A first-ever Isuzu UTE A-League hat-trick from Tom Lawrence sealed all three points for Perth Glory in a 3-1 win over Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
The match roared into life in the opening 10 minutes as the visitors stunned the champions through a Lawrence strike that came almost from nowhere. A long ball from goalkeeper Matt Sutton found its way to Arion Sulemani in Perth’s attacking third before he wriggled free of Liam Bonetig and passed to an unmarked Trent Ostler, who shifted it on to Lawrence to score from 11 yards.
That early breakthrough appeared to wake City up, and in the 16th minute Andreas Kuen was denied by a point blank, reflex save off the foot of goalkeeper Sutton before Andrew Nabbout narrowly blazed over from 18 yards in the 18th minute.
Though as the hosts started to build momentum, Glory doubled their lead just four minutes later. Lawrence fed Sulemani as he made an attacking run into space from a counter-attack, before Sulemani’s cutback from the right side of the area set up Lawrence perfectly to drive his leg through it and finish low and left in City’s goal.
The hosts began the second half with renewed vigour but they still couldn’t find a way past Glory’s posts. Nathaniel Atkinson toed wide from a set-piece move, Aziz Behich curled one past the post from the edge of the area and then Glory goalkeeper Sutton was twice called upon to make crucial saves, all within the first 20 minutes after the break.
However, in the 80th minute the result was all but put to bed as Lawrence secured his first Isuzu UTE A-League hat-trick to cap a speedy counter-attack. Khoa Ngo’s lovely through ball allowed Lawrence to find Adam Taggart, and Taggart’s booming right-foot strike could only be parried into the path of Lawrence by City goal keeper Patrick Beach.
A late consolation goal to Nabbout kept the visitors on their toes for the final four minutes of stoppage time, but that was all Aurelio Vidmar’s side had to show for their endeavours as Glory ran out 3-1 winners for their first victory against City in Melbourne since 2021.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT THEY SAID
Hat-trick hero Tom Lawrence analyses his milestone game
Perth Glory head coach Adam Griffiths discusses his side snapping their two-match losing streak
Melbourne City manager Aurelio Vidmar reflects on his side’s shock defeat to Perth Glory
