Lauton stunner seals famous Western win over Glory

Jordan Lauton was the toast of Western United after his last-gasp, winning wonder goal in Perth. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)

Perth Glory’s hopes of a rare home win at HBF Park have ended in heartbreak after one of the most spectacular goals in A-League Men history by Jordan Lauton secured a remarkable 3-2 comeback win for Western United.

As the 90 minutes expired on Friday, Adam Taggart’s 50th goal for Perth and a strike from Jarrod Carluccio had seemingly done enough for the hosts to secure a 2-1 victory, 321 days after their last league win in West Australia.  

But a minute into added time ,Tate Russell popped up the back post to poke home an equaliser and set the stage for Lauton to etch his name in folklore.

As a desperate United made one last foray forward, the 21-year-old launched himself into the air as Angus Thurgate’s cross trailed just behind his run and connected with a spectacular bicycle kick that found the bottom corner, made it 3-2 and sent the visitors into bedlam. 

“We spoke before the game, just go right to the end - we're going to get chances right to the end,” United coach John Aloisi told Paramount+.

“When we went to 2-2 we just felt that we could grab another one and what a way to score the winner.”

Already booked, the youngster took his shirt off amid the raucous celebrations of what was his first-ever A-League goal, earning a second yellow card that will see him suspended for United’s derby with Melbourne City on Tuesday. 

“He apologised for taking off his top and getting sent off,” Aloisi grinned.

“I said, 'when you score goals like that, you probably can take off your top'.”

Now riding a three-game winning run, John Aloisi’s side added to what is now a five-way logjam of sides ranked second through sixth on the table sitting on 18 points. The win put them fifth, ahead of Melbourne Victory on goal difference. 

After what could have been just their second win of the campaign was transformed into their eighth loss in just moments, Perth remain second-bottom despite producing one of their better performances of the campaign.  

But with the defeat marking the side’s sixth-straight loss in Perth this season, the result heaped further pressure on first-year coach David Zdrilic.  

“Externally, going by results, pressure is normal,” Zdrilic said. 

"I think the owners understand what we're doing and the big transition, probably bigger than what we anticipated.”

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