Late drama has again been the curse of the Sky Blues as a David Williams header in the 102nd minute of the game rescued a point for Perth Glory in a game largely dominated by Sydney FC.
Joe Lolley and Rhyan Grant had given Steve Corica’s side a deserved half time lead but Jack Duncan pulled one back early in the second half before a 12 minute floodlight failure ensured the match would go on late than expected allowing Williams to grab the leveller.
Sydney FC 2 (Lolley 6’, Grant 27’) drew w. Perth Glory 2 (Duncan 46’, Williams 102’)
Moments That Mattered:
LOLLEY GOAL – 6’ – Lolley picks up the ball outside the area and fires a shot in off the post from distance.
REDMAYNE SAVE – 16’ – Redmayne gets down well to save a Koutroumbis header and claim the rebound on the goal line.
GRANT GOAL – 27’ – A delightful Caballo cross is nodded onto the back post and Grant is on hand to poke it home beyond Cook.
BURGESS HITS BAR – 30’ – Mak pushes the ball through for Burgess who goes clear but his strike hits the bar when one on one with the keeper.
DUNCAN GOAL – 46’ – A right wing corner is met by Duncan’s head at the near post and headed home.
COOK SAVES OFF THE LINE – 60’ – Mak’s corner rebounds towards goal but the keeper stops a third Sydney FC goal.
FLOODLIGHT FAILURE – 65’ – Floodlight failure forces a near 15 minute floodlight failure to send the match later than expected.
CACERES SHOT – 86’ – Caceres finds space in the box and his low driven cross deflects toward goal. Cook has to make a desperate plunge backwards to scoop it away and it remains 2-1.
LOLLEY DENIED – 90’ – Joe cuts onto his left and attempts to curl one to the far corner which is unfortunately palmed away by a diving Cook.
WILLIAMS GOAL – 102’ – A left wing cross is headed home for the equaliser by substitute Williams as the clock nears 1am in Sydney.
What They Said: Steve Corica: “I think after the first-half performance we’re probably very disappointed to concede two goals, especially straight after half-time, and then late on in that game there.
“We had some good chances in that first half to make it 3-0, maybe even four.
“We didn’t take them, and then it gives them an opportunity to come back into the game.
“The set piece was the first one; straight after half-time we’ve conceded.
“We were 2-0 up and then we come out, they get a goal early on and then momentum changes. I think we still had one or two good chances in that second half as well to put the game to bed, but we didn’t do that.
“We’re conceding too many. The first one was a set piece, a header, and the ball got put in behind us for the second goal and we didn’t deal with the cross coming in, so we have to be ready for anything they throw at us.
“We have to defend a little better than that in moments. It’s just a bit of focus and concentration lacking at the moment.”
Match Report
Match Report: Sydney FC have been thwarted by a late David Williams goal in 102nd minute of the match as Perth Glory rescued a barely deserved point on home soil.
Star man Joe Lolley gave the Sky Blues the lead in the 6th minute with a superb run and left foot shot which went in off the post.
Socceroo Rhyan Grant doubled the advantage just before the half hour mark combining with fellow full back Diego Caballo to finish the Spaniard’s left wing cross at the far post.
The Sky Blues should have had a third soon after when Mak sent Burgess clear but the midfielder crashed a shot off the bar.
Perth pulled a goal back early in the second half when Duncan headed home a corner before Sydney FC almost regained the two goal advantage when Le Fondre’s flick nearly forced Lachman to put through his own net.
Perth keeper Cook came to the home-side’s rescue twice more in the latter stages to deny Caceres and Lolley before Glory snatch the dramatic late equaliser through Williams.
Sydney FC: 1. ANDREW REDMAYNE (GK), 2. JAMES DONACHIE, 9. ADAM LE FONDRE, 10. JOE LOLLEY (25. JAIDEN KUCHARSKI 92’), 11 ROBERT MAK, 17. ANTHONY CACERES, 18. DIEGO CABALLO, 22. MAX BURGESS (8. PAULO RETRE 65’), 23. RHYAN GRANT, 26. LUKE BRATTAN ©
Unused Subs: 20. TOM HEWARD-BELLE (GK), 12. PATRICK WOOD, 19. ADRIAN SEGECIC, 27. ADRIAN VLASTICLICA
Yellow Cards: Brattan 37’, Retre 99’.
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 13. CAMERON COOK (GK), 2. JOHN KOUTROUMBIS, 4. LUKE BODNAR (19. ZACH DUNCAN 45’), 5. MARK BEEVERS, 7. RYAN WILLIAMS, 8. MUSTAFA AMINI © (36. JOSEPH FORDE 91’), 12. LUKE IVANOVIC (18. DAVID WILLIAMS 45’), 14. JACK CLISBY (3. JACOB DOWSE 91’), 16. KEEGAN JELACIC, 29. DARRYL LACHMAN, 37. JACOB MUIR (43. ADAM ZIMARINO 45’).
Unused Subs: 33. LIAM REDDY (GK), 20. GIORDANO COLLI.
Yellow Cards: Muir 26’
Red Cards: None.
Venue: Macedonia Park
Referee: Alex King
Attendance: 3,912.
