Well, it was the late show again, as Ryan Williams scored a 96th-minute equaliser to secure the Glory a point away at Newcastle yesterday afternoon.
It was a game that the home side probably should’ve won, but one thing you can’t count out of this Perth Glory side is their willingness to push until the final whistle.
The first half was controlled by the Jets, as they dominated possession and had the lion’s share of the chances.
Arthur Papas’ side took the lead just after the 36-minute mark, as Trent Buhagiar ghosted in at the back post and headed the ball home.
In fairness to Ruben Zadkovich’s side, the Glory did start the second half well and Trent Ostler, who made his first start of the season, got on the scoresheet after heading the ball home from a great corner delivery from Jack Clisby.
Both sides had their moments throughout the second half, though neither really looked that convincing.
The Jets thought they had all three points following a fantastic finish from Kosta Grozos from just outside the box, but it was the Glory, very, very late on in the game grabbed an important equaliser courtesy of Ryan Williams.
Keegan Jelacic’s corner delivery was met at the front post by Williams, who headed the ball home from close range leaving goalkeeper Michael Weier no chance.
Getting that equaliser has given the Glory a fighting chance of making the finals, as the bridge between Perth in ninth and Sydney FC in sixth is just three points.
Though for me at least, my confidence levels for making the finals are not that high.
Yesterday’s performance wasn’t at the level that it had to be. The late equaliser will probably gloss over the fact that the Jets were unable to take their opportunities and the Glory just cannot play a cohesive brand of football, especially away from home.
There were, however, a few key individuals who stood out during the game; Keegan Jelacic, Ryan Williams, Trent Ostler and Jack Clisby.
Jelacic is honestly a freak. For a guy who is 20-years-old and hadn’t played at the A-League level for the last few years, his transition from the National Premier League (NPL) in Queensland to starting games for the Glory has been seamless.
His creativity and awareness are levels above most players his age for that attacking midfield role, and yesterday he was superb.
Ryan Williams had probably his best game in a Glory shirt. His willingness to drive with the ball, while trying to make things happen was excellent to see. His goal was also fantastic.
Trent Ostler, what a story. Despite those two anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions that he had at such a young age, he was very good. His goal was the sign of a great finisher.
Jack Clisby has received his fair praise and criticism over the last few seasons, but today he was solid. His deliveries were decent and he never stopped working up and down the line.
But despite those four playing very well, the Glory as a team still don’t look that convincing in both departments.
Defensively, the chances we are conceding are a concern.
The midfield is perhaps one of our weakest areas as a team and it’s also a big reason why we’re unable to control games effectively, especially away from home.
We don’t dictate games nor do we force the opposition to play the way we want to play.
Luke Bodnar probably wasn’t at the races during the game and neither was Aaron McEneff.
This has been a problem for some time now and hopefully with Mustafa Amini returning next week, we can see the Glory have a bit more control in the middle of the park.
Finally, I have no idea why, but Adam Taggart since his debut game against the Melbourne Victory has been poor.
A Socceroo, that was returning to Perth in arguably decent form, has just not fit in with the squad thus far.
Yes, he probably looks a bit unfit, and yes it’s not always easy moving to a club midway through a season and trying to adjust to everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. But we do need more from our boom recruit, as we need to be punishing teams when we do construct good-quality chances.
All eyes for the Glory will turn to Macedonia Park, as Ruben Zadkovich’s side will take on Macarthur next Saturday, where a win has to be the critical objective.
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