Perth Glory will look to continue their charge towards the finals against Newcastle Jets on Monday night.
The Glory may have lost to Western Sydney last week, but their showing proved their finals aspirations were still on track. Despite their 2-1 defeat, Perth were no pushovers, stifling the Wanderers and had they been more clinical in front of goal, they could have left Pirtek Stadium with a point at least. Despite the result, it was a pleasing performance for Kenny Lowe’s men and they will seek to make it six wins from their last seven games this time round.
Standing in their way is a Newcastle outfit who have enjoyed an upturn in their fortunes recently. Following their 6-1 shellacking at the hands of Perth in Round 16, the Jets have improved considerably and are currently unbeaten in their last four games. Last week’s 1-0 win over bitter rivals Central Coast Mariners was the icing on the cake of their recent turnaround, and they will be hoping to overcome a dreadful record in Western Australia to inflict misery on Perth’s top six aspirations.
Key Battle – Perth’s front three vs Mark Birighitti
Over the past six games, Perth’s attacking trio of Chris Harold, Andy Keogh and Diego Castro have been near un-playable. Harold has enjoyed a renaissance in recent weeks, putting some poor finishing behind him to nab five goals in six games. Last season’s top scorer Keogh has started to look like his old self, finding the back of the net while also aiding the team by dropping deep to receive the ball and create space for his teammates. Meanwhile, Castro may just be the best player in the league right now, his mixture of silky skills and penetrating passing earning him plaudits from all observers. Over the last seven games, the three musketeers have combined to score 16 of the Glory’s 21 goals.
CrownBet match odds at time of publishing
While the Jets have not enjoyed the most promising of years, Mark Birighitti has once again proven he is one of the best shot-stoppers in the business. The glovesman’s exceptional form has seen Newcastle concede just 31 goals this season, fifth best in the league. Despite being just 24-years-old, the custodian has to be among the favourites for the Goalkeeper of the Year Award. The Perth product will be looking to thwart his hometown team and one of the best attacking trios in the league. Given the Glory’s goalscoring exploits over the past month, if Birighitti can keep a clean sheet, it could prove vital in ending the Jet’s poor run in Perth.
Team News
Bar Ruben Zadkovic’s indefinitely-injured knee, Perth have a clean bill of health, however, Marc Warren is out due to suspension. Dino Djulbic is available again and could slot in for Alex Grant at centre-back, while Aryn Williams also returns.
Likewise, the Jets will have an almost full complement of players available for their trip out west. Except for Labinot Haliti, (still on the long-term injury list) Newcastle will have their strongest squad available.
Head-to-head
Perth have firmly established themselves as Newcastle’s bogey team. They have claimed a staggering 19 wins from 31 clashes with the Jets, as well as six draws. In addition, the visitors have only prevailed once at nib Stadium in 16 encounters.
Previous Meeting
The last meeting between the two proved to be the catalyst for the Glory’s recent five-game winning streak. The Jets took the lead after a quarter of an hour thanks to Milos Trifunovic, but from then on it was all Perth. Chris Harold equalized, before Nigel Boogard was sent off for the hosts and Diego Castro made it 2-1 just before the break. The Glory ran rampant in the second half, as Daniel Mullen’s own goal and another strike from Harold extended their advantage. Late goals from Alex Grant and Castro rounded off an impressive display.
Prediction
Perth have been the form team of the competition over the last month and even in their loss to top-of-the-table Western Sydney last week, arguably deserved at least a point. Whilst the Jets have enjoyed their own mini-resurgence in recent weeks, if Perth play like they did last week, they should have no problems extending Newcastle’s miserable record at nib Stadium
Perth Glory 2 Newcastle Jets 0
*CrownBet odds correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
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