Western United managed to carve out an incredible 5-4 victory over Perth Glory in one of the most thrilling games the A-League till date, which also saw a record breaking eight goals being scored in the second-half.
The first 45 minutes were dominated by the home side who took a narrow 1-0 lead into the break, but the game opened up in the second period as Richard Garcia’s charges not to equalised but took the lead. But the men in green and black showed superb resilience to claw their way back to eventually take the lead.
Yet Perth believed in themselves and drew level, lost the lead and drew level again before a decisive goal from Steven Lustica ended up giving the home side their first win of the season.
United started brightly with a goal in the 10th minute, as Connor Pain went down the left flank using his speed to his advantage to make his way into the box and cutting the ball back. The ball arrived at the feet of Lustica, who showed great presence of mind to allow the ball to go through his feet to onrushing midfielder Victor Sanchez as the Spaniard made no mistake putting the ball into the back of the net with a left-footed shot.
Taking the lead appeared to give the men in green and black the confidence they needed to keep possession and build from the back using a short passing strategy. This appeared to be a smart idea given the circumstances, as the visitors were likely to tire out later in the game in the heat if they pressed too hard.
Mark Rudan’s men were using the flanks very well as Tomislav Uskok did well down the right after 18 minutes to put Perth under all kinds of pressure as they scrambled to clear. The ball found its way to Pain, who did well on the left to win a corner from his side. From the set-play that ensued, defender Ivan Vujica received a well placed cross that he headed well. But the end result was off the target.
A few minutes later at the other end, Glory striker Bruno Fornaroli – who was playing in his 100th A-League game – received a pass into the midfield and advanced into the attacking third to fire a shot from range. But the ball took a deflection and went away for a corner. But the corner itself posed no threat to goalkeeper Filip Kurto as he was able to easily collect the cross into the box.
Shortly thereafter, United skipper Alessandro Diamanti did very well to play Besart Berisha through as the striker showed solid presence of mind to anticipate the long pass. The former Melbourne Victory forward did well to cut across a bit to his left, but fired a shot that was frustratingly wide of the mark.
Glory boss Garcia showed that he is not afraid to make make first-half changes as he took midfielder Daniel Stynes off in the 37th minute to bring on attacker Carlo Armiento. Stynes did not appear to be carrying an injury, and Melbourne City forward Jamie Maclaren – who was playing the role of the sideline reporter on the day – confirmed that it was a tactical switch by the manager.
The second period saw Perth start with renewed energy as returning hitman Andy Keogh was looking lively in the attacking third. Meanwhile, Nicholas D’Agostino fired a shot from outside the box after 50 minutes, but it was straight at Kurto with the shot-stopper being untroubled on that occasion.
The substitution made by Garcia paid off in the 56th minute as the visitors equalised through a goal from Armiento to make it 1-1. The 21-year-old did well on the left flank and found Fornaroli at the edge of the 18-yard-box for a one-two to take a strong left-footed shot that beat the ‘keeper at the near post.
Two minutes later, Armiento and Fornaroli combined again for Perth to take a 2-1 lead in the game. The youngster made space for himself on the left and cut it through to the Uruguayan, who cleverly and confidently back heeled the ball into the back of the net.
Rudan had an immediate response as he took Berisha and Uskok off to bring on Dylan Pierias and Lachlan Wales. That double substitution served to showcase Rudan’s tactical acumen as the 20-year-old got himself on the scoresheet to pull United level to 2-2 after 60 minutes to hit the back of the net with his first touch of the game.
Four minutes later, the men in green and black took the lead to make it 3-2 as Pierias bagged his second of the evening. Tomoki Imai sent in a low cross from the right that took a deflection and saw the 20-year-old shake off not one but two defenders to take a superbly timed shot that sent the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Sixty nine minutes into the game, Glory man D’Agostino went down in midfield as Diamanti could be seen speaking with Rudan as further tactical instructions were conveyed. But that did not change Perth from drawing level at 3-3 from the free-kick that ensued, as the man who had been taken down earlier scored a goal that was reminiscent of the recent one against Adelaide. That set-play saw the 22-year-old make a run that saw him unmarked at the far post to launch a an excellent header past Kurto.
In an end-to-end game filled with twists and turns, the Melbourne-based side took the lead yet again after 75 minutes as Imai scored his first goal in the A-League. The move began with Pain on the left as Wales made his way into the box and sent it through to the Japanese wide man to send the ball flying into the back of the net.
Garcia responded to that goal by taking off Dane Ingham much to the disappointment of the left-back, as Nicolas Sullivan made his way onto the pitch. Yet again Perth scored after a tactical change as a free-kick in the 78th minute saw a failed clearance from United landing at the feet of a substitute, Armiento, who made no mistake with his shot to make it 4-4.
The men in green and black immediately pushed forward yet again, as Diamanti sent in a low cross that took a deflection on the right that landed to Lustica. The ex-Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder did well to take it on the volley, which produced a decent save from goalkeeper Liam Reddy.
Lustica could not have known that he would be the hero of the day for Western United in this incredible game, as he would go on to score what would eventually be the winner in the 84th minute. As Rudan signalled for his wide men to cut in prior to a set-play, which ended up with the home side winning a corner. Diamanti then sent a the ball into a crowded box that took some deflections and landed up in the line of Lustica’s run for him to hit the ball across and into the bottom corner for 5-4.
Emotions were running high in the 89th minute when Sullivan had his shirt pulled by Diamanti as the Italian was shown a yellow card. The experienced midfielder smiled as he told his young opposite number to relax. But that advice fell on deaf ears as the 22-year-old put in a crunching tackle United skipper to be shown a yellow card as well.
As time ticked away, the home side desperately clung on to the narrow lead as the fourth official held the board aloft to signal seven minutes of added time.
Three minutes into stoppage time, Bryce Bafford – who had come on for Keogh in the 65th minute – went down dramatically in the box after being challenged by Pain. But replays indicated that there had been little or no contact at the moment he went down, with the 19-year-old being lucky for not being booked for simulation.
With two minutes of added time to go, Neil Kilkenny sent in an excellent long ball from the right as D’Agostino latched onto the end of it. But the header he produced went over the bar. Rudan immediately made a tactical substitution as he took Diamanti off to bring on Jerry Skotadis, as the Italian slowly left the pitch.
The United boss was smiling as he gave his final instructions to his charges in the final minute of extra time, and it was not long after that the man in charge blew the final whistle on one of the most incredible games in A-League history.
