New manager bounce sees Perth Glory claim first Cup victory in almost eight years
Poletti 
David Williams warming up for Perth Glory. Photo: Texi Smith
With the Glory welcoming in new coach David Zdrilic, the Western Australian side would be on the receiving end of a new manager bounce as they defeated Brisbane Roar 4-2 in Darwin and qualified for the Round of 32 in the Australia Cup.
The victory saw the Glory claim their first Australia Cup victory since 2016, where they defeated Brisbane Roar 2-0 in the Round of 32.
After disappointing 2023/24 A-League Men seasons, both Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory were hoping to start the new campaign off on the right foot with victory in the top end.
After Roar goalkeeper Macklin Freke came up with some big saves in the opening 15 minutes, Ruben Zadkovich’s side found a way to slice through Glory’s defence and a Jay O’Shea pass would find Keegan Jelacic to score the opener with their first shot of the game, against the run of play.
Despite conceding first, the Glory continued to pile on the pressure on the few occasions they had the ball, notching up only 34.8 per cent possession in the first half, forcing some more big saves from Freke.
In the 38th minute, Brisbane’s defence would relent, with Josh Risdon being on the receiving end of a pass in behind the defensive line from Brandon O’Neill, which ended up at the feet of David Williams at the far post for a tap-in to draw the Glory level.
Throughout the first half, glimpses could be seen of what Zdrilic is trying to implement in the Glory from a tactical standpoint with the press, although being less than a month into pre-season, the side struggled to pull it off in the opening 45 minutes.
The second half saw the game completely turn in the direction of Zdrilic’s side, as a David Williams shot would be blocked by a Corey Brown handball on the goal-line, with Brown being handed a red card by the referee.
19-year-old Abdelelah Faisal converted the ensuing penalty to give the Glory the lead for the first time, and he would get a brace three minutes later to all but seal the game for Perth with the player advantage.
Nathanael Blair took his place on the field following the goal, and he was on the receiving end of a inch-perfect pass from Williams in the 65th minute, allowing the 20-year-old to put it past Freke to make it 4-1.
Adam Zimarino nabbed a late consolation goal for the Roar to make it 4-2, and with an edge of the box free kick moments later, you would not blame the Glory coaching staff for beginning to feel nervous, but the side in orange were unable to capitalise.
After the loss, Brisbane will now be without a competitive fixture for almost three months until the A-League Men season begins, and with the nearest A-Leagues side being the Newcastle Jets, opportunities for friendlies might be few and far between, hampering the ability for Zadkovich to best prepare his side for the long season ahead.
Zdrilic meanwhile, will be hoping to make it two wins from two in charge when the Glory host Melbourne City in the Round of 32 on Saturday 3 August at the Sam Kerr Football Centre, although there might be one small concern for the Perth boss.
Despite having the player advantage for most of the second half, the Glory were only able to notch up a possession stat of 38.2 per cent, and a side like Melbourne City could really dominate the match if they are allowed to have over 60 per cent of the ball.
With some competitive minutes in his side’s legs, Zdrilic will be hoping his side can further implement their game plan and advance to the Round of 16.