Kenny Lowe is confident his struggling Perth Glory side are still on course for the Hyundai A-League Finals Series and dismissed talk of being under pressure to keep his job.
Despite pushing Melbourne Victory all the way at AAMI Park on Saturday night, Kosta Barbarouses’ late goal consigned Glory to a 3-2 defeat.
It was the West Australia club’s fourth in succession to have them sitting three points outside the top six.
Having conceded 14 goals in those four games as well, there has been speculation that Lowe’s tenure at Glory could be on shaky ground.
“There was pressure the first day I came in, there’ll be pressure the last day I go out. There’s no pressure, it’s a joy to do this job,” Lowe told Fox Sports.
“All I want to be is the best for the players in there that’s all I want. If I can continue to do that then that’s all I’m here for.
“I work ever so hard to try and repay the trust from Tony [owner Tony Sage]. I’ve been here three years. We’ve made the finals every year, been to two [Westfield] FFA Cup finals and been one game away from a grand final.
“There’s only two clubs that have got more [Hyundai] A-League points than me in the three-and-a-half years I’ve been here.
“So pressure? Nah, you just have to keep working hard.”
And Glory did work hard against Victory, taking an early lead through Scott Neville before goals either side of the break from James Troisi and Mark Milligan put the hosts in front.
A sublime Diego Castro lob looked to have enabled the visitors to snatch a point late on before Barbarouses had the final say in the last minute.
“I don’t think we’re too far off,” Lowe said.
“At the end of the day we have to get our quality players on the pitch and fit and firing.
“We haven’t had our best 11 on the park all year and if we can do that and get them there for a continuous time, we’ll be ok.
“You can’t question the spirit and the character.”
The Glory squad fly to Brisbane on Sunday and will spend the week in camp there ahead of Thursday night’s clash with the Roar at Suncorp Stadium.
