God’s squad make point in Perth

Perth Glory 1 (Ikonomidis, 34′) Brisbane Roar 1 (O’Donovan, 90+5′)

Brisbane Roar’s last-gasp goal earned Robbie Fowler’s new-look Queenslanders an opening draw against last year’s premiers, Perth Glory.

The home side were dominant, but ring-rusty, for the first three-quarters of the game. Brisbane had nine new players in their starting eleven and for much of the game resembled a ragtag mob that had never played together.

Glory didn’t offer much in the second-half and allowed Roar to overcome their lack of familiarity with each other to claim a valuable away point to mark the start of Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler’s tenure.

Fowler has trawled the North of England and signings from Shrewsbury, Carlisle, Rochdale, Bury and Salford City now grace Brisbane’s squad.

Glory’s forward trio of Diego Castro, Bruno Fornaroli and Chris Ikonomidis are sure to cause A-League defensive headaches this campaign. But it would be very surprising if Roar captain Tom Aldred and co are afflicted with migraines on the long flight home between the Indian and Pacific Ocean coasts.

The all-star Perth forward line weaved pretty patterns at times, but rarely manufactured serious threats on goal. Glory coach Tony Popovic was left to rue the inability of his team to capitalise on their stranglehold during most of the game, allowing Brisbane, whose growing cohesion was increasingly evident, to equalise at the death.

Glory were quicker to get into their rhythm with new signings Gregory Wuthrich and Osama Malik, and long-injured Alex Grant showing good understanding and slotting in well to Popovic’s defensive system which fared so successfully last season.

El Maestro Castro had early involvement in the home side’s attacking movements, his trickery getting ever more mischievous as he gave his off season cobwebs a spring clean. His clever inside pass to Fornaroli eventuated in a goalmouth stramash, which could easily have delivered the opener, but for the defiant Roar defence repelling the danger like a pair of pinball flippers on speed.

But there was no stopping Glory from taking the lead in the 34^th minute. Fornaroli received the ball with his back to a defender and held off the challenge superbly until help arrived in the shape of El Maestro. The centrally positioned Castro passed right to Ikonomidis who kept his cool from 15 metres to thread the ball home between two defenders and the ‘keeper.

Castro pictured in FFA Cup tie 7/8/19.
Photo credit: Paul McNeela/Prost

Glory fans were delighted to see their front three combining with such lethal effect, but it was to be their last glimpse of such ruthless incision in the game.

Fowler has handed the captain’s armband to the much-travelled Scottish stopper Tom Aldred. He led the resistance well and his efforts went a long way to keeping the deficit manageable.

The second-half continued with the Perth side dominating possession without finding the key to unlocking the potential of their talented attack.

An early warning of Brisbane roaring back into contention came in the 58^th minute when Bradden Inman’s cross/shot missed Irish forward Roy O’Donovan’s head by a whisker, with the goal at his mercy. The recent acquisition from Newcastle Jets knows his way round the A-League and had scored six times out of ten outings against Glory before today. (Spoiler alert)

Around the 70^th minute mark the Western Australian side had two passages of play where they strung north of twenty passes together as the Brisbane players chased shadows.

Fowler excavates nervously as O’Shea prepares for free kick. Photo credit: Paul McNeela/Prost

During this virtuoso display of midfield dominance Fowler cut a rather forlorn figure on the touchline. Admittedly, this clash pitted Australia’s two mining powerhouses, Western Australian and Queensland, against each other, but was there really any need for Robbie to excavate his pockets so deeply in the dugout?

Popovic seemed encouraged enough to dare to dream of the three points and brought on fringe players Dino Djublic and his son Kristian Popovic during the last few minutes.

Fowler’s substitutions were more productive, especially the lively looking Welsh utility player Aaron Holloway, recently signed from Shrewsbury.

Holloway’s early promise bore fruit as he provided the assist for O’Donovan to head home the equaliser in the 95^th minute, following VAR confirmation the goal was not offside.

After the game Popovic was in forgiving mood:

“It’s always tough to concede in the 94^th minute. We were very good in the first half, in the second half we dropped off. In time we’ll put in good 90 minutes performances.”

Fowler was disarmingly delighted with his side’s equaliser, exclaiming he “actually nearly ran on to the pitch.”

Perth Glory: Reddy; Chianese, Grant, Malik, Wuthrich (Djulbic, 81’), Wilson (Kim, 63’); Juande, Kilkenny; Castro, Ikonomidis (K. Popovic, 85’), Fornaroli.

Brisbane Roar: Crocombe; O’Toole, Gillesphey, Aldred, Neville; Inman (Ingham, 76’), O’Neill, McGing (Holloway, 83’), Mauk; O’Shea, O’Donovan.