane walk away from the game with their unbeaten streak broken but still sitting in fifth spot. The red card put them in a very tough spot but credit to them, they fought till the end and nearly got a share of the points with Nikola Mileusnic’s last free kick curling just wide. Armiento has been in a rich vein of form for the Roar recently and continued it with the assist for Chapman’s goal. Jez Lofthouse also looked good off the bench and could prove to be a key impact sub for Warren Moon.
The Glory have now picked up 10 points from a possible 12 at our Balcatta fortress. It might not have been the most pleasing on the eye, but the three points are all that will matter to Ruben Zadkovich and his staff. The opportunity presents itself for a third straight win and possibly jumping into the top six. Sydney FC are next in line and given our poor record against them, they could pose our toughest challenge yet. I hope we’re up for it because if there’s one team in the league I want us to beat, it’s this one, and we have a great chance of doing so.
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