Perth Glory has recorded a 3-1 victory at Hindmarsh Stadium against Adelaide United in a friendly hit out on Friday night.
Michael Baird, who had trialled with United, bagged a double in the last five minutes and it was enough to give victory to the visitors.
Branko Jelic got on the score sheet in the first half before Sergi van Dijk scored the goal of the game midway through the second half.
United was without many of their regular first eleven including Matthew Leckie, who along with reserve keeper Mark Birighitti were away on international duty.
Eugene Galekovic is also sidelined after undergoing minor knee surgery while Travis Dodd isn’t expected to return for at least another month after groin surgery.
Perth dominated much of the first half playing the ball out of defence much smoother than its opponents.
Ex-Red Adriano Pellegrino was the general in the middle of the park for Glory while United’s playmaker Marcos Flores struggled to control action.
Just after quarter of an hour Perth opened the scoring, pouncing on some slow and sloppy defending.
Former United triallist, Baird robbed Daniel Mullen wide on the left with the right back caught in possession.
Baird carried the ball 20 metres cutting inside before squaring the ball for team-mate Branko Jelic who coolly turned in the cross past trialling keeper Takumi Takahashi from 6 yards.
Van Dijk looked lively for the Reds and squandered his best chance on 25 minutes.
The Reds took a free kick quickly and acting captain Lucas Pantelis chipped in a cross for van Dijk who miss hit his volley and effectively took the sting out of it.
Tando Velhapi still had to tip it over the bar, albeit making it look more dramatic, in his only piece of action for the first half.
United took off the pedestrian Inseob Shin and brought on new signing Iain Ramsay.
The ex-Sydney winger added pace United’s forward line but Perth continued to look comfortable in the second half.
Jamie Harnwell was solid in defence for the Glory, keeping van Dijk in check.
Flores sliced open Perth’s attack with 20 minutes remaining dinking a lovely ball over the top for Pantelis to run on to and the diminutive midfielder whipped in a delightful cross for Ramsay.
The speedy winger blazed wide from eight metres, hitting the cross first time.
Four minutes later, van Dijk struck a stunning equaliser with a 30-metre drive fired into the top corner. The Dutch-born striker took the ball with a touch before taking another, picking his spot and letting rip leaving Velhapi no chance in the Glory goal.
Perth had managed to play a better brand of football than United for greater periods and regained the lead in the 85th minute courtesy of a sweet finish from Baird.
The striker latched onto a delightful through ball from substitute Josh Risdon and placed in the bottom corner of Takahashi’s goal.
The auditioning keeper had enjoyed an impressive first hit out but conceded a soft third goal right at the death.
Baird’s second should have been routine save for the keeper but the Japanese stopper let it slip under his body.
