Perth Glory interim coach Ruben Zadkovich hailed the battling qualities in his side and is looking forward to a brighter future.
Glory fought out a 1-1 draw with Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday night in the penultimate game of the season but will still finish bottom of the ladder.
Signs of promise
Glory have been ravaged by injury in recent weeks but were able to welcome back star striker Bruno Fornaroli from an ankle injury, while Daniel Sturridge was handed his first start.
Glory were under the pump for large portions of the game but an 18th minute strike from Fornaroli gave them the lead. Keijiro Ogawa equalised late on for the visitors but Zadkovich was still proud of his players.
Related Australian Football news
Victory keep pressure on at the top
Sturridge set to start for Glory
“That’s when you see the true measure of a player,” he said. “How they go through adversity and certain individuals have stood out. They will be a big part of the plans moving forward. The basis of any good team for me is defensive structure and defensive discipline.
“The season is dead and buried for us results wise but moving forward I’m looking for those players that are willing to fight for the jersey and the club.”
Sturridge impresses
Sturridge played the first half and even though he was lacking full match fitness he still showed some good touches and set up a couple of opportunities.
"It's been a very challenging time for him and a very difficult period for his playing career," Zadkovich added. "So it was nice for him on a personal level to go out there and be able to express himself again."
