Glory and Sky Blues share spoils

Updated January 06, 2013 01:36:24

Shane Smeltz twice put Perth Glory in front against Sydney FC but Frank Farina's side gamely fought back to earn a point at Perth Oval.

Smeltz gave the Glory the lead with a fine header six minutes before the break, from Josh Risdon's pinpoint cross.

This was was cancelled out by a headed equaliser from a less likely source, former Socceroo Jason Culina, just after the hour mark.

Brett Emerton's cross from the right flank found his former international team-mate unmarked in the box and he gave Danny Vukovic no chance with a diving header into the roof of the net.

Culina then had the chance to put the Glory in front but blazed over the bar from point-blank range.

Ten minutes from time, Smeltz powered the Glory back in front with a strike from outside the box but this time the lead lasted just two minutes.

Sebastian Ryall prodded home from close range after Vukovic dropped Alessandro Del Piero's free kick right at his feet to level the scores once more.

The draw means Sydney FC remains at the foot of the table, a point below the Melbourne Heart. Perth is still fifth.

Perth: 2 (Smeltz 39', 80')

Sydney FC: 2 (Culina 63', Ryall 82')

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, perth-6000

First posted January 05, 2013 23:50:44

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Perth Glory rules out signing Michael Owen

Updated January 07, 2013 17:04:58

Perth Glory says former Liverpool star Michael Owen will not be joining the club.

There was worldwide speculation Owen could join the Glory after the club spoke to his management to ask about his wage demands.

But coach Ian Ferguson says he has decided he would rather sign a younger player, and someone with more recent game time under his belt than Owen, who has been on the outer at English Premier League club Stoke.

Owen is one of the most successful strikers in recent years, having played for Liverpool 306 times, scoring 179 goals.

He also scored 40 times in 89 appearances for the English national team.

Perth Glory is looking to replace striker Billy Mehmet, who quit to join a Thailand-based club.

Tags: soccer, perth-6000

First posted January 07, 2013 17:04:58

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Glory sets sights on Michael Owen

Updated January 05, 2013 12:43:06

Perth Glory is looking to sign former Liverpool and Manchester United star Michael Owen.

The Glory has made contact with Owen's management to inquire about his wage demands.

The 33-year-old is not getting regular game time for his current English Premier League club Stoke and he is believed to be keen to change clubs.

Owen is one of England's most successful strikers in recent years, having made 216 league apperances for Liverpool, scoring 118 goals.

He also scored 40 times in 89 appearances for the English national team.

Glory coach Ian Ferguson says it is too early to say who will replace striker Billy Mehmet, who quit to join Bangkok Glass in the Thai Premier League.

"We have got one or two irons in the fire overseas and we're waiting to see what happens with those," he said.

Tags: soccer, sport, perth-6000

First posted January 05, 2013 12:30:16

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Reds hold off Glory

Updated January 11, 2013 21:52:09

Adelaide United import Jeronimo Neumann made the most of a sudden call-up to score twice in a 3-2 victory against Perth Glory at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Neumann came from the bench when Reds frontman Bruce Djite limped off after injuring a groin muscle just 80 seconds into the fixture.

The second-placed Reds kept pressure on league leaders Central Coast Mariners with a win also featuring a stunning Iain Ramsay goal, before two Glory goals in the final four minutes gave the home side a fright.

The Reds trail the Mariners by one point ahead of the pacesetter's away match against Melbourne Victory on Saturday.

Neumann's first goal came through good fortune, the second through Dario Vidosic.

The Argentine opened scoring in the 29th minute when Glory defender Scott Jamieson swung a leg in an attempted clearance near the penalty spot.

Jamieson badly miscued, just making enough contact with the ball to plop it over Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic and into Neumann's path for a tap in.

Eight minutes later, Vidosic delivered a calculating through pass to give Neumann a run at goal, and the striker trickled a left-footer past the approaching Vukovic which rolled slowly into the net.

The Glory should have equalised two minutes later when three players had scoring shots in a pinball episode.

Steven McGarry powered a long range attempt into a side bar, the ball fell to Shane Smeltz who blasted into a Reds defender and the rebound went to Liam Miller, whose shot was saved by Adelaide goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic.

The fifth-placed Glory, winless from their past four matches and losing touch with the top four, slipped further behind one minute into the second half when Ramsay netted a cracking one-touch effort.

A Vidosic corner was cleared by the Glory but the ball fell invitingly towards Ramsay, who sized up from 15 metres and powered a left-footer into the top corner to beat a diving Vukovic.

But Glory scored twice in the dying stages - a contentious 89th minute penalty to Shane Smeltz after he went to ground from slight contact with Reds defender Antony Golec, and a McGarry strike a minute before the final whistle.

