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Fans turned on Sydney FC and their million-dollar striker John Aloisi after Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Perth but coach John Kosmina was staying positive as the A-League side’s season hit a new low.
Goals to Adriano Pellegrino, Wayne Srhoj and own goals by Sydney defenders Antony Golec and Robbie Middleby helped Perth secure a vital victory which moved them to within one win of the top four.
Fifth-placed Sydney, whose only goal came from Stuart Musialik, were again booed by their fans and now need a significant form reversal over the last five rounds to reach the finals.
Summing up their performance was a dreadful showing by marquee striker John Aloisi, who produced arguably the worst miss seen in the A-League before being booed off as a 55th-minute substitute.
The Socceroos striker had already missed one great chance in the first half before squandering a glorious opportunity to put Sydney back in the game when they were trailing 2-0 just before halftime.
Aloisi, who has scored only two goals in 14 games this season, looked certain to tap in from one metre out after Perth ‘keeper Tando Velaphi had parried away an Alex Brosque shot.
But a seemingly unbalanced Aloisi failed to even get a touch on the ball with an open goal at his disposal and he was immediately booed by the crowd of just over 12,000.
He was hauled off in the 55th minute and sat slumped in his chair for the rest of the match.
Kosmina said he had not spoken to Aloisi and refused to guarantee him a start next week.
“There’s not much you can say is there,” Kosmina said of Aloisi’s performance.
“That’s how it goes sometimes, when things aren’t falling for you, they’re not falling for you.”
Some of the crowds jeers also appeared to be directed at Kosmina and some fans even chanted former coach Terry Butcher’s name at one stage.
“They pay their money, they’re entitled to have their say aren’t they?” Kosmina said.
“There’s not much you can do about it.”
Sydney did dominate possession and had 10 corners to one in the first half but could not capitalise.
The Glory grabbed the opener against the run of play in the 11th minute when Pellegrino turned in a Nikita Rukavytsya cross and it was 2-0 when the ball went in off Golec’s thigh in the 34th minute.
The nightmare continued three minutes into the second half when Srhoj produced a wonder strike from outside the box to put the Glory up by three before Musialik also produced a stunner in the 60th.
That gave Sydney some hope of a comeback but those were killed off when Middleby fired a header into his own net from a Pellegrino cross in the 69th minute.
Kosmina again stood firm and refused to admit his side had played poorly, believing his side had “battered” the Glory.
“We battered them mainly, I hate to see the stats,” Kosmina said.
“What I put (the loss) down to is we missed two sitters and we scored two own goals.”
“It was good football though, you can’t complain about that.”
Glory coach Dave Mitchell said his side now had the belief it could go on to reach the finals.
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