It had all the ingredients to be an absolute cracker – two of the silkiest sides in the league, garnished with its two finest midfielders in Diego Castro and Milos Ninkovic.
The Sky Blues had smashed their last five encounters with the Glory, scoring eighteen to Perth’s two – and oozed confidence as they dominated the first half.
But as Sydney scuppered, Perth found form and it took a last minute calamity to give Sydney their just desserts, leaving a sour taste in the mouth of Glory fans everywhere.
So here’s how the A-League’s two star dishes faced off, including the rest of the chasing pack. Oh, and before we start, VAR gets a zero.
SYDNEY FC
Andrew Redmayne - 7
Didn’t have much to do in the first 92 minutes, but made himself count at the end to deny Adam Taggart.
Michael Zullo - 8
Began fantastically, his ability to bust a gut to put in crosses led to Sydney’s first penalty and he and a forward-pushing Jordis Buijs reeked havoc down Perth’s right flank.
Jordis Buijs – 8
One of the most forward thinking defenders in world football. His set pieces may leave something to be desired, but a thumping effort on the 10th minute set the pace, forcing a great save from Liam Reddy, and he was superb from then on.
Alex Wilkinson - 7
Solid without being spectacular. Given Wilko’s age, the attacking defenders around him and Chris Harold’s pace, Perth should have done slightly better on the counter – they didn’t, and the former Socceroo had an easy night as a result.
Luke Wilkshere – 7.5
Hasn’t scored a league goal in a decade, and that drought looks like it’s going to last as long as the Sahara’s. Points for effort though – he’s desperately thirsty for a goal.
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