Reds: 3 (Neumann 28', 36; Ramsay 46')

Glory: 2 (Smeltz (pen) 88', McGarry 90')

AAP

Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, adelaide-5000, perth-6000

First posted January 11, 2013 21:34:23

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Glory striker quits for Thai club

Updated January 04, 2013 19:34:59

Perth Glory striker Billy Mehmet is leaving for a Thailand based club.

Mehmet used social media to confirm the transfer will take place.

Glory coach Ian Ferguson says it is disappointing to lose Mehmet, but he understands why he wants to leave.

"I can't guarantee anybody any first team place and Billy wanted first team football and I can't guarantee him that, he's 28 and he wants to be playing regularly," he said.

Meanwhile, Ferguson says star striker Shane Smeltz is certain to be fit for Saturday night's match against Sydney FC.

Smeltz sat out much of Thursday's training session with a groin injury, but joined in with his teammates on Friday.

The Glory can hardly afford to be without Smeltz having just lost Mehmet, but Ferguson says the New Zealander is ready to go.

Tags: soccer, perth-6000

First posted January 04, 2013 19:34:59

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Mariners stay top with win over Glory

Updated December 31, 2012 22:47:03

Substitute Bernie Ibini ensured an under-strength Central Coast Mariners entered the new year on top of the ladder with the decisive goal in the 1-0 win over Perth in Gosford.

Ibini's 67th-minute goal was the first shot on target of a match dominated by two well-drilled defences.

It was the Mariners' sixth win from as many home matches this season.

Without the suspended trio of playmaker Tomas Rogic, leading goal-scorer Daniel McBreen and captain John Hutchinson, the Mariners struggled to penetrate the Glory rearguard.

Perth were a man down from the 76th minute when Dutch central defender Bas van den Brink was sent off after collecting a second yellow card.

Glory created the only decent chance of the first half, but it was spurned by normally deadly striker Shane Smeltz.

The unmarked New Zealand international put a sidefoot volley wide from six metres out following a good cross from Steven McGarry.

At the other end, former Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic pushed away a couple of dangerous crosses, but the home side struggled to create a genuine shot on goal in the first half.

The Mariners upped the tempo in the second half and looked the more likely to score.

Striker Adam Kwasnik had a headed goal disallowed in the 47th minute for offside and headed wide 12 minutes later.

The breakthrough came shortly after when 53rd-minute substitute Ibini won a challenge with Scott Jamieson to an Oliver Bozanic cross.

The 20-year-old striker drilled the ball past Vukovic for his third goal of the season.

The Glory did not create much in the second half and their hopes plummeted after van Den Brink, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Michael McGlinchey, was given his second card for an illegal challenge on Mile Sterjovski.

The visitors did not have an attempt on target in the whole encounter, while the Mariners enjoyed just two.

Glory coach Ian Ferguson felt Ibini's goal should not have stood.

"I felt he was all over Jamieson and also he has used his hand to get the ball around to him and score the goal," he said.

"We've lost three points there."

Mariners coach Graham Arnold says he did not see the alleged handball by Ibini.

"We've had plenty go against us, so for once we've had one go for us," he said.

Mariners: 1 (Ibini 67')

Glory: 0

AAP

Tags: soccer, a-league, sport, gosford-2250

First posted December 31, 2012 19:58:37

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Glory take rare points from Brisbane

Updated December 21, 2012 23:33:09

Midfielder Steven McGarry's wonder-strike gave Perth Glory a 1-0 victory and heaped more misery on struggling A-League champions Brisbane Roar on Friday night.

McGarry's 35-yard stunner just before half-time was enough to secure the Glory their first back-to-back wins of the season and leave new Roar coach Mike Mulvey ruing what might have been after the hosts squandered numerous opportunities.

In front of 11,352 fans, the Roar spent most of the second half attacking the Glory's penalty area but the home team failed to convert with star striker Besart Berisha particularly guilty of fluffing chances he would normally bury.

The Albanian, who controversially won a penalty which he then converted to seal the Roar's grand final win over the Glory at Lang Park back in April, had at least three clear chances to score but endured a rare off-night in front of goal.

Brazilian Henrique hit the crossbar while midfielder Erik Paartalu and youngster Ben Halloran also came close but the Glory somehow held firm to deny the Roar an equalising goal in a lopsided second-half.

McGarry's classy strike, which came after he was given space from a clever flick-on from Smeltz, lifts the Glory to fourth place with 17 points, ahead of Melbourne Victory on goal difference.

The Roar, who replaced head coach Rado Vidosic with Mulvey during the week, remain ninth with just three wins from 12 matches.

