PERTH Glory will need to improve this Sunday against Wellington Phoenix after squandering a three-goal lead to Central Coast Mariners in its opening A-League fixture on Saturday.
The Glory started their season with an exciting but agonising draw against the Mariners, with new recruit Adam Taggart marking his return to Perth with a goal three minutes in and another 21 minutes later.
Diego Castro, whose free kick had set up Taggart’s first goal, made it 3-0 with a penalty in the 35 minute.
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READ NOWFormer Glory defender Storm Roux and Trent Buhagiar set up Roy O’Donovan to score the Mariners’ first goal early in the second half.
In the 84th minute Marc Warren’s attempted clearance from Kwabena Appiah ricocheted off the head of Glory keeper Liam Reddy and into the net and two minutes later O’Donovan struck from the spot after the referee judged Rhys Williams had brought him down off the ball, levelling the scores at 3-3.
Glory coach Kenny Lowe said his side “basically stopped doing the things we were doing in the first half”.
“I think we probably took our foot off the pedal, to be truthful,” he said. “Once they (Central Coast) got their first – there was momentum”.
The Phoenix lost its opener 1-0 to a 10-man Melbourne City.
Perth faces Wellington at Perth Oval at 4pm Sunday.