Glory finally stop the rot
11/14/2010 09:56:22 AM
Robbie Fowler nailed a hat-trick as Perth Glory snapped their 10-game winless run with a 3-1 win over Melbourne Victory at nib Stadium.
Fowler opened the scoring in the 13th minute when he netted the rebound after Victory goalkeeper Michael Petkovic saved his initial penalty.
The former Liverpool legend doubled the lead in the 54th minute and the moment Glory fans had been waiting for since 'God's' arrival in the west came just after the hour as he slammed the ball into the back of the net from a brilliant ball from Adriano Pellegrino over the top.
Melbourne pulled one back 11 minutes from time through second-half substitute Mate Dugandzic but even that couldn't take the gloss off an impressive Glory win, their first in 11 games.
The result doesn't change the Hyundai A-League table however, as Perth remain in eighth as Melbourne stay sixth, the Victory with plenty of work to do after their third loss from four games.
Fowler had already seen a second-minute effort brilliantly blocked by Petkovic when he was bundled over in the box by Rody Vargas, allowing him to give Perth the lead with their first goal in almost a month.
A 50th minute Fowler header was also well saved by Petkovic, but the 'keeper could do nothing to prevent the 35-year-old coolly converting Scott Neville's cross nine minutes after the break.
And, when Pellegrino released Fowler in the 61st minute, the hat-trick never looked in doubt as Perth ran out winners for the first time since September 5.
Perth Glory 2 (Fowler 13, 54, 61)
Melbourne Victory 1 (Dugandzic 79)
Crowd: 6217 at nib Stadium, Perth