The Roar also suffered a late blow with substitute Jack Hingert limping off in the dying minutes of the match.

Perth Glory: 1 (S McGarry 45')

Brisbane Roar: 0

AAP

Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted December 21, 2012 22:59:47

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Offices of Perth Glory owner Tony Sage raided

Updated December 19, 2012 18:36:23

The Australian Federal Police has raided the offices of several companies associated with businessman and Perth Glory owner, Tony Sage.

Officers spent several hours in the building which houses the Perth Glory offices as well as offices for the mining company Cape Lambert Resources.

Mr Sage is the executive chairman of the mining company which was placed in a trading halt earlier this year as it negotiated a multi-million dollar tax debt with the tax office.

It is unclear whether the two matters are related.

An AFP spokesman says a number of search warrants were executed on commercial and residential premises in Perth and Sydney today.

He says it is part of an ongoing investigation in partnership with agencies including the Australian Tax Office and Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

A spokesman for Mr Sage declined to comment.

Tags: fraud-and-corporate-crime, a-league, perth-6000

First posted December 19, 2012 17:21:57

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Glory to bounce back: Ferguson

Updated December 09, 2012 17:19:46

Goals and wins have dried up for last season's A-League runners up Perth Glory, but coach Ian Ferguson believes his players will respond well to the pressure.

The Glory started the season strongly, with three wins in their first five games.

But their five matches since have yielded just two points and two goals, with their most recent result a 1-0 loss to Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

Sudanese-born refugee Golgol Mebrahtu came off the bench to deliver an 89th-minute winner for the Heart in his first appearance for the club after 26 goal-less matches with Gold Coast.

It took the Glory's away record this season to just one point from five games.

Ferguson admitted that while previous performances during Perth's winless streak had been better than results indicated, the loss to the Heart had few redeeming features.

"We probably got what we deserved," he said.

"We never played at all well, as well as I'd expect us to play."

Most galling was that Perth had earmarked the clash as a chance to jump-start their stalling season, given the Heart were missing numerous key players and entered the round second-bottom.

"I really thought it was a day we could have cemented again and tried to get a run going," Ferguson said.

"It never worked out that way. That's the biggest disappointment."

The Glory will fall to eighth by the end of the round.

But Ferguson backed his side to claw their way out of the slump.

"Of course we're confident we can," he said.

"We've got good players to come back in - (Michael) Thwaite and (Scott) Jamieson (from Socceroos duty) and Liam Miller (from injury).

"We're pretty confident we can get it back on track again.

"We've got to, it's as simple as that.

"We've been through this before.

"I just said to the boys, it's not unless there's real pressure on this club that we start to react.

"We should be doing a lot better than what we have done."

AAP

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted December 09, 2012 17:18:18

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Glory hammer jaded Jets

Updated December 15, 2012 00:56:05

Perth midfielder Travis Dodd scored a brace and Shane Smeltz chipped in with a controversial goal to inspire Glory to a 3-0 A-League victory over the Newcastle Jets at Perth Oval on Friday night.

The Jets entered the match with a cloud hanging over their future after the Australian Taxation Office applied to have both them and NRL outfit Newcastle Knights wound up due to unpaid debts.

And the week got worse for the Jets when Dodd scored in the 45th and 49th minutes, before Smeltz won and converted a questionable penalty in the 75th minute.

Perth's first win in six games lifted them from eighth into fourth on the table, while the Jets, who have lost four of their past five games, slipped to sixth.

Glory created a glut of chances in the opening half, but Newcastle should have opened the scoring in the fifth minute when James Virgili streamed into the box with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Danny Vukovic pulled off a good save with his legs to deny Virgili, and Jets goalkeeper Matthew Nash had to pull off some heroics of his own at the other end to keep out wave after wave of attacking forays from Perth.

But a defensive mistake from debutant Jets midfielder Mitchell Oxborrow opened the door for Perth on the stroke of half-time, with Dodd intercepting the weak pass before unleashing a cool strike to finally beat Nash.

Dodd was at it again shortly after the break, with the former Adelaide skipper capitalising on a quickly-taken Glory corner to head home the second goal of the match.

And Jets coach Gary van Egmond was left clearly aggrieved when Perth were awarded a penalty in the 75th minute despite defender Josh Mitchell making contact with the ball first in a tackle on Smeltz.

Marquee Jets striker Emile Heskey had a quiet match, with the former England international well held by Glory's defence.

And Perth had extra reason to celebrate the win after captain Jacob Burns managed to stay out of the referee's book for the first time this season.

"I've been through referees and talked about referees. I'm not getting involved in it at all," van Egmond said of the penalty.

