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The points were shared in Perth as the Glory and Melbourne City played out a highly entertaining draw at NIB Stadium in what was a very important fixture for both teams.
REPORT: MOOY CLASS CAN’T GET CITY OVER GLORY
A win would have seen City jump to second on the table following the result in the Sydney derby, whilst a win for the Glory would have seen them still in the hunt for a top six finish.
The intensity was very high right from the opening whistle. Perth Glory started the match very determined to rectify last week’s loss against Adelaide United. The Glory having a number of early chances, City goal keeper Thomas Sorensen proved that he will be hard to beat making a number of terrific saves to keep the Glory at bay.
Ante Covic was busy at the other end also, making a number of saves before letting one slip right past him as his defence went to sleep, allowing Eric Paartalu to open the scoring, finding the back of the net from an Aaron Mooy delivery.
Melbourne City then came very close to doubling their lead as a Harry Novillo attempt from just outside the box going wide.
It took the Glory right until the end of the first half to equalise. Castro firing home a thunderous goal from the set piece, the ball flying right into the top corner which certainly would have inspired the team heading into the break.
However it was the visitors who came out of the dressing rooms sharper. Aaron Mooy showcased a bit of class as he gave his side the lead for the second time of the match with his seventh goal of the season.
Bruno Fornaroli then almost scored one of the goals of the season as he attempted to lob Covic from the halfway line.
The Glory however refused to lie down as an Andy Keogh shot off the crossbar rebounded onto Chris Harold who scored the equalising goal from right on the goal line in his 100th match.
Just as the Glory were beginning to lift as a team, Ben Williams gave Jacob Collard his marching orders. The 20-year-old was given his second yellow card for kicking the ball away which certainly did not impress the home fans.
Despite being down to ten men, the Glory continued to attack as they almost snatched a late winner with Chris Harold being denied by the upright from the tightest of angles. Melbourne City finished the match desperately in attack as they looked for a winner.
A disappointing result for the visitors who have missed the chance to jump to second on the table. A win would have also been handy for the Glory however it was nonetheless a great spectacle.
At full time, the points were shared.
Final score
Perth Glory 2
Melbourne City 2
Melbourne City are out to continue their impressive run of form when they travel to nib Stadium to face Perth Glory. Join The Roar from 9:30pm (AEDT) for live scores and commentary.
Perth put in a valiant performance last week against Adelaide. After a bright start, the Glory were reduced to ten men yet never gave up, and were unlucky to come away empty-handed.
Andy Keogh marked his return to the A-League last weekend, and while he did not find the back of the net, there were glimpses of how dangerous the Irishman can be. He will be eager to get another 90 minutes under his belt this weekend and get back to his scoring ways.
While the top six is not out of reach for the Glory, anything less than a win tonight will see their chances of participating in the finals slipping away.
Melbourne City, meanwhile, enjoyed one of their best wins of the season last week, defeating the Wanderers at home in a thrilling contest. The victory made a bold statement to the rest of the league: City are the real deal this season, sitting just four points from first.
Adding to their potency, this past week City added Anthony Caceres to their list. The former Mariner was purchased by Manchester City, and has been loaned out to sister club Melbourne for the time being. Caceres has been the Mariners’ best player this season, and could prove very useful ahead of the finals series.
One of City’s strengths this season has been their ability to score, with an outstanding 35 goals this season, averaging 2.5 goals a match. City have also done well sharing the load around, making them unpredictable in the final third.
In team news, the Glory have made a number of changes to the side that lost to the Reds last week, welcoming back Marc Warren, Anthony Golec, Michael Thwaite and Nebo Marinkovic. Meanwhile, Alex Grant and Joe Knowles will miss out.
City have made two changes to their squad, bringing in Steve Kuzmanovski and Ali Eyigun.
The last time these two sides met, earlier in the season, City put five goals past the Glory in a dominant display by the home side. However history at this ground favours the Glory, having won their last five meetings against City at nib – the last time Melbourne City defeated the Glory in Perth was 2011.
Prediction
City to end Perth hoodoo.
City 2-1.
Can the Glory bounce back and make a push for the top six, or will City outclass their opponents and end their west-coast curse? Join The Roar from 9:30pm (AEDT) to find out.
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