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Glory responded in the best possible fashion after their shock loss to Adelaide United last week with a professional performance against an out of form Victory unit.
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The loss is Victory’s third on the bounce, leaving last year’s champs in a perilous point in its season, shunted in mid-table fighting for a place in the finals.
It could have very easily been a higher winning margin for the Glory with Victory ‘keeper Cassie Dimovski pulling off multiple top quality saves to keep the score line respectable.
The game got off to a promising start for the hosts who took the lead in the fourth minute courtesy of a stunning goal to Racheal Quigley.
Quigley buried a delightful cross from an inch-perfect cross by skipper Steph Catley from the left flank that will be hard pressed to be outdone for the goal of the season.
Despite going down early in spectacular fashion, it was the Glory who had the better of the opening half, creating plenty of meaningful chances.
Dimovski denied chances by Foord and Kennedy midway through the half to maintain to maintain the home sides lead. Dimovski’s save in the 16th minute to deny Kennedy with her fingertips was the pick of the two.
There wasn’t much Dimovski could do in the 39th minute when Kennedy finally got the better of her, guiding a header home from a corner taken by captain Collete McCallum.
The equaliser was richly deserved for the visitors who were the better of the two sides in the first half.
Victory simply weren’t at the races in the second half, barley troubling the Glory who went on to record a seventh win of the season.
Dimovski continued her stellar form of the first half into the second as she again pulled off multiple quality saves.
Glory must have been worried they would never take the lead when Dimovski pulled off another two sensational saves to deny Kathryn Hill from point-blank range before tipping Shelina Zadorsky’s goal-bound effort onto the upright.
Glory’s persistence finally paid off in the 81st minute when D’Ovidio came off the bench to put Perth in front with what was her first touch of the ball.
In a rare venture forward, Victory thought they had levelled the scores only to be cancelled for offside.
The points were sealed for Perth just two minutes from time as Foord look to outdo Quigley’s effort with a fine goal of her own.
The third goal made sure the score line reflected Glory’s dominance throughout the game.
With only three games remaining for the season for Victory Racheal Quigly spoke post-game about her sides need to turn around the season, while also heaping praise on her goalkeeper and discussing that goal.
"We need points as much as possible, so we're going to have to give everything we've got. We are going to have a video analysis and as a team work out what we need to do better. We did that, trying to work out how to get our starts better and that seemed to work. As long as we figure it out soon we will be able to keep going.
"Cass [Dimovski] has stepped up, which is exactly what you want for a second 'keeper. She could be a first 'keeper for any team though and she's been a real commodity to the team.
“This one today [goal] was definitely my best this year.”
Melbourne Victory will next week travel to Western Sydney to take on the Wanderers as they look to keeper their season alive while Glory host Newcastle Jets.
Melbourne Victory: 20. Cassandra DIMOVSKI (GK), 2. Hannah BREWER, 5. Lauren BARNES, 6. Gema SIMON, 7. Stephanie CATLEY (c), 8. Amy JACKSON, 9. Racheal QUIGLEY, 10. Christine NAIRN, 12. Ella MASTRANTONIO, 14. Tiffany ELIADIS (17. Gulcan KOCA 70’), 18. Elli REED
Unused substitutes: 30. Tori SNELLEKSZ (GK), 4 Alexandra NATOLI, 13. Alexandra GUMMER
Perth Glory: 1. Mackenzie ARNOLD (GK), 2. Sarah CARROLL, 4. Bronwyn STUDMAN, 5. Shannon MAY (3. Carys HAWKINS 90’), 6. Alanna KENNEDY, 7. Gabrielle MARZANO (20. Samantha KERR 60’), 9. Caitlin FOORD, 12. Kathryn GILL, 14. Collette MCCALLUM (c), 15. Shelina ZADORSKY, 17. Marianna TABAIN (13. Elisa D’OVIDIO 80’)
Unused substitutes: 29. Kathleen WAYCOTT (GK)