With the game at a stalemate approaching the hour at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Perth skipper Tom Lawrence took it upon himself to bring it to life in the 59th minute, striding to the top of the area and stroking an effort into the bottom corner.
But hopes of a first-round win since a 2-1 victory over Wellington in 2014 were dashed in the final ten minutes, with the first blow delivered when a trailing arm of Calem Nieuwenhof collected the ball and gave away a penalty.
It was a decision that left Lawrence incensed and Glory boss Adam Griffiths perplexed.
"I think we've been robbed by a horrendous decision," Lawrence told Paramount+.
"I don't know how that can be given a penalty.
"Makes a mockery out of the league, really."
While Matt Sutton denied Ryan Fraser's first effort, encroachment from Cher Deng gifted the Scotsman a second attempt he made no mistake with, drilling an equaliser into the bottom corner.
"I don't think it was really a handball," added Griffiths.
"I thought it was a foul previously (too).
"And that moment swung the game."
The Bulls then went ahead in the 89th minute when Fraser delivered an inch-perfect free kick onto the head of Jonathan Aspropotamitis, who promptly headed in a goal that made coach Sasa Ognenovski a match-winner in his first game in charge.
Signed from Western Sydney in the off-season, Fraser had only been substituted into the game on 55 minutes, thrown on after a first-half in which neither side was able to produce much in the way of quality.
"The first half was kind of like a pre-season game in a way," Fraser said.
"No one really got their foot on the ball, trying to sort each other out.
"Second half, I thought we'd done a lot better."
The Glory will look to bounce back next week when they travel to face Brisbane on Friday evening, while Macarthur go to Newcastle the following day.
There may be some worries in the Bulls' camp for Musa Toure heading into that game after he finished the game after separating his shoulder, albeit Ognenovski played down concerns, saying, "It happens a little bit with him."
