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

AAP

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

First posted November 30, 2012 22:19:00

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In-form Glory hammer Gold Coast

Updated February 07, 2012 06:51:26

Perth Glory have set a club record and took another step towards securing a top-four berth with a 4-0 thumping of A-League strugglers Gold Coast.

Goals to Glory trio Steven McGarry, Liam Miller and Travis Dodd sealed the result for Perth on Monday night, while a late own goal to Adama Traore only served to heighten the pain for Gold Coast, which remain anchored at the foot of the table.

In contrast, Perth's eighth unbeaten game on the trot - a club record - lifted Glory back to within two points of second-placed Wellington and one point of third-placed Brisbane.

And perhaps even more importantly, the gap between fourth-placed Perth and fifth-placed Heart is now a comfortable four points, putting the Glory firmly in the box seat to secure a home final.

Such was the one-sided nature of the match, Perth could have easily put eight goals past a hapless Gold Coast in front of 7,681 fans.

An unmarked McGarry capitalised on a glancing Steve Pantelidis header to score the opener in the 18th minute, but a second goal proved elusive for the remainder of the half as the home side spurned numerous opportunities.

Star striker Shane Smeltz, normally deadly in front of goal, was uncharacteristically wayward, clattering one attempt into the upright before fluffing two other chances with only the goalkeeper to beat.

In contrast to Perth's glut of chances, Gold Coast had to wait more than half an hour for its first real sight on goal, only for defender Ante Rozic to direct his free header well high of the target.

Perth was far more clinical in the second half, Miller doubling the lead in the 53rd minute after pouncing on a Dodd cross that Gold Coast failed to clear.

And Dodd made sure of the result in the 67th minute when he headed home Mile Sterjovski's pin-point corner.

Gold Coast's most clinical moment came in the 84th minute, when a diving Traore sent a bullet header into the back of his own net.

"It's obviously not a happy day for me," Gold Coast coach Miron Bleiberg said.

"It's hurt our pride as a club, hurt me as a coach and hurt the players. It will be a very unpleasant flight now. Hopefully we fall asleep and forget about it.

"I've never been here and lost 4-0.

"It was one of those days where you go to work and the boss screams at you, and then your car doesn't start, then your wife screams at you again and then the dog is sick and you have to take him to the vet. That was my day today."

Glory coach Ian Ferguson praised his team's performance.

"The first half, I thought we could have been easily two or three up, or even more," Ferguson said.

Perth Glory: 4 (McGarry 1', Miller 53', Dodd 67', Traore (OG) 84')

Gold Coast United: 0

AAP

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

First posted February 07, 2012 00:20:35

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