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Glory regain belief with gutsy AL win

3 minute read

Perth Glory have risen to seventh on the ladder following Wednesday's draw with Sydney and Saturday's 2-1 win over the Jets.

Perth Glory coach Richard Garcia believes his team have recaptured their forgotten belief after pulling off a brave 2-1 win against Newcastle Jets on Saturday night.

Glory shot out to an early 2-0 lead, but they had to play a huge portion of the match with just 10 men after defender Jonathan Aspropotamitis was sent off in the 35th minute for a second bookable offence.

Perth absorbed wave after wave of Newcastle attacks, with Glory players left gasping for air by the end of the match following the monumental defensive display.

The result ended Glory's five-match winless run and lifted them into seventh place on the A-League ladder, and Garcia feels the win was significant.

"It's definitely a step in the right direction," Garcia said.

"I feel that the belief, it never left us, it was just a little bit forgotten. I felt that performance will get the belief going again, as did Wednesday night (the 1-1 draw with Sydney).

"It was a very brave performance. The character shown to defend for 70 minutes was fantastic.

"The attributes they showed tonight, the mentality they showed tonight, that for me is the most important thing."

One cap Socceroo Jason Geria produced a creative masterclass in the first half before being subbed off at halftime in his Glory debut.

Geria only arrived in Perth a week ago, and Garcia is keen to take a careful approach with the former Melbourne Victory star.

"There's a lot of games coming up, so we have to be mindful of his body and see how he goes," Garcia said.

Glory will receive another big test when they embark on a three-game road trip that will take in matches against Macarthur FC, Sydney FC, and the Jets.

Newcastle are languishing in 11th spot following a five-match losing run, but coach Craig Deans is doing his best to stay positive.

The Jets lost four straight matches to start the season, and Deans said the experienced core of his squad were helping to drive the group.

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