The Perth Glory have extended their unbeaten streak to six games after a hard-fought 0-0 draw against ladder leaders Wellington Phoenix at home.
Despite competing with the WWE and a pre-season clash between the Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles, the Glory attracted their largest crowd of the season, with 8252 fans in attendance.
Alen Stajcic’s side started brightly, energised by the spirited and vibrant support from The Shed. Riley Warland’s dynamic run down the left wing early in the match nearly tested Wellington’s goalkeeper, Alex Paulsen, as his fizzed shot went just wide of the post.
The first half saw both teams evenly matched, with each side aiming to maintain possession and exploit gaps with speed, particularly in transition. Wellington’s Ben Old proved troublesome for the Glory defenders, and his dribbling skills and agility were particularly impressive.
Although clear-cut chances were sparse in the first half, the Glory effectively frustrated Wellington’s attacking efforts, marking a clear improvement in their defensive organisation than in previous weeks.
Adam Taggart had a couple of opportunities to put the Glory ahead, notably a snapshot from Bruce Kamau’s setup and via Giordano Colli’s brilliant through ball, only for young defender Isaac Hughes to make a great intervention.
The second half saw Wellington gain control, utilising their passing game to dictate possession. Ben Old had a promising chance to break the deadlock, only to be denied by the post.
The Glory had their chances too, with Taggart’s shot narrowly missing the target just after the 70th minute. However, it was the desperate defending from players like Josh Rawlins, Aleksandar Šušnjar, and Oli Sail in goal that ensured the clean sheet.
Sail’s late save from Oskar Zawada’s header proved crucial, as it maintained the deadlock and secured the Glory’s first clean sheet since Round Three against the Central Coast Mariners.
One notable critique from the game in my view, was Stevie Wonder in the middle handing out plenty of yellow cards to the Glory players and even head coach Alen Stajcic like they were Christmas cards.
But in saying that, it was a dogged performance that probably lacked a fair bit of polish from both sides in front of goal and ultimately it was a good point with all things considered. The Glory have jumped up to ninth place with the possibility of moving into eighth should the side win against Western United next week.
In terms of my standout performers, I felt Aleksandar Šušnjar, Bruce Kamau and Oli Sail had particularly solid performances.
Šušnjar was really solid at the back. Kamau had probably his best game in a Glory shirt; his work rate was tireless and he made some key interventions. Sail has continued his renaissance with a strong presence in goal and some of his saves were first-class.
Alen Stajcic’s men will now turn their attention to Western United next week in what will be another massive game for the club.
Win, and they stay alive in this finals race. Fail to do so, and it becomes all the more difficult.
About the Author
