Sydney succumbed, in embarrassing fashion, 2-1 to Perth, who have now won four straight.
The kick-in-the-teeth that was Janjetovic’s clanger was a sickening blow, but it shouldn’t disguise how poor Sydney were generally. Sydney skipper Alex Brosque, when asked after the match if his side deserved more, he reply? “Not really, no”. He knew, just as the smattering of onlookers this match drew knew, that the home side had been stunted, slumped and lethargic. Perth, from the outset, appeared more tigrish in the tackle, and more incisive in possession. Sydney held the ball proficiently enough, but only because the Glory allowed them to, up until the edge of Perth’s defensive third. The Sky Blues were ponderous and inaccurate when it came to delivering telling passes in dangerous areas, and their crossing was woeful throughout, a cavalcade of over-hit blooters, much to the audible chagrin of the crowd. Janjetovic’s gift was nearly sublime in its ridiculousness, and Andy Keogh accepted it almost regretfully.
FULL TIME: Perth Glory have made it four on the bounce, defeating Sydney FC 2-1! https://t.co/9DYdz8MKiW #SYDvPER pic.twitter.com/7GbivyV1PE
— FOX SPORTS Football (@FOXFootballLive) February 13, 2016
Graham Arnold cut a frustrated, impotent figure on the touchline, and his substitutions, while effective, came far too late. One suspects he might have started Ali Abbas, and brought on Shane Smeltz before his side were 2-0 down. He now faces a daunting run of fixtures over the next fortnight, with Asian Champions League ties mixed in with a Sydney Derby, and an encounter with Melbourne Victory. As for Perth, they’ve now won four league games in a row, and are clambering, eagerly and unexpectedly, up the table.
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