Bruno Fornaroli scored against his former club and Tomislav Mrcela grabbed his first Hyundai A-League goal as Glory returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
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The Uruguayan, facing City for the first time since heading west earlier this year, headed home just before the half-hour mark and Glory’s lead was doubled early in the second half when Harrison Delbridge diverted Greg Wuthrich’s shot into his own net.
Mrcela duly made it 3-0, heading home Neil Kilkenny’s pinpoint cross to add further gloss to a dominant display from the men in black and consign City to their first home defeat in over 12 months.
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The win, their second on the road this season, took Glory into the top six of the Hyundai A-League ladder ahead of the rest of the weekend’s games.
In-form City striker Jamie Maclaren provided the first goalmouth action of the game when he flicked Javier Cabrera’s cross over the crossbar, before Diego Castro was similarly off-target at the other end having latched on to a scuffed clearance from Dean Bouzanis.
Glory were not to be denied in the 27th minute, however, as Fornaroli struck to give them the lead.
Juande’s effort from the edge of the box looped into the air after taking a deflection and as it came down, Fornaroli out-muscled Delbridge to nod into the far corner.
James Meredith’s cross was then nearly pushed into his own net by the rattled Bouzanis as Glory continued to ask questions of the City defence in the latter stages of the first half.
The visitors began the second half in the same vein and doubled their lead within three minutes of the re-start.
A deft touch from the impressive Neil Kilkenny allowed Castro to pull the ball back to the edge of the box for Wuthrich and the Swiss defender’s low, angled drive was deflected into his own net via the post by Delbridge.
19 minutes from time the points were made safe as Mrcela rose highest in a crowded box to head powerfully past Bouzanis.
City could muster little in response in the latter stages, other than a well-struck effort from Connor Metcalfe which found the net but was ruled out for offside.
Match Details
Melbourne City 0 Perth Glory 3 (Fornaroli 27′, Delbridge o.g. 48′, Mrcela 71′)
Half-time: 0-1
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Referee: Shaun Evans
Assistant Referee 1: Owen Goldrick
Assistant Referee 2: George Lakrindis
Fourth Official: Lachlan Keevers
VAR: Kris Griffiths-Jones
Melbourne City: 23.Dean BOUZANIS (gk), 2.Scott GALLOWAY (13.Nathaniel ATKINSON 78′), 3.Scott JAMIESON (c), 4.Harrison DELBRIDGE, 6.Josh BRILLANTE (20.Adrian LUNA 72′), 7.Rostyn GRIFFITHS, 8.Javier CABRERA (19.Lachlan WALES 61′), 9.Jamie MACLAREN, 11.Craig NOONE, 22.Curtis GOOD, 34.Connor METCALFE
Substitutes not used: 1.Tom GLOVER (gk), 17.Denis GENREAU, 40.Richard WINDBICHLER, 49.Stefan COLAKOVSKI
Yellow Cards: Jamieson
Red Cards: None
Perth Glory: 33.Liam REDDY (gk), 2.Alex GRANT, 4.Gregory WUTHRICH, 5.Ivan FRANJIC, 8.James MEREDITH, 9.Bruno FORNAROLI (20.Jake BRIMMER 87′), 16.Tomislav MRCELA, 17.Diego CASTRO (c), 19.Chris IKONOMIDIS (7.Joel CHIANESE 73′), 27.JUANDE, 88.Neil KILKENNY
Substitutes not used: 1.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 3.Jacob TRATT, 12.Kim SOO-BEOM, 28.Gabriel POPOVIC
Yellow Cards: Juande
Red Cards: None
#OneGlory