"If he's deemed it's a penalty, it's a penalty.

"I want the players and the game to have the headlines rather than referees. So let's just try to keep it that way."

Glory coach Ian Ferguson said it was a relief to break the club's five-match winless run, but admitted his team were lucky to be awarded the penalty.

"From where I was sitting it was a bit soft, but I'll take it," Ferguson said.

"These are the things I speak about when you say you need that bit of luck, and we got it tonight.

"There was a lot of pressure on us tonight and to get the 3-0 victory was pleasing."

Perth Glory: 3 (Dodd 45', 49', Smeltz 75')

Newcastle Jets: 0

AAP

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, perth-6000, wa, newcastle-2300, nsw, australia

First posted December 15, 2012 00:08:35

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No Glory for Heart in comprehensive loss

Updated October 21, 2012 20:47:55

A goal in either half propelled Perth Glory to a 2-0 win over Melbourne Heart and top spot on the A-League ladder on Sunday night.

The Glory had the better of the chances at Perth Oval with both goals coming from corners - Dean Heffernan grabbing the first and Billy Mehmet the second to secure the relatively comfortable victory without stars Shane Smeltz and Bas van den Brink.

Coming off last season's heartbreaking grand final loss to the Brisbane Roar, the Glory have now sandwiched two home wins around a 1-0 loss away to the Central Coast Mariners.

The Glory controlled the majority of the contest and deservedly came away with full points, taking some air out of the Heart's impressive opening to the season which had yielded a win and draw over the opening two weeks under new coach John Aloisi.

The Heart got close to an early goal with a well-taken free kick from David Williams that Fred just put over the crossbar, before the Glory seized control of the match.

Heffernan had two golden chances in the 11th minute, both tremendously saved by the Heart on the goal line, while Mehmet was a constant menace in the box.

The Glory were eventually rewarded for their efforts when Heffernan tapped in a corner from Liam Miller in the 38th minute.

Heart captain Fred was substituted at half-time with his right eye swelling up after a first-half clash with Glory defender Michael Thwaite.

The move worked in Melbourne's favour with his replacement Josip Tadic helping to give the visitors some drive in attack.

But the Glory refused to take their foot off the pedal, Mehmet missing with a header before Steve McGarry blew the day's easiest opportunity when he shot high when alone in the box.

Chris Harold missed an outstanding chance to make it 2-0 in the 84th minute when he missed when presented with a one-on-one with Heart keeper Clint Bolton, Mehmet eventually confirming the points when he turned in a corner four minutes from time.

Glory coach Ian Ferguson was happy with his team's overall performance but found himself unable to breathe easy until the second goal eventually went on the board.

"I felt like we were in control for a lot of the game, but with only one goal in it you know that the Heart are dangerous," Ferguson said.

"We were a little bit nervous until the second goal went in and I was really proud of the boys.

"There was a big emphasis on retaining the ball because last week we were rushing things and turning the ball over, but this week we worked hard on retaining the ball and being patient, and I was pleased with that."

Aloisi admitted his side struggled with the 30-degree temperatures, but that was not the only aspect of his team's play he was unhappy with.

"We weren't really in the game and in the first half we weren't getting outplayed as much, but we didn't keep hold of the ball as well as we would have liked," Aloisi said.

"We struggled with the conditions, really struggled, and looked flat, fatigued and then the game became stretched, and they outplayed us in the midfield and it was a struggle for us.

"I know you can't make up excuses, but it has been quite cool in Melbourne and coming over here to play at two o'clock in the afternoon really affected us."

Perth Glory: 2 (D Heffernan 39', B Mehmet 86')

Melbourne Heart: 0

AAP

Tags: sport, soccer, perth-6000, wa, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted October 21, 2012 19:28:38

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Great goals but no splitting Glory and Phoenix

Updated November 25, 2012 08:15:33

Perth Glory and Wellington Phoenix have drawn 1-1 in a hard-fought encounter at Perth Oval on Saturday night.

Two quality strikes by Shane Smeltz and Jeremy Brockie cancelled each other out, to leave both sides with a share of the points.

Possession was almost dead even for the game but the Glory created the lion's share of the chances.

Wellington had keeper Mark Paston to thank for keeping them in the game with a number of strong saves.

Perth took the lead in the 62nd minute, when a long ball was headed on to Smeltz, who turned a defender before firing a low shot into the net to score against his former side.

Wellington went out in search of an equaliser, and when it came it was even better than the first - the Phoenix broke down the right, and Brockie flicked the ball over Glory defender Steve Pantelidis before shooting the ball through the legs of Perth keeper Danny Vukovic.

