Billy Mehmet heads Perth home

Perth Glory have defeated Adelaide United 1-0 in the final game of the opening round of the Hyundai A-League at NIB stadium in front of 9,452 fans on Sunday evening.

Perth were by far the better side in the opening half and could quite easily have been two or three goals in front with Billy Mehmet, Shane Smeltz, Liam Miller and former Adelaide captain Travis Dodd all missing gettable chances.

Adelaide was never really able to put a consistent patch together and rarely troubled new Glory ‘keeper Danny Vukovic. Jacob Burns and Liam Miller controlled the midfield whilst Andrezinho showed why he will be a ‘shed’ favourite with some electrifying runs and sublime skills easily outplaying both Daniel Mullen and then youngster Cameron Watson who came on for Mullen after only 25 minutes with injury

Smeltz and Mehmet played up front in a 4-4-2 formation and Adelaide found the strike duo very hard to contain. Smeltz, who would be disappointed with his game, should have put the Glory in front on 54 minutes when he went one on one with Reds keeper Eugene Galekovic but hit the shot straight into the Reds number one.
Not long after Perth were denied a penalty when Jon McCain was controversially adjudged not to have handballed in the area when the referee was caught out of position.

The Match winner came in the 77th minute when substitute Tommy Amplett whipped in the perfect cross with Billy Mehmet nodding home his first A League goal from three meters leaving Galekovic with little chance of saving.

Former Scottish Premier League and Turkish Super Lig striker Mehmet should have scored again not long after but heavy legs late in the game cost him a double, his goal was enough though to give Perth the three points against an Adelaide team that many pundits have picked to finish top of the table come seasons end.