Sydney FC’s National Youth League side has come from behind to deny 10-man Perth Glory its eighth consecutive win, Sky Blues’ midfielder Iain Ramsey levelling the affair with five minutes remaining in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Dorrien Gardens.
In a rollercoaster Saturday evening affair in Perth, Sydney took the lead through Tim McGowan in the eighth minute as the Glory struggled to break down the visitor’s committed defence.
Matters only got worse for Perth in the 38th minute when defender Brent Griffiths was dismissed for a challenge on McGowan, but against the run of play, Howard Fondyke equalised just before the break.
Sydney, though, went ahead again within minutes of the re-start as Ramsey fired home but that only pushed the Glory to lift their intensity, the hosts taking the lead through goals to Adam Taggart and Glen Trifiro despite being a man down.
In a barnstorming finish, Sydney returned fire and applied the blowtorch in the dying minutes as Ramsey equalised once again with five minutes remaining via a glancing header past Aleks Vrteski.
Ramsey, though, had produced a quality match from start to finish, his raking cross from the left in the eighth minute causing havoc in the Glory box and seeing McGowan take advantage of the loose ball to slam in the opener.
The Sky Blues were producing a disciplined performance across the park, their midfield getting back in numbers whenever Perth attacked and effectively starving a high-quality Glory striking division consisting of seniors’ forwards Branko Jelic and Tommy Amphlett.
Jelic was returning from a three-match absence with an ankle injury and the former Bundesliga striker produced some good touches and a couple of saves from Nenad Vekic in the Sydney goal, although he wasn’t given much time and space by the Sky Blues’ rigid defence.
Down the other end Kerem Bulut was using his speed to terrorise the Glory back four, Griffiths getting in an important tackle on the striker just as he was about to fire.
But Griffiths went for one tackle too many seven minutes before the break as he took down McGowan and was immediately sent for an early shower.
Despite the disadvantage, the Glory took advantage of a lapse in Sydney’s concentration in the 45th minute as Cameron Edwards beautifully sent Fondyke through, the defender firing home emphatically.
Jelic came off at the break and was replaced by Taggart but despite the changes it was Sydney which drew first blood in the second half, Ramsey firing his side ahead again in the 47th minute, the youngster driving the ball home from a tight angle as an exposed Vrteski tried closing him down.
Four minutes later Sydney’s Dimitrios Petratos fired narrowly wide and the Glory took advantage of the let-off, with Edwards again producing a delightful through-ball just after the hour to tee up Taggart who slipped the ball into the back of the net.
With 15 minutes remaining, Perth midfielder Glen Trifiro used all his muscle to produce a sensational run, where he busted four tackles to close in on goal and score but a subsequent miss by Taggart in the 83rd minute ultimately proved costly.
As the Glory tired, Sydney took advantage of the extra man as Ramsey glanced the ball past Vrteski with five minutes remaining.
The Sky Blues lifted their intensity once more and appeared to be streaming towards goal just a minute later. But Perth skipper Dean Evans did brilliantly to close down and dispossess Raymond Miller while his fellow defender Ryan Pearson produced a timely header to clear the ball of the line seconds later.
There was still time for the Glory to attack as well, but Taggart sent a powerful injury-time effort straight at the Sydney ‘keeper as the match was drawn.
The result sees the Glory’s seven-match winning run come to an end. But the club still remains in second position on the table, two points behind table-topping Central Coast, as Sydney climbs to fifth.
National Youth League
Perth Glory 3 (Fondyke 45, Taggart 64, Trifiro 75)
Sydney FC 3 (McGowan 8, Ramsey 47, 85)
