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A cracking, 20 yard strike from Steven McGarry strike just prior to half-time proved decisive for the visitors, who have now claimed maximum points from home and away grand final rematches following last season’s spiteful decider.
The match started in stilted fashion as both sides sized the other up – Perth deploying heavy defensive pressure in midfield, while Roar sought to noticeably up the speed of their play, both in build-up and transition.
However, despite promising field position for both teams, neither side was able to create a genuine scoring chance until the game sparked to life just before the half hour. – Stefanutto picking out Nichols with a cross on 25 minutes, but the attacking midfielder was unable to get over the ball, spraying it high and wide.
Perth retaliated with a chance of their own on 28 minutes when Shane Smeltz combined with Liam Miller at the top of the arc – Smeltz nodding it back for the Irishman, who returned a neat pass for the striker whose shot was only saved by the alert positioning of Michael Theo.
It was followed up by a timid effort from Jacob Burns on 20 yards shortly after.
Glory defender Bas Van Den Brink made the first of several telling contributions to quash a Brisbane counter-attack on the half hour proper – shutting down Henrique’s near-perfect pass for a surging Berisha.
Berisha fluffed his first chance of the night two minutes later, turning Thomas Broich’s pin-point cross straight into the waiting hands of Glory keeper Danny Vukovic.
Inspired work from Josh Risdon on the right flank in the 36th minute, where he did superbly to keep the ball in play before schooling Shane Stefanutto with a deft flick, almost caught Brisbane out; the young Perth defender bringing the ball into the penalty area before slipping on the greasy surface as he pulled the trigger and duly missed the target.
The counter-attack proved more friendly to the visitors just before the halftime whistle when an early long ball was nodded on by Smeltz for McGarry; the Scotsman then assessed his options before backing himself, blasting the ball into the top left corner of goal from near on 25 yards.
Brisbane sought to level terms in the second half but, as has been the case throughout the season, lacked the final blow.
On 51 minutes the hosts looked to have sprung Perth on the counter when Berisha played a perfect lobbed pass for Henrique, the wily Brazilian striking the ball first time on the half-volley only to see it cannon back off the crossbar.
Six minutes later, Nichols pounced on a loose ball near halfway to play Berisha in behind the Glory line, however the striker’s usual finishing touch evaded him, chipping the ball straight at the advancing Vukovic.
On the hour, the hosts again squandered a chance to level when Paartalu headed wide of the target from the edge of the keeper’s six-yard box.
Desperate for an equaliser, Mulvey introduced Ben Halloran shortly after, and the youngster made an immediate impact, popping up in the box to latch on to Nichols’ nod on, before skewing his shot across the face of goal.
Perth were circumspect as they sought to hold their lead. The visitor’s best chance of the second stanza coming from a corner, the ball finally falling for the lurking Smeltz whose first-time strike fizzed over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.
Brisbane continued to frantically push for the equaliser; Van Den Brink’s desperate lunging tackle shutting down substitute Nick Fitzgerald’s shot from close range on 77 minutes, built off another elegant Halloran run.
Halloran again ran with the ball in the final minutes, heading for the byline before cutting the ball back for an unmarked Broich, who subsequently mistruck his shot to groans of disappointment from the home end.
The result sees Perth Glory move to fourth on the A-League table while Brisbane stay in second last, awaiting further results later this round.
Brisbane Roar 0
Perth Glory 1 (Steven MCGARRY 45’ )
Attendance: 11,352 @ Suncorp Stadium
Brisbane Roar:
1 Michael THEO (gk), 2 Matt SMITH (c), 3 Shane STEFANUTTO, 5 Ivan FRANJIC, 6 Erik PAARTALU, 7 Besart BERISHA, 8 Massimo MURDOCCA, 10 HENRIQUE, 15 James DONACHIE, 17 Mitch NICHOLS, 22 Thomas BROICH (Subs: 11 Ben HALLORAN, 19 Jack HINGERT, 20 Matt ACTON, 24 Nick FITZGERALD)
Perth Glory :
1 Daniel VUKOVIC, 3 Seb VAN DEN BRINK, 7 Jacob BURNS (c), 8 Dean HEFFERNAN, 9 Shane SMELTZ, 10 Liam MILLER, 13 Travis DODD, 14 Steven MCGARRY, 19 Josh RISDON, 21 Scott JAMIESON, 23 Michael THWAITE (Subs: 4 Billy MEHMET, 12 Ryo NAGAI, 17 Chris HAROLD, 30 Lewis ITALIANO)