Both sides tried to snatch all three points, but neither could find the right finish and it was honours even in the end.

The result drops Perth to fifth place on 11 points, while the Phoenix remain in seventh with nine points.

Perth Glory 1 (Smeltz 62')

Wellington Phoenix 1 (Brockie 73')

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, perth-6000, wa, australia, new-zealand

First posted November 25, 2012 00:11:02

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In-form Victory too good for Glory

Updated November 30, 2012 22:19:00

Melbourne Victory's hot run of A-League form continued with a Marco Rojas goal capping a 1-0 win over travel-shy Perth Glory at AAMI Park on Friday night.

Rojas' classy second-half score continued an excellent season for the New Zealand speedster as the third-placed Victory made it four wins and a draw from their past five games to move within a point of second-placed Central Coast.

The fifth-placed Glory have managed just two points from their past four games and only one from four away matches this season.

Perth, missing Jacob Burns (suspended) along with Michael Thwaite and Scott Jamieson (Socceroos), was further hit by the pre-game withdrawal of Liam Miller, injured in the warm-up.

The visitors still created two decent opportunities in the first 15 minutes, both involving Nick Ward pushing unmarked into the penalty area.

If not for Dean Heffernan putting slightly too much power on a free kick Ward would have had an open header.

Soon after, Steven McGarry found Ward again unmarked in the box from a free kick, with Ward's header across goal floating narrowly off-target.

But Victory started to work their way on top and spent much of the first half in attack, although without giving Glory keeper Danny Vukovic too much work.

The closest Melbourne came to scoring before the interval was when a clever Andrew Nabbout chip set Rojas free in the box in the 28th minute, but Rojas' attempt to lob Vukovic grazed the top of the crossbar.

Victory's dominance continued early in the second half.

A penetrating Rojas run delivered Nabbout a great opportunity within three minutes of the restart, although Nabbout's left-footer was just wide.

But Rojas did not need any help nine minutes later, slotting a deft chip inside the right post from the left flank.

Perth pushed hard for a late leveller, again looking most threatening in the air, with a Shane Smeltz header forcing a sharp Coe save in the 75th minute.

Substitute Chris Harold, who had earlier botched a chance with an open header of his own, almost made amends in the 90th minute with a surging run into the box and fierce shot, which Coe blocked to ensure Victory's second clean sheet in as many games.

Melbourne Victory: 1 (M Rojas 58')

Perth Glory: 0

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Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted November 30, 2012 22:19:00

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McBreen goal downs Glory

Updated October 14, 2012 23:42:56

The Central Coast secured some semblance of revenge for last season's heartbreaking preliminary final loss to Perth by beating the Glory 1-0 in a closely contested match in Gosford on Sunday.

Last season's minor premiers, who opened their season with a 0-0 draw against Western Sydney last week, looked like remaining winless and goalless until Daniel McBreen scored his 70th minute goal to snatch victory for the hosts.

The Mariners lost last season's controversial preliminary final in April after Glory striker Shane Smeltz, who on Sunday was on national duty with New Zealand, scored the equaliser from an offside position before Perth went on to book its grand final berth on penalties.

But it was the Mariners, wearing pink kits in support of the cancer charity event Pink Ribbon Day, who went home victors on Sunday in front of 9,192 cheering faithful.

Two yellow cards were shown in the first 25 minutes of what was a heated encounter.

Perth's Michael Thwaite earning the first for a foul on Mile Sterjovski, while Mariners fans thought their team may be awarded a penalty when Sterjovski was brought down on the edge the box by Jacob Burns.

Burns' foul created the first chance of the match midway through the opening half when Patrick Zwaanswijk stepped up to take the free-kick, forcing a diving save from Glory gloveman Daniel Vukovic.

Zwaanswijk however, earned the ire of the referee minutes later for tripping Travis Dodd getting the third yellow of the match.

The Mariners' Trent Sainsbury had the only other chance of the half with a shot from inside the box but fired his header just over the bar.

Both teams came back from the break looking to get on the scoresheet with Central Coast skipper John Hutchinson attempting to open the Mariners account.

Hutchinson however, made a potential game-changing error in the 69th minute when he gave the ball away to Dodd who was charging toward goal only to be denied by Sainsbury.

Sainsbury turned provider a minute later when he played a beautiful pass to McBreen who showed great skill to control the ball with his left foot before slotting it home with his right to give the hosts the 1-0 win.

Pedj Bojic could have put the game beyond doubt in the 78th minute when he had a clear shot at goal but misfired.

Glory sub Nick Ward almost made the Mariners pay for their profligacy when, after linking well with Billy Mehmet, he fired just wide of the near post.

