Soccer: Perth Glory continue impressive record in Bunbury, defeat Melbourne Victory 3-1 in preseason friendly

Prior to Sunday’s A-League preseason friendly against Melbourne Victory in Bunbury, Perth Glory striker Adam Taggart told the Bunbury Herald their trip south was an important one for the playing group. True to his word, Taggart opened the scoring inside 17 minutes during Glory’s 3-1 win, much to the delight of the vocal, yet wind-blown Hay Park crowd. After bossing possession in the middle of the park early, Alen Stajcic’s men were rewarded for their labour with a beautifully taken finish. Following a few steps inside the Victory’s half, Johnny Koutroumbis elected to switch play with a delightful cross into the path of teammate Daniel Bennie, who delicately fed Taggart with a delightful through-ball. With the visitors’ offside trap beaten, the Glory striker delicately rounded Victory ‘keeper Christian Siciliano and tapped into an empty net. Keen to build on this momentum, the hosts created a hatful of quality chances despite the blustery conditions, however, were unable to bank their victory until the 70th minute. Off a teasing free kick into the middle of the 18-yard box, skipper Mark Beevers powered his way through a sea of navy blue shorts and bundled his shot through a fierce goalmouth scramble. Post-game, Stajcic praised his side’s work-rate on and off the ball. “The conditions were tough today,” he said. “It was very windy and there was a bit of rain about earlier, which obviously disrupted play for both teams. It is interesting — our first hit-out against an A-League team. “We had some good patches and obviously some patches where we need to improve. But ultimately, the effort from the team was amazing. “The cohesion among the group, especially without the ball, was really good as a starting point.” The two-game friendly series between Glory and Victory will conclude on Wednesday night at Perth’s Dorrien Gardens.