The Western Sydney Wanderers fought hard but were unable to find a breakthrough in a 1-0 defeat to Perth Glory at HBF Park on Friday night.
The opening stages were an even contest, with both sides probing for openings. Perth came close in the 22nd minute when Jaiden Kucharski blazed a chance over the bar, while Alex Bonetig produced a crucial block moments later to deny Adam Taggart.
Perth continued to press and took the lead in the 30th minute through Sebastian Despotovski.
The Wanderers responded with a series of free-kick opportunities, with Anthony Pantazopoulos coming close from both a direct attempt and a header from the resulting corner, but Perth held firm.
The Glory were reduced to ten men in the 39th minute as Trent Ostler was sent off for a second yellow, giving Western Sydney a numerical advantage heading into the second half.
After the break, the Wanderers looked to make their dominance count. Dylan Scicluna came on at halftime for Josh Brillante, while Brandon Borrello made his return from injury in the 68th minute.
The Red & Black created several chances, including a strong header from Alou Kuol, a powerful strike from Pantazopoulos, and a clever lay-off from Borrello to Angus Thurgate in stoppage time, but Matt Sutton and the Glory defence kept the visitors at bay.
Despite the defeat, the Wanderers showed resilience and attacking intent, with several near-misses highlighting their threat going forward.
While Perth held on for the three points, Western Sydney will look to build on their performance as they prepare for the next challenge in the Isuzu UTE A-League season.