Central Coast: 1 (McBreen 69')

Perth: 0

AAP/ABC

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, gosford-2250, perth-6000

First posted October 14, 2012 19:07:58

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Mehmet gets Glory past Roar

Updated October 08, 2012 11:36:17

Perth Glory coach Ian Ferguson insists his team is yet to taste grand final revenge despite recording a 1-0 victory over defending A-League premiers Brisbane Roar at Subiaco Oval on Sunday.

The Glory were left heartbroken in last season's decider when Roar striker Besart Berisha was awarded a controversial penalty at the death which allowed him to score the winning goal.

Brisbane had 168 days to savour that 2-1 win before fronting up against Perth again.

But it was the Roar who had to endure some late pain this time around, with substitute Glory striker Billy Mehmet heading home in the 88th minute to give Perth the perfect start to the season.

Mehmet, who replaced Shane Smeltz in the 84th minute, described the win as "payback" for the grand final heartbreak, but Ferguson was more measured in his assessment.

"People are going to talk about revenge, but revenge is when you've got the cup in your hand. This was three points today," Ferguson said.

Berisha was enemy number one throughout the match as a heaving pro-Glory crowd of 14,085 gave the 27-year-old the most hostile of receptions.

The Perth fans spared no expense in venting their fury over Berisha's grand final dive, with one support group organising a pre-match fly-over bearing the message: "Diving classes call 1300 Go Roar".

Tempers threatened to boil over in the 34th minute when Liam Miller put his knees into the back of Berisha after the Roar striker fell to the turf in a tackle.

Miller was shown a yellow card for the incident, but Berisha also found himself in the book on the stroke off halftime when he was involved in an altercation with Glory defender Dean Heffernan.

Ferguson was pleased with how his players dealt with the emotion surrounding Berisha.

"I made that clear that we wanted everyone staying on the park and no silly bookings," Ferguson said.

"I was delighted with how they handled that today."

Roar coach Rado Vidosic, who took over the reins of Brisbane for the first time following Ange Postecoglou's defection to Melbourne Victory, felt Berisha handled the extra attention well.

"I think he played very good. Unfortunately he just couldn't get in a better situation to score a goal," Vidosic said.

Brisbane had a chance to equalise in the dying minutes, but Ben Halloran's strike cannoned into the post.

Vidosic remains good friends with Postecoglou, but the pair are likely to keep contact to a minimum ahead of Saturday's clash between the Roar and Victory at Lang Park.

Perth Glory: 1 (B Mehmet 88')

Brisbane Roar: 0

Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, perth-6000, wa, brisbane-4000, qld, australia

First posted October 07, 2012 19:15:52

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Glory get early chance for revenge

Updated June 19, 2012 16:02:05

Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory will square off in a rematch of the A-League grand final in the first round of the 2012-13 season.

Roar hero Besart Berisha will undoubtedly receive a rough ride from the Subiaco Oval faithful still bristling at how he won the crucial penalty in Brisbane's 2-1 victory in April.

Full season fixtures

Glory skipper Jacob Burns who conceded the spot kick for his challenge on Berisha expressed his delight at the draw on Twitter.

"Can't wait for round 1 v roar at Patterson stadium! Should be another fierce battle & a little tasty," Burns said.

The season will kick off on Friday October 5 when last year's victorious coach Ange Postecoglou faces a derby in his first game in charge of Melbourne Victory against fellow new coach John Aloisi of the Heart at Docklands.

Postecoglou will then take his new side to visit his old team at Lang Park in what is certain to be an emotional occasion for the Victory coach and Roar fans alike.

Sydney fans will have to wait until week three for their inaugural derby as Sydney FC face their new Western Sydney rivals.

Western Sydney will meet fellow New South Wales outfit, the Central Coast Mariners, in its first A-League game.

The eighth A-League season will also see a new knockout finals format with the top two sides in the regular season now receiving first round byes in the finals.

Teams finishing from third to sixth do battle in the finals' first round to see who will travel to the top two in the semi-finals.

This system, similar to that used in the NFL, removes the 'double chance' aspect used in previous seasons.

Football Federation Australia CEO Ben Buckley explained the reasons for the change in the finals' structure.

"FFA wanted to reduce the repetitive nature of the previous system where in the past teams have played each other three times in the four week format," Buckley said.

"The decision to intensify the Finals Series lead to the removal of the preliminary final to replace it with two Semi-Final matches that will provide the platform for a highly energised and uncompromising cup style finals format and allow for a more challenging and thrilling 2013 Finals Series."

