Glory suffer late heartbreak in Victory clash

10-man Glory suffered late heartbreak in Saturday’s home clash with Melbourne Victory as Ben Folami struck in the seventh minute of stoppage-time to secure a 3-2 win for the visitors at HBF Park.

View full match highlights HERE

View Alen Stajcic’s post-match media conference HERE

Having taken the lead via a stunning strike from Adam Taggart midway through the first half, the hosts were pegged back just before the break by a similarly fine finish from Zinedine Machach.

Alen Stajcic’s side were dealt a further blow when Bruce Kamau received a second yellow card for simulation soon after the restart, but they battled away bravely as the second half wore on and it took a superb curling effort from substitute Eli Adams in the 82nd minute to put Victory ahead.

Even then Glory responded positively, Perth local Kaelan Majekodumni marking his senior debut by finding the net from a corner to make it 2-2 and at that stage, the men in purple looked poised to secure a deserved point.

And yet in a complete reversal of the club’s previous home fixture when David Williams scored a stoppage-time winner against Macarthur FC, this time they were on the receiving end as Ben Folami threaded a low shot through a crowded box into the bottom corner with almost the last kick of the game.

Victory came into the Round 11 clash unbeaten this season, but they were soon put on the back foot as Glory made a purposeful start and duly took the lead in spectacular style.

Riley Warland, making his first start of the season, picked out Taggart in a pocket of space just outside the box and the Socceroos frontman wasted no time in unleashing a thumping, first-time half-volley which left Paul Izzo helpless in the Victory goal.

Tony Popovic’s side did look dangerous themselves in the latter stages of the opening stanza, however and drew level via another venomous strike rifled past Cameron Cook by Machach.

The dismissal of Kamau so early in the second half seemingly left the home side with a mountain to climb and yet they set about their task with vigour and with the exception of a Nishan Velupillay’s strike, which was brilliantly saved by Cameron Cook, largely kept the navy-and-whites at arm’s length.

Even after Adams contributed the game’s third stunning goal to make it 2-1 to Tony Popovic’s side, Glory refused to buckle and when Giordano Colli’s corner fell kindly for Majekodunmi, the former Carramar FC junior calmly beat Izzo from close-range.

Folami’s late winner would go on to provide the cruelest of endings, but there was much to admire about Glory’s performance and in particular, the character they showed to defy their numerical disadvantage and push the league’s most in-form side right to the wire.

Match Details

Isuzu UTE A-League 2023/24 Season Round 11

Perth Glory 2 (Taggart 21′, Majekodunmi 89′) Melbourne Victory 3

Half-time: 1-1

HBF Park

Attendance: 5318

Referee: Lachlan Keevers

Melbourne Victory: 20.Paul IZZO (gk), 2.Jason GERIA (3.Adama TRAORE 76′), 5.Damien DA SILVA, 7.Chris IKONOMIDIS (11.Ben FOLAMI 69′), 8.Zinedine MACHACH, 14.Connor CHAPMAN, 17.Nishan VELUPILLAY (27.Jordi VALADON 87′), 18.Fabian MONGE (4.Rai MARCHAN 69′), 19.Daniel ARZANI (24.Eli ADAMS 76′), 21.Roderick MIRANDA, 25.Ryan TEAGUE

Substitutes not used: 16.Stefan NIGRO, 40.Christian SICILIANO

Yellow Cards: Adams

Red Cards: None

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