Perth Glory’s six-game unbeaten run has come to an end after a 1-0 defeat to Western United at Mars Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Olyroos striker Noah Botic scored the all-important goal for Western in the second half but spurned a major chance to make it 2-0 and put the game to bed late in the contest.
Western conceded three stoppage-time goals in two games last week to drop five points from winning positions and almost repeated the feat in Ballarat as Glory striker Daniel Bennie received a late, late chance to steal a point for the visitors, poking a shot from inside the six-yard box over the crossbar.
The 1-0 win to bottom-placed Western stopped Glory’s charge toward the top six after three wins and three draws in their last six games.
Both sides threatened to score inside the opening two minutes in Ballarat. Adam Taggart was the first to misfire with a close-range header, rising unmarked from a corner earned straight from kick-off but angling his attempt into the ground and over the bar.
Western went straight down the other end in search of an opener of their own and almost found one when Lachie Wales’ cross toward the six-yard box was met by Matthew Grimaldi who couldn’t beat Oli Sail from a promising position.
Western threatened in similar fashion just beyond the half-hour mark when Wales cut another ball back toward the danger area; this time Botic attempted the first-time attempt and he may have beaten Sail if not for Bennie, who was in the right place at the right time to make a block.
Glory threatened through Stefan Colakovski late in the first half. The Glory winger showed lightning pace to breeze between Western’s centre-backs and meet Taggart flick-on but Matthew Sutton was quick off his line to close the space. Sutton and Colakovski collided as the latter’s attempt squirmed toward goal, drifting just wide of the target.
Botic rattled the crossbar shortly after half-time, but a foul on Glory defender Aleksandar Sušnjar in the build-up meant rendered that chance a non-event. Just minutes later, however, Botic was at it again – and this time, the young Australian striker found the bottom-right corner to break the deadlock.
Glory called on super-sub David Williams to make an impact off the bench and the veteran striker thought he’d fired Perth back on level terms just one minute after entering the fray.
Williams buried his shot past Sutton after Bennie’s through ball but referee Shaun Evans’ whistle curtailed celebrations. Evans interpreted Glory striker Taggart had fouled Kane Vidmar when contesting for the loose ball that led to Bennie gaining possession and feeding Williams to fire on goal.
Botic spurned a big chance to make it 2-0 and put Western out of sight when picked out by Rhys Bozinovski with a neat cut-back pass that took Glory keeper Sail out of the equation inside the six-yard box. Botic only had to turn the ball on goal to secure his brace but his attempt popped up and off his arm on its way over the line. The goal was not allowed to stand due to the handball.
In the 90th minute of regular time, Bennie spurned Glory’s best chance of the game in a major let-off for Western.
Giordano Colli’s corner found the head of Darryl Lachman and his attempt crashed off the crossbar, falling fortuitously into Bennie’s lap who, with the goal at his mercy, couldn’t keep the ball down as he looped his attempt over the crossbar.
