Glory leaves it late to secure draw with Jets
A LATE second goal from Perth striker Adam Taggart earned Perth Glory an away point in a 2-2 A-League thriller at Newcastle.
The Jets looked set to start their season with successive wins until Taggart’s wellplaced header in second half stoppage time.
As was the case last week, Newcastle came from behind, after Taggart neatly flicked home a fine right-wing cross from Diego Castro in the eighth minute. Irishman Roy O’Donovan followed up his hat-trick in the Jets’ 5-1 opening round away win over Central Coast, with an equaliser in front of 14,833 fans in Newcastle. He was set up by Andrew Nabbout, who also assisted in two of his goals last week.
Newcastle created most of the opportunities in the second half.
Ben Kantarovski put it ahead with a close-range shot on the hour, after a Nikolai Topor Stanley header from a Dimi Petratos corner hit a post. It had more chances to extend its lead, but Petratos and Ronald Vargas had attempts saved by Glory goalkeeper Liam Reddy.
Perth persisted and Taggart was denied once by a save from Jack Duncan before finding the net for a second time.
The Jets are away to Brisbane Roar next Sunday and Glory host the Mariners the same day in its first home game of the season.
Meanwhile, Sydney FC’s 3-2 win over Wellington may have come at a hefty price, with star Polish winger Adrian Mierzejewski in serious doubt for next weekend’s Sydney derby after sustaining a second-half hamstring injury.
Phoenix rose twice, Serbian frontman Andrija Kaluderovic and Dario Vidosic each scoring to threaten a boilover at Alli- anz Stadium. But it wasn’t enough against the defending champion, as left-back Michael Zullo complemented Bobo’s brace with his first goal in nearly a decade, a contentious late decision the only barrier to the table’s top spot.
Sydney’s chance to overtake ladder-leader Melbourne City was controversially thwarted when an onrushing David Carney was ruled offside despite the ball rebounding off a Phoenix player.