An impressive Perth Glory have gone through to the final of the Pre Season Cup next week with a well worked 3-2 defeat of Central Coast Mariners at Gosford tonight.
Perth went ahead in the first half only for the Mariners to equalise before half-time but two goals in the second half set them up for the win despite a late consolation for the home side.
The Mariners went into this game with some confidence having topped not only their own group but overall, giving them a home final is they won this game, the 3rd of these series. Strengthened by the signing of Saso Petrovski, the return of Dean Heffernan from Nuremburg, and the general lack of injuries they had overcome Sydney FC 3-0 only the week before.
The Glory for their part, with a much changed squad assembled by coach Ron Smith, also had a strong pre-season with a good tour of Malaysia and a good win over Melbourne Victory in Perth. Danger men Nikita Rukavytsya and Mate Dragicevic presented a real threat. After the game coach Ron Smith stated "The good thing for me is that when I have made changes those given an opportunity to play have done well."
So a rematch of the Season 1 PSC final was played out on a clear, sunny but cool, Saturday evening at Bluetongue Stadium in the regional NSW city of Gosford, with a crowd less that round 1.
Both teams were a little flat to begin and sounded each other out for a spell, with any shots rarely anywhere near the goal.
The pairing of Rukavytsya and Dragicevic up front, with the latter a Croatian formerly in the Russian 2nd Dovision playing just his second match here, provided the Mariners defence a real handful with their pace and hard work
Perth got men forward quickly and in numbers, and thus Dragicevic opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when the ball fell free in the area following a blocked attempt from team mate Naum Sekulovski and the Coast defence were slow to clear. 0-1
The Glory continued to have the Mariners on the back foot, however the locals broke away a number of times and it was from one of these that David Tarka gave away a free kick. From a complicated free kick routine Nik Mrdja finally blasted into the side netting.
In the 44th minute another free kick was conceded by the visitors and the Mariners decided that practice makes perfect when it comes to free kick routines. This time Mrdja was on target and beat Glory 'keeper Tando Velaphi with the pace despite the young custodian getting his fingers to it. 1-1
After the break the game increased in tempo and Leo Bertos in the 57th minute sent in a free kick from 23m and saw it take a deflection and completely wrong foot Mariners 'keeper Danny Vukovic to nestle in the net. 1-2
John Hutchinson blasted wide in the 72nd minute after Nik Mrdja had hit a powerful shot onto the upright.
Big defender David Tarka claimed Glory's third with just 15 minutes remaining. Dragicevic sent in a corner kick which fell to Tarka and he made no mistake as he slammed it into the back of the net. 1-3
The Mariners lifted noticeably as Perth tired a little and made a number of chances that they couldn't convert until they beat the off-side trap and played Saso Petrovski on. He steered the ball past the keeper with only minutes remaining of injury time but that was it. 2-3
Perth's maiden win at Bluetongue Stadium will lead to a showdown with the winner of tomorrow's semi final between Adelaide and Queensland.
The Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna satted that their problem was "not anticipating what we are going to do with the ball." "We've been travelling well but obviously we have more to do."
Glory's Ron Smith said that both teams had gone out to attack each otehr so that is why it was a good game. "The biggest diffrence for us from last yhear is depth", he claimed.
In other games on Saturday Newcastle Jets FC defeated Sydney FC 3-2 and Wellington Phoenix FC defeated Melbourne Victory FC 2-1. Adelaide United FC played Quensland Roar FC on Sunday to decide the other finalist.