Perth Glory have moved up to fifth on the Hyundai A-League table, notching back-to-back away wins for the first time in two-and-half years with a 2-1 success over Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park.
Perth Glory have moved up to fifth on the Hyundai A-League table, notching back-to-back away wins for the first time in two-and-half years with a 2-1 success over Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park.
The Glory, notorious for their inability to win on the road, dominated the match and should have had the three points in the bag before half time, with Shane Smeltz giving them the lead on 16 minutes and then missing a host of chances to put the match to bed.
When Eli Babalj won a penalty midway through the second half, which resulted in a goal from Kristian Sarkies, it looked as if the home side might make Perth pay for their profligacy, but a dreadful goalkeeping mistake on 68 minutes by Clint Bolton allowed Steven McGarry in to score what proved the winner.
On the back of last week’s win over Wellington, Perth have strung together successive away wins for the first time since September 2009 and now find themselves in fifth, leaping Sydney, Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United in the process.
They back up against Sydney at Campbelltown on Wednesday.
Heart remain in third spot on the table but are now winless in their past three and are in danger of being dragged back into the mid-table scrap. They looked considerably poorer without playmaker Fred and face the top two, Central Coast and Brisbane Roar, at AAMI Park on Wednesday and Saturday respectively.
The game took a while to wake from its early slumber, with Sarkies firing the first meaningful shot, forcing a fumble from Perth keeper Danny Vukovic. Rutger Worm followed up with a long-range effort which flew just over.
Perth’s first real opportunity resulted in a goal. Jacob Burns robbed Heart of possession and fed it through to Liam Miller, who found Smeltz. The Kiwi striker beat Aziz Behich and Bolton to the ball and aided by a deflection, put his side in front of 16 minutes.
Smeltz could have had a hat-trick by 35 minutes, having missed several great chances in a period where the visitors were well on top. After an effort over the bar and then a tame shot easily saved by Bolton, he missed a gilt-edged chance.
A mistake from Brendan Hamill saw Smeltz gifted the ball, but he hit one shot into the keeper and the second was blocked by Behich. Travis Dodd then slid an angled shot millimetres wide.
Heart had two more chances to equalise late in the half, the first was a handball appeal against Bas van den Brink, and a follow up effort from Hamill which went over. While on the cusp of the half, a Sarkies free kick forced a desperate fingertip save from Vukovic.
Perth continued to spurn chances after the break, with Miller guilty of putting a shot over the bar when it appeared easier to put it in the net.
Heart built their case for an equaliser when substitute Jonatan Germano headed over soon after the hour and on 65 minutes, Babalj woke from his slumber, charging into the box, beating Todd Howarth and forcing an errant tackle from Burns.
Matt Thompson stepped up for the penalty and while Vukovic kept it out, Sarkies swooped to equalise.
But the home side’s relief was short-lived, when two minutes later Mile Sterjovski shot from range and forced Bolton to mis-handle the ball. It fell at McGarry’s feet and he couldn’t help but score.
Heart had a few good chances to rescue a point, the best of which fell to Maycon, who hit the post from a set piece, while a Dugandzic free kick just fizzed wide.
However, they could not feel too hard done by as Perth also missed a hatful of late chances, with Smeltz the main culprit again, albeit in a winning team.
Melbourne Heart 1 (Sarkies 66)
Perth Glory 2 (Smeltz 16, McGarry 68)
Crowd: 7,233 at AAMI Park
