Perth Glory started their new campaign with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over South Melbourne at Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday, reinforcing to the glum South support just how much their side would miss last season's squad.
Glory took advantage of a penalty award midway through the first half, then a blunder by South goalkeeper Chris Jones just before the interval, to go in two-up at half-time. Livewire striker Bobby Despotovski scored both.
Damien Mori tucked away the third midway through the second period to effectively wrap up the contest, only for South Melbourne debutant Steve Mancevski to score a consolation deep into added time.
"I'm happy with the result, (but) not particularly happy with the way we played," said Glory coach Mitch D'Avray after the game. "The players know we can play a lot better than we did."
"I think we can pass the ball better - we gave the ball away a bit much," he said.
South coach Eddie Krncevic rued what he described as "Two moments of madness - the penalty and Jones' mistake." Krncevic however saw the brighter side: "There's a lot of positives - we moved the ball around quite well, maybe just lacking in a bit of aggression in the box and finishing."
South were taking the game up to Glory, and were to have a greater number of shots on target than the visitors, and seemed never to be too far away from Glory on the pitch. The scoreboard however told the story of Glory's efficiency when in the danger-area.
Mori and Despotovski always looked likely to cause damage when running at the South defence, although South's young centre-back Patrick Kisnorbo did well against Mori throughout.
For South, Vaughan Coveny was making speedy runs down the right wing in the first half, where he was opposed by Matt Horsley, and was switched to the left wing for the second. Paul Trimboli also played a full game, and was at the heart of most of South's set-up play.
D'Avray was involved in some lengthy sideline discussions with defender Craig Deans during the first-half, working out how to cover Trimboli. "Trimboli was causing us problems dropping a bit deep, and (Deans) wasn't sure whether to go with him, or pass him onto a midfielder."
Glory opened the scoring when Edgar weaved his way into the penalty-area past some fierce tackling only to be brought down in a combined challenge by Kisnorbo and Mehmet Durakovic. Despotovski sent Jones the wrong way from the spot.
Referee Perry Mur turned down a South penalty-claim just two minutes later when Coveny fell under the close attention of Glory captain Scott Miller seven metres from the goal.
With the interval approaching, Glory extended its lead with an error from Jones who scuffed a kick-out following a back-pass. Despotovski was able to take advantage and, with only the angle he faced posing any opposition, slotted home truly.
Mori made the game safe with a quarter-hour still to play. In a classic counter-attack, Despotovski beat Fausto De Amicis wide on the right in a chase which also saw the South defender sprawled on the grass appealing to Mur for a push. Mur waved play on as Durakovic and Mori fell in a similar tangle in the middle of the ground. As Jones cut down the angle for the onrushing Despotovski, Despotovski cut-back to Mori who had quickly sprung to his feet for an easy side-foot from inside the penalty-area.
Mori was to send two subsequent shots on the break-away over Jones' bar when either would have consigned South to a loss of ignominious proportions. As it was, the gap in class was plain to see, and one South will be desperate to narrow before too long.
South's goal came deep in added time, when substitute Manceski tapped in from two metres after Coveny's cross from the left.
By this time the game's result was not in doubt, and would only have dented Glory keeper Petkovic's pride.