Perth Glory moved to top of the league table overnight with a 1-0 win over Newcastle Jets at East Perth. The single scored by Branko Jelic just before the break was enough to give an otherwise dominant Glory the three points in front of 12,031 fans.
Newcastle got in some early pressure with Tarek Elrich looking good on his return but generally it was Perth who were getting forward, using width through Scott Neville and particularly Adriano Pellegrino.
In the 17th minute Mile Sterjovski hit a snap shot from 30m from the left but it sailed just wide on the left of the upright. Harnwell headed well over from a Jacob Burns free-kick a few minutes later.
Mile Sterjovski went off injured in the 38th minut but one minute later his substitute Branko Jelic got on the end of a Jamie Harnwell free-kick from the left and sent his shot crashing against the crossbar.
Just before the the break Todd Howarth sent in a shot from a run from the left after receiving from Pellegrino but it was parried by 'keeper Ben Kennedy in the Jets goal only to have it bounce off Ljubo Milisevic. Brank Jelic was on hand to knowck it in, however talking of hands - the Jets did claim a handball from Jelic. Referee Matthew Breeze just pointed to the centre circle.
Perth re-started as they had finished, with Howarth sending in a cross from the left that found a free Robbie Fowler whose header cannoned off the crossbar.
Fowler turned contributer a few minutes later when he sent a pin-point ball 40m to Jelic, who alas couldn't control well enough to connect cleanly and hit his shot past the post.
Chances were being created by Perth but either not taken well enough for finding Kennedy in good form. The Jets were bogged down in midfield.
In the 76th minute roles were reversed again between Jelic and Fowler, with the former EPL star sending his free header staright at Kennedy who thanked him for his generosity.
The Jets swung in some substitutes to try to turn the game, and one, Labinot Haliti, hit a speculator over the crossbar in he 82nd minute.
In the 88th minute Jeremy Brockie danced through the Glory defence after a Kasey Wehrman pass, in one of the best chances for the Newcastle side.
In stoppage time Ruben Zadkovich at Tando Valaphi, but a revival was not to be. Glory stayed undefeated.