Melbourne Victory have secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Perth Glory at AAMI Park but will have to count the cost after star striker Archie Thompson strained his hamstring in the first half just moments after putting the home side ahead.
Melbourne Victory have secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Perth Glory at AAMI Park but will have to count the cost after star striker Archie Thompson strained his hamstring in the first half just moments after putting the home side ahead.
Thompson latched onto Robbie Kruse’s sublime back-heel after some excellent build up but appeared to tweak his right hamstring when he jumped over the ‘keeper following his stoppage-time finish.
Thompson left the pitch on the stroke of half-time and was replaced by Ricardinho but it did little to dampen Victory’s spirits, with Rody Vargas’ 63rd-minute header making sure of the three points.
There were some heated exchanges in the first half but Thompson’s goal with seconds remaining released the pressure for the home side.
Thompson was superb up until the injury while Marvin Angulo was influential in the midfield yet again. For Perth, Scott Neville showed glimpses on the right in the first half while Robbie Fowler couldn’t back up his hat-trick in the Glory’s 3-1 win over Victory in November, and endured a quiet evening.
Victory looked to set up with four across the back with Diogo Ferreira deputising for Billy Celeski in the heart of midfield.
In truth, it was a relatively tame opening with some scrappy pieces of play from either side.
Matthew Kemp had a nightmare opening to the game. He first stumbled over himself having fresh aired a left-foot clearance and was later substituted for Rody Vargas in the 32nd minute after injuring his groin in a tackle. Victory then reverted to a back three.
There was genuine feeling in the game and that was not lost on Adrian Pellegrino who found himself in the wars on a couple of occasions following heavy tackles from Grant Brebner and Diogo Ferreira.
He soon hit the base of the post with a long-range effort after the Victory defence failed to shut him down – goalkeeper Michael Petkovik’s belated dive showed he was as surprised as anyone.
Thompson soon orchestrated two great chances following jinking runs. With the first he managed a shot but was denied and with the second he just missed an outstretched Marvin Angulo with a chip to the back post.
Glory looked to draw first blood and it was Pellegrino again who played through the impressive Scott Neville for Perth’s best chance of the half. Neville found himself clean through but Petkovic was up to his powerful strike.
Then just as the half looked to peter out with both sides goalless, Melbourne struck.
Muscat found Kruse, his one-two with Thompson was impressive, Kruse’s back-heel even more so and of course Thompson was up to the task with a typically cool close-range finish before he tweaked his right hamstring.
With Victory suddenly in control of the match, Thompson was forced from the pitch clutching his hamstring as the home side were forced to reshuffle once more.
Ricardinho was given a rare chance up front but it was Hernandez with the first opening of the second half as he tried his luck from long-range with the ‘keeper off his line.
He had no luck on that occasion but his delivery from a corner was tailor made for Vargas at the near post. Vargas obliged with a firm header which was too hot for Perth’s Todd Howarth on the line.
Victory looked comfortable from then on with Perth looking deflated and a little off the pace.
Mile Sterjovski entered the fray and had a big moment almost immediately. He should’ve pegged one back for Glory from close range but hit his shot too close to Petkovic.
Hernandez was afforded far too much space as the game fizzled out. He managed a couple of long-range efforts late on but saw both slide wide of the post, as it ended 2-0.
Melbourne Victory: 2 (Thompson 45, Vargas 63)
Perth Glory: 0
