Glory edge AIS in Canberra

First-half goals from Ndumba Makeche and Moses Kalau have helped Perth Glory to a narrow 2-1 win over a luckless AIS side on a warm Sunday morning in Canberra.

First-half goals from Ndumba Makeche and Moses Kalau have helped Perth Glory to a narrow 2-1 win over a luckless AIS side on a warm Sunday morning in Canberra.

The Glory youngsters netted either side of an Alexander Gersbach goal for the home team to leave the Institute still waiting their first point in the National Youth League this season.

It was the visitors who started the brightest, taking the game to the AIS and causing plenty of mischief with their direct running and pace.

Borbor Sam in particular was the chief source of menace forcing AIS goalkeeper Andre Jannese into a couple of smart saves down low.

Their early dominance was rewarded in the sixth minute when they took the lead through Makeche.

Sam was involved again, breaking down the left flank and drilling in a teasing cross that the home defence failed to clear. The ball broke invitingly for Makeche and the Glory striker spun to ram a fierce shot past Jannese and into the roof of the net.

The AIS response was commendable and central defender Matthew Schmidt extended Jordan Franken in the Perth goal with a downward header before the hosts drew level in the 25th minute.

The goal had more than a hint of Perth help with Franken failing to deal with a slack back-pass and allowing the lively Gersbach the opportunity to pounce and stab the ball into the empty goal.

Todd Norris then tested Franken with a firm shot straight at the goalkeeper before the Glory took control once more.

A defensive lapse in the 29th minute allowed Kalau space to advance on goal and unleash a thunderbolt of a strike that thumped into the net via the underside of the crossbar with Jannese helpless.

Shortly afterwards Kalau went close again and Matthew Davies blasted a volley against the post from close range as Perth went searching for a third.

Having weathered the late Perth surge before the interval, the AIS emerged for the second stanza hoping to turn around the deficit.

They almost levelled immediately when Norris nipped in front of his marker and sent in a swerving cross that Josh Barresi met with a meaty header, but Franken was on hand to parry the ball to safety.

The hard-running Norris was beginning to make an impact and he was inches away from collecting a precise through ball in the 65th minute, only to be denied by the quick-thinking of Franken who darted off his line to snuff out the danger.

Barresi went even closer with thirteen minutes remaining bolting in behind a flat Perth defence and unleashing a left-foot effort that beat the keeper but came back off the outside of the post much to the disappointment of the AIS support clustered in the main stand away from the near thirty degree temperature.

Try as they might though, and they continued to monopolise play with Darcy Madden hammering a late effort just over, the AIS couldn’t find a way through the Glory back four.

AIS 1 (Alexander Gersbach 25-)
Perth Glory 2 (Ndumba Makeche 6-, Moses Kalau 29-)

AIS: 20. Andre Jannese, 2. Darcy Madden, 4. Ben Warland (13. Jeremy Tshongo 57-), 5. Matthew Schmidt, 8. Josh Barresi, 9. Todd Norris, 14. Jack Iredale, 15. Scott Galloway (c), 18. Alex Gersbach, 19. Bright Appiah (21. Dylan Pickert 57-), 22. Liam Rose (6. Matthew Ntoumenopulos 57-)

Perth Glory: 1. Jordan Franken, 2. Matthew Davies, 3. Ryan Lowry, 4. Storm Roux, 5. Riley Woodcock (c), 6. Blamo Quaqua (10. Lawrence Shuruma 69-), 7. Moses Kalau (13. Jack Clisby 55-), 8. Kearyn Baccus (14. Kieran Colwell 55-), 9. Ndumba Makeche, 10. Lawrence Shuruma (12. Jacob Collard 32-), 11. Borbor Sam

Yellow Cards: 5. Riley Woodcock (Perth Glory)