Perth captain Jacob Burns believes there’s plenty more goals to come from the Mile Sterjovski/Branko Jelic partnership up front for the Glory.
Speaking on Monday before training, Burns said Jelic’s double in a 2-1 win over Melbourne last Friday night was an encouraging sign that the strike partnership was starting to bloom.
Prior to that, in the club’s first three matches this season, all the Glory’s goals had come from midfielders, rather than from the two strikers coach Dave Mitchell had expensively acquired during the off-season to replace Nikita Rukavytsya.
But Jelic showed just how dangerous he can be when he prodded home from a goal-mouth scramble in the fourth minute, slipping home a ball from Sterjovski that was probably going in anyway, before firing home a second-half winner after receiving a superb cross-goal header from his fellow striker.
“I think a lot of players, they play on confidence, especially strikers,” Burns said.
“They get a couple of goals and the balls starting to bounce their way and they start to get more and more, so he’s (Jelic) buzzing at the minute and it’s a good sign for us.”
“Branko got a couple on the weekend and I think Sterj was kind of a bit disappointed that he didn’t get one.”
“(But) they’re starting to get a feel for each other (and) from the midfield we’re starting to see the runs that they’re doing, starting to realise their movement off the ball and where we want to be putting balls.”
“If strikers can get a good partnership happening, it’s great for the team … it makes our job a lot easier,” he said.
The main downside of the emerging partnership, though, has been the fact last season’s equal top scorer for the Glory, Eugene Dadi, has been pushed out of the starting XI by Jelic and Sterjovski.
“I’ve spoken to Eugene personally and he’s disappointed,” Burns said.
“But he’s a good pro and he’s working hard in the areas that he feels he needs to and I’m sure his time will come and, when it comes, I’m sure he will do a great job for us.”
Having beaten Newcastle and Melbourne, the Glory are searching for a record third consecutive win when they travel to Canberra to take on Central Coast on Friday night.
With Gosford’s Bluetongue Stadium already being used, the Mariners have been forced to travel to the capital, meaning the game will be effectively held at a neutral venue.
This will only help the travel-shy Glory as it attempts to claim just its second win on the road in the last 25 matches since the start of last season.
“It’s (the poor travel record) something that we’re mindful of, it’s something that we want to set right,” Burns said.
“So we’ve set a target to do that and let’s keep the run going and get three wins.”
