Macarthur Bulls winger Jed Drew scored two first-half goals to set up a routine 3-0 victory over Perth Glory at HBF Park on Friday night.
Glory’s 18-game winless run came to an end in Round 9 but David Zdrilic’s side failed to build on momentum as they hosted Macarthur in Perth. Drew’s first-half brace laid the foundation for a victory sealed by Ariath Piol’s composed finish midway through the second half.
Macarthur’s equal-biggest away win in Isuzu UTE A-League history helped Mile Sterjovski’s side up to fourth on the table while Glory’s seventh loss of the season continued the club’s struggles through the opening 10 rounds of the 2024-25 campaign.
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Just 13 minutes into the action at HBF Park disaster struck for Perth Glory striker and Isuzu UTE A-League legend David Williams, when the 36-year-old went down under no contact after an awkward landing inside Perth’s attacking penalty area.
The 228-game veteran clutched his left knee in agony after the fall and was stretchered from the field with what appeared to be a serious injury.
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Glory head coach David Zdrilic brought young striker Adam Bugarija off his bench to replace the injured Williams, as play resumed at HBF Park following the length delay.
The hosts came into Round 10 buoyed by their first win of the season recorded against Brisbane Roar away from home but on return to Perth, normal service resumed as Macarthur carved out a 2-0 lead with two goals scored by Drew within six first-half minutes.
Drew’s first of the night came just before the half-hour mark. Set up by Marin Jakoliš, Drew benefited from Riley Warland’s misjudged attempt to intercept the ball which presented the Bulls winger with a one-on-one opportunity to score.
Cameron Cook rushed off his line but Drew calmly placed his shot out of the Glory keeper’s reach and into the back of the net.
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Six minutes later, Drew doubled Macarthur’s lead.
It initially looked as though Glory were set to quell the Bulls’ attacking threat when Khoa Ngo laid a tackle on Kealey Adamson, with two Glory defenders arriving for company.
But having gathered possession after Ngo’s intervention, Warland attempted to skip past Adamson instead of clearing the ball – a decision that allowed the Macarthur defender to win the ball back and set up Drew to secure his brace.
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Back in the Glory squad after a one-game absence due to illness, captain Adam Taggart had the ball in the back of the net on the cusp of half-time but an offside call denied the hosts a lifeline; Taggart had just strayed beyond the last Macarthur defender before Trent Ostler delivered his cross from the right wing into the path of the Socceroo.
The second half followed the same script as the first as Glory held Macarthur at bay for close to 30 minutes after the break, before a defensive mistake led to a third Macarthur goal.
Bugarija had tracked back to assist the defence but was caught in possession on the edge of the box by Bulls substitute Frans Deli. The interception spilled to Jakoliš who played Piol into the box for a neat finish through the legs of Cook as Macarthur cruised to the 3-0 lead they held until full-time.
