Two all-action Isuzu UTE A-League wrapped up Round 3 on Sunday afternoon, with Perth Glory recording a surprise win over Central Coast on their travels after 10-man Adelaide United clawed a point off Sydney FC in a 2-2 draw at Allianz Stadium.
KEEPUP followed along live to bring you all the action and key talking points, including Bruno Fornaroli’s glaring omission from Glory’s win on the road and Adelaide United striker Hiroshi Ibusuki’s contentious send-off in Adelaide’s draw with the Sky Blues.
Zadkovich: Absent Fornaroli ‘not our focus’ after gutsy win over Mariners
Perth Glory head coach Ruben Zadkovich has brushed aside the dramatic pre-match commentary surrounding Bruno Fornaroli’s omission from his matchday squad after his side stunned Central Coast Mariners on the road on Sunday night.
Instead, the Glory boss preferred to heap praise on the players responsible for pulling off the come-from-behind 2-1 win – Perth’s first of the campaign which lifts the club into the top six at the end of Round 3.
Glory travelled to Central Coast Stadium without Fornaroli, claiming the Uruguayan was “out due to injury” when naming the squad for Sunday’s clash with the Mariners. Fornaroli took to Instagram to respond to the club with a comment which was deleted soon after, claiming he was “100% fit and ready” to travel and play with the team.
Glory kicked off proceedings in Gosford with the club’s apparent disharmony with its talismanic star in full focus – but by the end of the game Zadkovich was more intent on hailing the players on hand who orchestrated a first win for the campaign, rather than focussing on Fornaroli’s glaring absence.
“It’s not really our focus,” Zadkovich told Paramount+.
“As a coaching staff and as a club, we just pick a team each week, and a squad that’s going to go out there and represent the jersey with a lot of pride and put in a proper shift.
“I thought the 18 players tonight did really well at that.”
Perth fell behind through a well-taken Samuel Silvera strike before drawing level before the break through a close-range Giordano Colli finish; a mixup at the back in the second half invited Aaron McEneff to pounce on a loose ball and score his second goal in consecutive games and guide Perth to the comeback win.
The game ended with six added minutes, in which the Mariners threw everything at the visitors, who held on through resolute defending to clinch all three points.
“Mate, lucky I’ve got no hair,” Zadkovich added.
“It was a long game… it felt like it was never going to end. But to be honest I’m just really proud. I thought the guys worked really hard, we deserved the points, we created enough chances. It was a good performance.”
The defeat to Perth left the Mariners in 11th spot on the table. Central Coast captain Danny Vukovic cut a frustrated figure at full time as he reflected on his side’s inability to capitalise on late chances, and “sloppy” errors which ultimately cost his side points in their first home game of the season.
“Yeah, we had chances – but I don’t think (Glory keeper Liam Reddy) had to make a save tonight,” Vukovic told Paramount+.
“We just weren’t good enough. You could see the difference there, the desperation they had to defend the goal, and (conceding) sloppy goals – if we’re conceding goals like that we’ve got no chance this season. We’ve got to sure it up at the back.
The first game in front of our fans and that’s what we dish up – we’ve got to really have a look at ourselves.
