Perth Glory Outclassed by Dominant Newcastle Jets in A-League Clash
Perth Glory have slumped to the most disappointing defeat of coach Adam Griffiths' brief tenure, producing an insipid display as table-topping Newcastle Jets cruised to a comprehensive 3-1 victory at HBF Park. The match underscored a vast chasm in quality between the competition leaders and a struggling Glory outfit.
Jets Control Tempo from the Outset
Newcastle established their dominance early, with Lachlan Bayliss firing an exquisite 15th-minute strike into the bottom corner from outside the box to give the visitors a deserved half-time lead. The Jets' ability to play at high velocity while meticulously controlling the tempo consistently troubled Perth throughout the contest.
Lachlan Rose compounded Glory's misery shortly after the restart, turning the ball into the net from close range to double Newcastle's advantage. Perth's afternoon deteriorated further when defender Brian Kaltak committed two critical errors in quick succession, resulting in a straight red card for pulling down substitute Ben Gibson as he charged toward goal.
Masterclass from the League Leaders
Xavier Bertoncello added a fitting exclamation mark to Newcastle's masterclass in the 81st minute, slamming home after being set up by Kota Mizunuma. Although Stefan Colakovski grabbed a late consolation in injury time following Charbel Shamoon's headed assist, it did little to mask Perth's deficiencies.
The statistical dominance told its own story, with Newcastle enjoying 58 percent of first-half possession as Max Burgess orchestrated play and Clayton Taylor's intelligent movement created overloads. By contrast, Perth struggled to progress the ball forward, often resorting to hopeful diagonal passes to advanced full-backs Sam Sutton and Shamoon.
Griffiths' Bold Selection Gamble Fails to Pay Off
Coach Adam Griffiths made a bold selection decision, handing a debut start to mid-week signing Luca Tevere. The former NPL Victoria midfielder was thrust straight into the A-League as a replacement for the injured Nicholas Pennington, with Lachie Wales also omitted due to a knee issue.
Compounding Glory's midfield challenges, news emerged pre-game that out-of-favour English midfielder Luke Amos had departed for K League 2 side Paju Frontier. This followed Rhys Bozinovski's recent exit, leaving Perth's engine room noticeably stretched.
Perth's best first-half opportunity arrived fortuitously when Joe Shaughnessy's deflected header looped over goalkeeper James Delianov, only to land on the roof of the net. They came closer after the break when Scott Wootton's long ball—a tactic employed for the third consecutive week—created a chance for Colakovski, but his attempted lob was comfortably gathered by Delianov.
Red Card Caps Disastrous Afternoon for Glory
Kaltak's dismissal epitomised a disastrous performance from the home side. Even before the red card, Perth were being passed around by a vibrant Jets outfit, and the defender's exit merely amplified the space in behind for Newcastle to exploit.
The result leaves Perth Glory with significant questions to answer as they reflect on a performance that lacked intensity, cohesion, and attacking threat. Meanwhile, Newcastle Jets reinforced their championship credentials with a display of relentless pressing, tactical intelligence, and clinical finishing.
