Perth Glory kept their Finals Series hope alive and deepened Newcastle Jets’ worrying form drop with a comfortable 2-0 win at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.
Diego Castro converted an early penalty before Adam Taggart netted in the Hunter for the seventh straight match to give Glory a two-goal lead inside half an hour.
And the visitors never looked like surrendering the advantage as they won away for the first time in seven attempts, leaving second-placed Newcastle to contemplate a third straight defeat.
Kenny Lowe’s men, meanwhile, sit seventh ahead of Brisbane Roar’s trip to Western Sydney Wanderers, knowing they will need three points against the Queensland club in next’s week final round to be a chance of finishing sixth.
Catch up with all the highlights and stats in our match centre!
STORY OF THE GAME
- GOAL! Perfect start for Perth as Castro rolls home a penalty in just the ninth minute.
- CLOSE: Taggart skilfully brings down Andy Keogh’s cross before shooting marginally around the upright.
- CHANCE: Taggart gets in behind, but after trying to round Jack Duncan his angled finish is well blocked by Nikolai Topor-Stanley
- CROSSBAR: Castro’s finish from Joel Chianese’s cut-back skims off the top of the bar.
- GOAL! Taggart gets his goal and Glory’s second just prior to the half-hour.
- CHANCES: Duncan denies Chianese at one end, before Dimitri Petratos volleys over at the other late in the first half.
- SAVE: After a tight 15 minutes to start the second half, Riley McGree peels off a stinging shot that Liam Reddy parries.
- CHANCE: Substitute Joey Champness can’t generate the necessary power to beat Reddy with a near-post flick-on.
- SAVE: Excellent reactions from Reddy to hold Champness’ header.
The lads donned their 'Kick it for Brain Cancer' bandanas as they took the field tonight – great initiative for a very worthy cause! #NEWvPER pic.twitter.com/ePnOn51vHL
— NEWCASTLE JETS FC ✈️ (@NewcastleJetsFC) April 6, 2018
GOALS
Diego Castro (p), Perth Glory 9′: 0-1
Joseph Mills ghosts in on McGree’s blindside and is caught by the midfielder’s follow-through. Castro is sent to the spot and beats Duncan low to the goalkeeper’s right.
Adam Taggart, Perth Glory 27′: 0-2
Put through for a one-on-one by Castro, Chianese unselfishly squares to Taggart to tap into an empty net.
They don't come much easier than this for strikers like Adam Taggart.
? : Watch the second half LIVE on Fox Sports 501 pic.twitter.com/i7VAuKbNNw
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) April 6, 2018
