North Queensland Fury moved up a place to 9th on the A-League ladder when they beat 7th-ranked Perth Glory 2-1 at home at a rain-drenched Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville tonight.
It was only the second win of the season for the Fury, while it was Glory’s fifth loss in a row.
Glory started strongly and went close early on when Steven McGarry forced keeper Justin Pasfield to turn his bending shot wide for a corner. Anthony Skorich should have done better than head over the bar from 10 metres from that corner.
Chris Payne put Fury in front in the 16th minute with his 3rd goal of the season after poor defending by the visitors. David Williams played the ball wide and Payne had time to advance and take the ball into the right side of the box before shooting across and past keeper Aleks Vrteski and into the far top corner of the net.
Williams blazed wide in the 20th minute after a poor clearance by the Glory defence following a corner.
A minute later, Glory were level. Michael Baird broke through the middle and, although he was foiled by Mark Hughes, the ball ricocheted wide to Skorich, who was clearly off-side. Play was allowed to continue, however, and Skorich knocked the ball back into the middle to the unmarked Baird, who stroked it into an empty net.
Fury almost regained the lead minutes before the break, but Brad McDonald’s shot from the left clipped the top of the crossbar.
With the torrential tropical rain absolutely pelting down, Payne went close for the home side in the 71st minute with a shot that drifted just wide.
A minute later, however, Williams was put away on the right by Payne and scored with a low drive from an acute angle to make it 2-1 for the home side. It was his fourth goal of the season.
Williams might have had another three minutes later when a quick counter-attack by the Fury caught Glory outnumbered at the back. Andy Todd managed to block the ball and, as it rolled back to Williams, he shot over the bar.
In the 75th minute, Glory’s McGarry crossed from the left and found Mile Sterjovski, but he hit the ball into the ground and it bounced up and landed harmlessly onto the roof of the net.
It was the first game in charge for new Glory coach Ian Ferguson. The Glory were also missing former Fury star Robbie Fowler, who is still in England after last weekend’s international break.
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North Queensland Fury: Pasfield - Storey, Akoto, Hughes, Kilian - Hingert (Sseppuya 59), Talay (Malik 70), Edds - Williams, Payne (Grossman 78), McDonald [Substitute not used: Usai]
Goals: Payne 16, Williams 72
Perth Glory: Vrteski - Neville, Coyne, Todd, Sekulovski (Harnwell 77) - Sterjovski, McGarry, Burns, Howarth (Pellegrino 79) - Baird, Skorich (Jelic 60) [Substitute not used: Velaphi]
Booked: Coyne 53, Sekulovski 64, Baird 85
Goals: Baird 21
Att: 4,011
Ref: G Parsons (Sydney)
4 comments:
Great game. That assistant referee made four calls against Fury which could have resulted in shots from good positions on the goalkeeper.
Fury should have won 4-1. I hope Fury stays in the competition. David Williams seems to have good vision. Many of this type of speedy player lack his game sense.
Decentric
Good wrap, Walter.
The A League is definitely improving. People who don't watch it are missing out on some decent football.
Casual Observer
Not all of us can afford Pay Tv, Thanks FFA.
Great game? It was terrible to watch. Woeful defending. A couple of good strikes, that's it.
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