The most common question about Macarthur FC’s 6-1 romp against Perth Glory last night at Campbelltown Stadium has been, were the Bulls that good or Perth that bad?
Well, yes, it is a very good question and I asked myself that at the half-time break, when Macarthur were leading 5-0 after a blitz that left the Glory players visibly shell-shocked as they trundled off to the dressing rooms.
None more so than their goalie, Oliver Sail, and it was anticipated that Glory coach David Zdrillic may show some mercy and replace him for the second half.
We got that wrong because Sail came out again to face the music.
And it could have been a disaster because the Bulls were again opening up the Glory defence like a tin of sardines every time they mounted an attack.
But with the three points in the bag the Bulls probably lost some of the hunger required to be clinical and a string of chances went begging.
And there’s part of the answer to the question at the top of this story: the game was won in the first 45 minutes when the Bulls were ruthlessly clinical and Perth unable to cope with it.
But the visitors recovered some of their honour by drawing the second half 1-1, so they won’t be totally devastated between now and round two.
Back to our mob, the Bulls, to me the most influential player in the first half was exciting young winger Jed Drew.
He caused mayhem every time he got the ball down the right hand side and his incredible pace was just something Perth could not cope with in those first 45 minutes.
Drew is still very much a work in progress in aspects of his game, so it’s a bit scary how good this lad can become in the next two to three years.
Sometimes he’s caught with the ball and unsure what to do with it, but at other times he’s grease lightning in creating chances for his fellow forwards, Valere Germain and Marin Jakolis.
He would be my man of the match because he single handedly destroyed any self confidence the Perth defence had coming into the opening round match.
Drew also scored the first goal to get things rolling in the seventh minute, and from there it was a procession.
Jake Hollman also tapped the ball in to make it 2-0 three minutes later, with defender Tomislav Uskok chiming in 11 minutes later.
Jakolis scored the first of his two goals five minutes from the break and made it 5-0 six minutes later.
Germain headed in the sixth goal in the second half, and Perth finally got on the scoreboard in the 71st minute.
Macarthur FC host Newcastle Jets at Campbelltown Stadium this Friday night, and it will be interesting to see what that game produces.
