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    Friday, December 2, 2016

    Perth Glory hold Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park


    A wasteful Melbourne Victory have butchered the chance to make it three straight wins after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Perth Glory on Friday night
    Victory dominated all night, save for Andy Keogh’s 17th minute bullet that gave the visitors a shock early lead.
    That Besart Berisha equalised in the 41st minute was the least that Victory deserved, but how Kevin Muscat’s men did not go on and claim all three points will have the coach scratching his head all weekend long.
    Victory had 22 shots to four, nine corners to nil and enjoyed 63 per cent of possession.
    Even Glory goalscorer Keogh said post match that Victory deserved to win.
    But it didn’t.
    It’s a head-scratcher of a game sometimes.
    When Jason Geria made a menacing run in to the attacking penalty box shortly after half time it was clear Perth was inviting trouble.
    A short time later another defender, Alan Baro, got forward and launched a stinging shot that Liam Reddy could only parry over the bar, before Baro’s fellow stopper James Donachie turned left winger with an attempted cross that deflected out for a corner.

    Why this was signalling danger for the Glory was that they were retreating so far back in an attempt to protect their point that they were practically inviting Victory to shoot at will.

    And shoot they did - that stat again, 22 shots to four, plus another four after tight offside calls went against them.

    Nine times out of 10 such statistical dominance would end in a multiple-goal win for the hosts.
    This was the one time out of those 10 that football proved once again that it is not a game won or lost on the stats sheet.

    It was actually probably one of Victory’s best performances of the season.
    But for Perth it could be the kickstarter of a season that has stuttered strangely to begin with for a side that was considered as a serious title fancy from the outset.

    Perth was missing last season’s Johnny Warren Medal winner Diego Castro (hamstring), Socceroos right back Josh Risdon (quad), experienced stopper Rhys Williams (suspended) and fellow defender Alex Grant (hamstring).

    Young gun Adam Taggart could also only manage a start off the bench as he battles back from a calf injury and then the team’s injury woes only deepened when left back Joseph Mills was forced off with a right knee injury in the 28th minute.
    But by that stage Glory was already 1-0 up.

    It was a brilliant through ball from Nebo Marinkovic from the centre of the park that that set it up.
    Chris Harold was set free on the wing and it was his beautiful cut back for Keogh that the Irishman lashed home to become Glory’s all-time leading scorer.

    Berisha converted from point blank range after James Troisi won back possession in midfield and Marco Rojas - brilliant all night once again - whipped in a low cross from the right.

    From then there appeared only one possible result, but Fahid Ben Khalfallah (three times), Berisha, Jai Ingham (twice), Leigh Broxham all spurned chances.
    And when James Troisi’s volley hit the post in the 93rd minute it summed up Victory’s night - so close, but yet so far.
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    Item Reviewed: Perth Glory hold Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park Rating: 5 Reviewed By: billsports
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