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, australia, perth-6000, brisbane-4000

First posted June 19, 2012 11:14:27

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Perth Glory unhappy over construction schedule

Updated June 07, 2012 19:46:41

The Perth Glory has threatened to walk away from Perth Oval over a dispute about upgrades to the stadium.

The State Government has announced further redevelopment of the site, with the southern stand being replaced and seats added to the northern end in front of the shed area.

Glory owner Tony Sage says the construction schedule affects the club unfairly, by reducing seating capacity.

"We've been told that our fans are only going to be allowed to have 5,000 seats for next year, the whole season," he said.

"And as soon as our season's finished, rugby starts two weeks later, they've already scheduled away games for those two weeks, and they get a full, brand new, 22,000 seat stadium with no disruption."

He says the Glory will play its first game of next season at Subiaco Oval and is looking at the Burswood Dome as a more permanent option.

But Sports Minister Terry Waldron says the long-term gains will outweigh the disruption to the Perth Glory season.

"Obviously they're going to have some disruptions next season," he said.

"And while that's unfortunate, they've [Glory] been aware of that the whole way through.

"And I guess the long term benefits and their ability to provide for their fan base, their ability to earn finance through the ground will be greatly enhanced."

The State Opposition says the government needs to take the Perth Glory's concerns about the redevelopment of Perth Oval seriously.

Labor spokesman Roger Cook says the government needs to sit down with Mr Sage in an effort to stop him from walking away from the venue.

"It's concerning that the government will spend $95 million doing up NIB Stadium and the people who seem most unhappy with it is the soccer community of Western Australia," he said.

Mr Waldron says the new additions will be built within the $95 million budget.

"When we announced the budget of $95.1 million, we said the budget was for the eastern stand and we were going to look at opportunities to do other works," he said.

"And we thought there may have been some scope there; as it's turned out, there is."

Work will start on the stadium on 2 July, following the Western Force's final game of the 2012 Super Rugby season.

The stadium is expected to be finished in March 2013.

Tags: government-and-politics, super-rugby, soccer, perth-6000

First posted June 07, 2012 13:54:25

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Drogba leads Chelsea to Champions League glory

Updated May 20, 2012 11:43:13

Didier Drogba was the hero as Chelsea shattered Bayern Munich's Champions League dream with victory in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Drogba stepped up to slot home the winning penalty for Chelsea after earlier saving his side with an equalising goal two minutes from time to cancel out what looked like a winner from Thomas Muller as the match finished at 1-1.

It was an agonising defeat for Bayern, who saw midfield maestro Bastian Schweinsteiger miss with their final kick to give Drogba the opportunity to score the penalty to clinch the shoot-out 4-3.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech also saved brilliantly from Ivica Ovic to get Chelsea back into the shoot-out after Juan Mata had missed the Premier League side's opening effort.

Cech had earlier saved a Bayern penalty from Arjen Robben in the first period of extra-time as the English side defied the odds once more.

Drogba's winning spot-kick was a fairytale ending for the 34-year-old Ivorian striker, who had been sent off in the final minutes of Chelsea's Champions League final defeat in Moscow four years ago to Manchester United on penalties.

"We have been doing this for years and years. There is a great spirit at the club, we never give up until the end," said Drogba.

"Today was just amazing. Even if they had scored their penalty in extra-time, Juan Mata said we can get another goal. We all believed."

Full-back Ashley Cole added: "We should have lost the game with the amount of chances they had."

"After we lost in Napoli (last 16 first leg), we thought if we can beat them at home then we have the luck and we can win the tournament.

"Even when Robben missed the penalty, we still thought we had time to get another goal and with Petr Cech in goal, we knew we could do it."

The win capped a rollercoaster season for Chelsea, whose campaign has been transformed since Roberto Di Matteo was appointed as interim manager in March following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas.

Di Matteo has guided the club to a Champions League and FA Cup double in the space of a fortnight and is now favourite to land the job on a full-time basis.

"It's what we have wanted and what the owner wanted and Robbie has been superb. We have won the FA Cup and Champions League and he can't do anymore than that," said club captain John Terry, who was suspended for the final.

"It was do-or-die, win the competition or we would not have been in it next year and that was enough to motivate us."

Goal-keeper Cech added: "I think Roberto has done enough to get the job but now it's up to the board to decide."

"When we lost the penalty shoot-out against Manchester United in Moscow maybe it was not meant to be our moment. But as a player you hope you will have the same opportunity to play the final."

Skipper Frank Lampard also lauded Di Matteo who has to wait to see if he will become the permanent coach.

"He's the one we wanted, he's been brilliant. We cannot ask for anymore for what he has done," said Lampard.

"Once we got back into the game, there was a feeling that it would come for us. It wasn't beautiful and we had to dig in. We were a bit mix-and-match, but we got the result."

