A double from Shane Smeltz has helped Perth Glory produce their best performance of the season in a 4-1 win over a ramshackle Melbourne Victory at nib Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
A double from Shane Smeltz has helped Perth Glory produce their best performance of the season in a 4-1 win over a ramshackle Melbourne Victory at nib Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Despite it being Perth’s third game in eight days and Victory’s first match in nine, the Glory ran all over Melbourne during the match’s early stages and were justly rewarded for their efforts when Smeltz opened the scoring in the 13th minute.
Smeltz doubled the advantage from the spot in the 35th minute with his eighth goal of the campaign before Mile Sterjovski scored another penalty two minutes before the break.
Melbourne pulled one back through a penalty of their own in the 68th before Victory substitute Danny Allsopp was dismissed in the 78th minute, allowing Glory to finish off the visitor’s challenge through a late Andrezinho goal.
The result in front of a season-best crowd of 12,358 people, extended Perth’s unbeaten run to six matches as they consolidated fourth on the Hyundai A-League table as Melbourne remain in seventh, with new coach Jim Magilton having plenty of work ahead to do.
Glory fired a warning shot as early as the third minute when Josh Risdon curled a long-range attempt over the bar.
And, Perth showed they meant serious business in this match as Sterjovski knocked a shot into Ante Covic’s chest before Smeltz fresh-aired another attempt as Victory’s defence appeared shell-shocked.
Smeltz, though, soon found his range as he opened the scoring in the 13th minute.
Sterjovski couldn’t believe his luck as he attacked down the right and saw Victory defender Matthew Kemp over-shoot the ball, allowing him to cross for an unmarked Smeltz to fire home.
Former Socceroo Sterjovski was proving a real menace as he sent in another cross that Steve McGarry came within inches of getting too, while Smeltz fired another chance wide.
But Glory soon doubled the advantage, although it was in bizarre circumstances in the 35th minute.
Melbourne’s Adrian Leijer had already been warned about wrestling with Todd Howarth at a corner, but the Victory captain ridiculously failed to heed that warning as 30 seconds later he wrestled Howarth to the ground on the goal-line with what appeared more like an AFL tackle.
Referee Peter Green had no hesitation pointing to the spot and Smeltz converted the spot kick.
Three minutes later former Victory player Evan Berger showed off his turn of pace in a big way.
In his first start for Perth Glory since heading west and suffering a serious hamstring injury, the 24-year-old burst his way down the left, riding four tackles, before eventually hitting the side netting.
But in 42nd minute, it was Berger’s speed that won Glory a second penalty.
The midfielder wasn’t even running straight at goal, but Matthew Foschini panicked a little and produced a crude tackle on Berger just within the corner of the box, allowing Sterjovski to step up this time and convert the spot kick for his fourth goal of the campaign.
Glory started the second half as they finished the first launching a series of raids at the Victory goal as another mazy Berger run forced Rody Vargas into a goal-saving block two minutes after the re-start.
Matters could have got much worse for Victory coach Jim Magilton in the 55th minute as Kewell – already on a yellow for a stud-up challenge on Steve Pantelidis – appeared to take a dive on the edge of the box as Pantelidis again came in for the challenge.
But having stayed on the park, Kewell was on hand to pull a goal back for Melbourne from the spot in the 68th minute.
For a five-minute period before the goal, Victory appeared to have been gaining control of possession against a travel-weary Perth side, but when Pantelidis made contact with Jean Carlos Solorzano, it allowed Kewell to convert from the spot.
There was more drama to come, however, as Danny Allsopp, on the park for just 17 minutes after replacing Archie Thompson just after hour, produced a crude studs-up tackle on Pantelidis and was sent for an early shower 12 minutes from time.
As Glory looked to take advantage of the extra man, Leijer did brilliantly to deny an almost certain goal as he produced a diving header in defence to cut off Andrezinho’s dangerous cross.
But there was nothing he could do in the 89th as Andrezinho jinked his way past Foschini and added some polish to the result.
Perth Glory 4 (Smeltz 2, Sterjovski, Adrezinho)
Melbourne Victory 1 (Kewell)
