Roar talisman Adam Taggart says he’ll treat Saturday night’s return to Perth to face the Glory the same as any other fixture.
Taggart, a Perth local, made 48 appearances for the Glory throughout two stints with the Club before heading to the east coast over the off-season.
The 25-year-old has made a strong early impression in Brisbane, slotting home a debut goal in Round 1 against the Mariners, and isn’t letting the occasion affect his preparation.
“Going back to Perth will be nice to play in front of family and friends, and to play in a stadium from where I have lots of good memories,” Taggart said on Friday.
“Once you’re on the field, it’s the same every week. It’s always nice to play in stadiums you’re used to, like NIB [Stadium], but I don’t think the occasion is any different once you’re out on the pitch.”
Saturday’s trip to NIB Stadium is Brisbane’s first of the new season, but the Roar will be buoyed by last season’s strong away record.
John Aloisi’s men picked up six wins on the road last season – the final, a 3-2 win in Perth against the Glory in Round 27.
It will be a new-looking Glory outfit that takes the pitch tomorrow night, but Aloisi says his players are confident of getting the job done at any venue.
“We know it’s going to be a different sort of game – they have a new coach, and play a good style of football with a different formation, so we’re looking forward to the test,” Aloisi said.
“They play with three at the back and their wing backs get quite high, along with a front three who are quite dangerous. They’ll still be a difficult team to play against, but they’re still finding their way under Popa [Popovic] and it’ll be a good test for us.
“Getting so many away wins last season gives us confidence that we can win anywhere. Nobody expected us to win in Perth last season, or in Melbourne against the Victory, or against Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium.”
Aloisi has been pleased with the Roar’s two opening performances, saying his side deserved all three points in both encounters, and will reap the benefits with continued strong showings.
The opening two rounds has also allowed a number of the side’s new signings to gel with one another, with Taggart being quick to form a threatening partnership with fellow new recruit Stefan Mauk.
Mauk provided the assist for Taggart’s debut goal & the striker has lofty hopes for the pair.
“Stefan is a great player with a great work ethic. We seem to be getting better with each other each week – it’s only been two games, so I’m hoping as the season goes on that we’re unstoppable together,” Taggart said.
You can watch tomorrow night’s clash from Perth LIVE on Fox Sports 505 from 9pm, or follow us on Twitter for live updates.
MATCH DETAILS
Hyundai A-League 2018/19 – Round 3: Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar FC
nib Stadium, Perth
Saturday, 3 November (9pm KO QLD time)
Perth Glory squad: 1.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 2.Alex GRANT, 3.Jason DAVIDSON, 4.Shane LOWRY, 5.Ivan FRANJIC, 6.Dino DJULBIC, 7.Joel CHIANESE, 9.Andy KEOGH, 13.Matthew SPIRANOVIC, 15.Brandon WILSON, 16.Tomislav MRCELA, 19.Chris IKONOMIDIS, 20.Jake BRIMMER, 22.Fabio FERREIRA, 23.Scott NEVILLE, 27.JUANDE, 33.Liam REDDY (gk), 88.Neil KILKENNY **two to be omitted**
Ins: 13.Matt SPIRANOVIC (promoted), 6.Dino DJULBIC (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 11.Brendon SANTALAB (hamstring – 1 week), 17.Diego CASTRO (hamstring – 1-2 weeks), 21.Jacob ITALIANO (knee – 1-2 weeks)
Brisbane Roar FC squad: 1.Brendan WHITE (gk), 2.Dane INGHAM, 4.Daniel BOWLES, 6.Avram PAPADOPOULOS, 7.Thomas KRISTENSEN, 8.Jacob PEPPER, 9.Adam TAGGART, 11.Eric BAUTHEAC, 13.Stefan MAUK, 14.Alex LOPEZ, 17.Matt MCKAY (c), 18.Joe CALETTI, 19.Jack HINGERT, 21.Jamie YOUNG (gk), 22.Tobias MIKKELSEN, 24.Connor O’TOOLE, 26.Nicholas D’AGOSTINO, 33.HENRIQUE **two to be omitted**
Ins: 2.Dane INGHAM (returns from injury), 18.Joe CALETTI (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 10.Brett HOLMAN (knee – TBC)
Referee: Daniel Elder
Assistant Referee 1: Josh Mannella
Assistant Referee 2: Matthew Southern
Fourth Official: Adam Fielding
VAR: Kris Griffiths-Jones
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 9.00pm (QLD time) and Sky Sport 3 (New Zealand) and My Football Live App, Live Fast and Data Free for Telstra mobile customers
Radio Broadcast: myfootballnation.com (6PR, 4BC and SEN+). ABC News on Radio, Grandstand Digital, Online & via the ABC Listen App – A-League Live.