The loss left Bayern gutted as their dream of lifting their fifth European title before their own fans at their home ground ended in agony.

The Bavarian giants have now lost two of the last three Champions League finals following their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Jose Mourinho-coached Inter Milan in Madrid in 2010.

It was also their second final defeat in seven days after being hammered 5-2 by rivals Dortmund in the German Cup final.

"We missed too many chances," admitted Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes.

"We played well over all and had the majority of possession.

"But we didn't know how to exploit our many opportunities and you have to use them or you will be punished."

A match Bayern had dominated went to penalties after a frenetic finish to normal time, with Muller heading Bayern into the lead seven minutes from time only for Drogba to equalise for Chelsea in the 88th minute.

A dramatic start to extra-time then saw Bayern's former Chelsea winger Robben miss a penalty - saved by Cech - after Drogba had needlessly brought down Franck Ribery in the area.

For much of the match a Bayern victory had looked the likeliest outcome, with the Bundesliga giants revelling in the raucous support of their home fans but wasting a plethora of chances.

The Germans finally found the back of the net when Schweinsteiger's lovely cross from the left found Muller, whose back post header into the ground beat Cech at his near post.

But Drogba levelled the contest with a terrific near post header from Chelsea's first corner just five minutes later.

"I believe a lot in destiny. It was written a long time ago. This team is amazing and I dedicate this cup to all the managers and players we had before," Drogba said.

"(My equaliser) changed the game. Life is fantastic."

Chelsea: 1 (D Drogba 88')

Bayern Munich: 1 (T Muller 83')

Chelsea wins 4-3 on penalties

AFP/Reuters

Tags: champions-league, soccer, sport, english-premier, germany, england, united-kingdom

First posted May 20, 2012 08:04:22

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Glory sign defender Thwaite

Updated May 18, 2012 17:30:23

Perth Glory have snapped up one of the A-League's most sought-after defenders, Michael Thwaite, on a two-year deal.

Thwaite is a six-time Socceroo and considered one of the competition's best central defenders.

He has represented Australia at three levels and previously enjoyed a five-year stint in Europe playing in Romania, Poland and Norway.

The 29-year-old returned to the A-League in 2008 on loan at Melbourne Victory, before spending the past three seasons with the Gold Coast.

Glory coach Ian Ferguson said the signing was a massive boost for the club.

"It's a fantastic coup to bring a quality player like Michael across to Western Australia," he said.

"I am delighted, Michael is a leader and a winner.

"He's very comfortable in possession, he can switch the play, breaks the lines also can drive through the middle.

"Michael has been one of the league's better players for the last three seasons."

Thwaite said he was happy to have his future sorted after the demise of the Gold Coast.

"I'm relieved to finally know where I am heading," he said.

"Within the Perth Glory squad I have previously played with eight or so of the boys and that was a big factor in my decision.

"I also spent two years together with the captain Jacob in Poland so it's nice to have these combinations."

AAP

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, perth-6000, robina-4226

First posted May 18, 2012 17:30:23

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Jets land Neville from Glory

Updated May 07, 2012 21:46:01

Newcastle has snared the services of Perth Glory defender Scott Neville for the next two A-League seasons, but Jets striker Jeremy Brockie has left the A-League club.

Neville was offered a two-year contract extension to stay at the Glory but turned down the reduced deal in order to link up with the Jets.

Newcastle also locked up Melbourne Heart left back Craig Goodwin for the next two seasons, and announced it had parted ways with Brockie, Ali Abbas and Tarek Elrich.

The Jets had been in negotiations to retain 24-year-old Brockie, but the New Zealand international was said to be also exploring his options overseas after scoring nine goals last season.

Neville established himself as one of Glory's most important players during his four years at the club, notching 63 games and filling in as skipper several times.

The hard-running defender's 2011-12 campaign was severely disrupted by a serious knee injury, but the 23-year-old made it back in time to play a handy role off the bench in Perth's run to the grand final.

Perth was eager to keep Neville, but could only offer him a reduced deal due to the club's major cost-cutting drive.

"Scott was a player we wanted to keep so it's disappointing (he) has decided to leave," Glory coach Ian Ferguson said.

Jets coach Gary van Egmond praised the character of Neville, describing him as just the type of player Newcastle needed.

Goodwin, originally from Adelaide, was named man of the match in his A-League debut against Melbourne Victory in round 19.

The 20-year-old went on to play four more games for the Heart, and also earned a call-up to the Olyroos squad for their final Olympic qualifying match against Iraq.

AAP

Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, newcastle-2300, nsw, australia

First posted May 07, 2012 21:46:01

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