An Adam Taggart-inspired Perth Glory have staged yet another heroic comeback to snare a 2-2 draw against the Newcastle Jets as HBF Park was once again host to chaotic late drama.
With Socceoros coach Graham Arnold watching on in the stands, Taggart struck twice in the final 20 minutes to drag his side back into a game they had barely deserved anything from.
Clayton Taylor had given the Jets the lead before half-time before Lucas Mauragis extended the lead as Perth looked as if they were headed to a meek defeat.
But Taggart willed the Glory back into the game, striking in the 72nd minute and then heading home at The Shed end in the 90th minute to make it 14 goals in 18 games this season.
The result means Perth are seven points adrift of sixth-placed Western Sydney ahead of the pair’s clash next weekend.
Perth struggled to create controlled phases of possession early in the first-half, but their defence were able to soak up most of the Jets’ adventures into the final third.
Outside of efforts by Taylor and Thomas Aquilina – the latter of which drew a fine save from Oli Sail – Newcastle failed to threaten the goal, while the gap between Perth’s midfield and attack was conspicuous.
Taggart had half a penalty shout when Mark Natta appeared to obstruct his run in the box, but Lachlan Keevers waved away appeals and booked the Glory striker for his protests.
Perth should have made it 1-0 when Giordano Colli failed to make connection with a flicked-on corner at the back post, before Stefan Colakvoski was denied by the feet of Ryan Scott.
Taylor gave Newcastle the lead in the 40th minute when Apostolos Stamatelopoulos nodded a cross at his feet and the young forward showed composure to dance into space before finishing from an acute angle.
Colakovski almost levelled just before the break when Taggart dropped deep and dinked a pass in behind the defence, but the on-rushing Scott did well to clear the danger.
Sail was kept busy and denied Stamatelopoulos one-on-one to keep Perth in the game shortly after the restart, before a Colakovksi offisde ruled out a Jarrod Carluccio goal.
Newcastle doubled their lead a minute late, after Sail again saved well from Stamatelopoulos, but Mauragis’ follow-up cannoned off Josh Rawlins and found the net.
As Perth pushed for a way back into the game, they were increasingly susceptible to counter-attacks as Taylor looked dangerous – but Taggart pulled one back, latching onto David Williams pass before taking advantage of some hesitant defending to fire home.
The crowd was alive and two minutes later, they exploded when the Glory thought they had equalised through Kaelan Majekodunmi as the substitute headed home a free-kick, only for their jubilation to quickly turn to anger.
Joel Anasmo was penalised by the referee for obstructing Stamatelopoulos’ defensive run, but replays suggested the Perth man held his ground when the Jets forward ran into him.
Sail again got a fingertip to tip a goalbound Stamatelopoulos effort onto the post, and the save proved crucial when Taggart got a free run at a corner to make it 2-2.
Williams almost secured an unlikely late winner deep into injury-time, only for his header to clatter off the crossbar.
Source Agencies
