Report by Jayden Lihou

Sorrento’s Ryan Pearson coolly converted a late penalty to secure a 1-0 victory over Perth Glory at Ashfield Arena on Saturday.

Pearson’s winner came less than 10 minutes after Perth Glory were reduced to 10 men when Scott Robertson was sent off in the 86th minute.

Sorrento coach Jamie Harnwell thought his side were capable of finding the winner even if Glory finished the match with 11 players.

“It obviously helps when they go down to 10 men but then they sat back behind the ball a little bit more and made it difficult for us,” Harnwell said.

“However, we know this is a part of the game, but it was a bad tackle and we took advantage of it.

“We probably just lacked a little bit of quality in the final third but we kept pushing and I thought we got what we deserved in the end.”

Sorrento had the first real opportunity of the match in the 27th minute when Sean Canham scuffed a shot from 6m, spurring a save from Glory keeper Jordan Thurtell.

Glory had the chance to score six minutes later when Joseph Knowles made a diagonal run inside the box but his shot was straight at Sorrento’s James Morgan.

Canham could have put Sorrento up before the break after a decent cross but his diving header hit the crossbar and the Glory defence duly cleared the resulting ball.

Glory began the second period in a positive mood which was made manifest when Hayden Stevens delivered a low-cross straight to Daniel Stynes.

The resulting near-post shot was mistimed, though, which caused the ball to skid past the face of the goal.

In the 80th minute Knowles had a golden chance to break the deadlock when he found himself one-on-one with the keeper but Thurtell was able to collect the ball after a poor touch.

Robertson was given a straight red a mere six minutes later when he performed a high-footed slide tackle on Alex Morgan.

The red card seemed to be Glory’s undoing when Sean Troup fouled Pearson inside the box and Pearson comfortably converted the resulting penalty in the 92nd minute.

Glory coach John Gibson said he was disappointed with the result in what he deemed to be a tough game.

“They are a very physical side so you have got to be able to compete with them on many different levels,” he said.

“In the first half we didn’t do that, but in the second half we certainly did and to give away a penalty right at the end was really tough on us.”

Perth Glory 0
Sorrento 1 (Pearson 92min)
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Ashfield Arena
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Referee: Adam Fielding
Assistant Referees: Amit Hosany, Zac Piccicacco

Perth Glory: GK. Jordan THURTELL, 2. Gian ALBANO, 3. Hayden STEVENS, 4. Scott ROBERTSON, 5. Ross MILLARD, 6. Calvin WHITNEY, 7. Jackson MORGAN (15. Walieden ISMAIL 83’), 8. Sean TROUP, 9. Joseph KNOWLES, 10. Sam MCKEARNEN, 11. Daniel STYNES
Substitutes not used: 12. Cam MURRAY, 13. Lossene DULLEH, 14. Jack LEACH, 20. Riley STEPHENSON (RGK)
Yellow cards: Knowles 86’, Whitney 87’
Red cards: Robertson 86’
Sorrento: Sorrento: GK. James MORGAN, 6. Daryl PLATTEN, 8. Ryan PEARSON, 9. Sean CANHAM (5. Billy QUINNCROFT 80’), 10. Scott BULLOCH (25. Todd HARNWELL 65’), 11. Tim HILL, 13. Steven MCDONALD, 15. Alex MORGAN (3. Danny CAIN 88’), 18. Jordan BROWN, 20. Brad MCDONALD, 21. Jordan DODD
Substitutes not used: 22. Alen PATAROV, 60. Sam HERBISON (RGK)
Yellow cards: nil
Red cards: nil