Perth Glory has won through to its second consecutive FFA cup final, defeating a disappointing Melbourne City 3-1 in the semi-final at NIB stadium on Wednesday night. City’s defeat continues the Perth hoodoo for the Melbourne team, which has now lost six in a row in Perth.
City coach John Van’t Schip rang the changes from the weekend derby introducing six new faces including the two fullbacks Matt Miller and Ben Garuccio and keeper Tando Velaphi. He also omitted centre back Patrick Kisnorbo effectively going in to the match with a revamped defense.
Glory coach Kenny Lowe in contrast fielded a line-up brimming with experience.
Although Melbourne had the better of the general play in the first half, Perth threatened with its direct style and its set pieces. In fact the dead ball specialists for both teams, City’s Aaron Mooy and Glory’s Nebo Marinkovic featured prominently in the first half.
A 24th Marinkovic corner led to Glory’s opening goal. Chris Harold’s header forced a diving save by Velaphi only for Hungarian Gyorgy Sandor to fire home from close range, his third goal for Glory this season.
Ten minutes later Velaphi’s night ended with blood streaming from his nose following a heavy head clash with Glory striker Guyon Fernandez.
In the 41st minute, the game was squared when a Mooy corner found the head of Miller who scored on debut.
City’s joy was short lived for when a long clearance by Glory keeper Ante Covic was allowed to bounce, Perth striker Fernandez put City’s defense under pressure and an attempted Garuccio intervention lobbed the ball over his own keeper Thomas Sorensen for an own goal.
City’s forwards looked increasingly out of sorts in the second half with Bruno Fornaroli unable to break the shackles of the Perth defense, and Kuzmanovski having a tough time against Perth’s man of the match, full back Josh Risdon.
Perth’s third goal came in the 70th minute when Spanish La Liga veteran Diego Castro, produced a moment of individual skill to elude a couple of challenges and play an incise pass through the City defense for Harold to slot the ball past Sorensen at his near post. With the game opening up, Perth were able to better control possession than they did in the first half and close out the match ensuring the final wouldn’t be an all Melbourne affair.
Post match, City coach Van’t Schip commented, ” I put a team on the pitch that I thought was the strongest. We’re disappointed. What we wanted, we didn’t get, into the final. ..With the goal keeping injury, the subs were a bit limited to give the team extra bit of power (in the second half). We didn’t create in the end enough to make it difficult for Perth. That’s disappointing. We have to move on. A lot of young players played. A lot of players coming back from injury played. There are positive things but of course it doesn’t meet with what we wanted, which was to get to the final.”
Glory coach Kenny Lowe, speaking to Fox Sports after the game, said,” Delighted. We’re through to the Cup final which everyone wants to be in. It will give everyone big lift and a boost especially after what happened last year. No matter where we play, maybe this year we’ll pinch it.”

Source: Fox Sports