When the ball’s not bouncing your way, it’s really not bouncing your way as Perth Glory coach Dave Mitchell discovered on Sunday evening as his side succumbed to Brisbane Roar.
Fresh from three consecutive losses, the Glory looked like taking a point from high-flying Brisbane after Reinaldo’s second-minute strike for the Roar was cancelled out by Scott Neville’s headed goal four minutes later.
But in the fifth minute of added time, Brisbane conjured one last attack through youngster Rocky Visconte, who burst through on goal as desperate Perth midfielder Todd Howarth attempted to clear.
In a bizarre finish, Visconte leapt into the air to avoid Howarth’s sliding challenge but the Perth man collected the ball and watched on in horror as it deflected past Glory goalkeeper Tando Velaphi off the base of Visconte’s boot.
“It’s just a bad ricochet,” declared a stunned Mitchell after the game. “The ball bounced in, so it was unfortunate.”
“I haven’t seen it properly myself yet, but I just couldn’t believe that it’s rolled in.”
“It’s bitterly disappointing,” he said.
To make matters worse for the Glory, veteran utility Jamie Harnwell was forced from the field with a calf injury in the 28th minute and could be set for a stint on the sidelines after enduring a calf problem earlier in the season.
“I think it’s a slight knock he’s gotten there,” said Mitchell when asked about Harnwell’s injury.
“So we’ll just have to assess it tomorrow and get some scans on it early in the week.”
Harnwell was replaced in his central defensive post by goalscorer Neville as Ryan Pearson came on at right full-back in an encouraging debut for the youngster.
Neville, though, said the loss had hit hard and meant the player’s would now have a fortnight to stew on it as there is a FIFA international break next weekend.
“Obviously to lose in the last minute, to lose any game you’re down and you’re dejected,” Neville said in his first game back since playing for the Qantas Australian Under-23 side in a Four Nation tournament in Vietnam last week.
“This is where we have to pick ourselves up and be better when we come back.”
“It’s always nice to score goals but more importantly it’s better to keep ’em out, so that’s something we’ve got to work on.”
