Carlos Hernandez continued his merry goal-scoring ways as Melbourne broke their Perth hoodoo with a 2-1 A-League triumph at ME Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Glory striker Mile Sterjovski notched one of the goals of the season but a brace to Hernandez proved the difference as the Victory enjoyed just their second ever win in Perth in front of 10,035 fans.

Melbourne’s sixth win from their past seven matches keeps Ernie Merrick’s men within one point of ladder leaders Sydney, while Perth’s three-game losing streak has left them clinging to fifth position with a host of teams ready to pounce on their top-six spot.

Perth were made to pay dearly for their lack of awareness in defence during a 2-1 loss to North Queensland last week and again it proved their Achilles heel as Hernandez’s deflected strike opened the scoring in the sixth minute.

Hernandez, one of the best sharpshooters of the competition, made the most of an acre of space as he approached Perth’s box, unleashing a curling strike that rebounded off defender Chris Coyne to wrongfoot Glory goalkeeper Tando Velaphi.

But Sterjovski, returning after a fortnight on the sidelines with an ankle injury, had the home side back on level pegging with a 19th-minute wonder strike.

With deft control, Sterjovski brought Jamie Coyne’s long ball to ground on the edge of the box, turned on the spot and unleashed a right-foot stunner that crashed into the top left-hand corner of the net.

A fumble from Melbourne goalkeeper Glen Moss almost allowed Perth to snatch the lead in the 40th minute, but Kevin Muscat was on hand to clear Eugene Dadi’s goalward-bound header.

Moss made up for his mistake a minute later with a great close-range save to deny Dadi, who was handed a rare starting appearance after Serbian striker Branko Jelic withdrew due to a stomach bug.

Archie Thompson wreaked havoc on Perth’s defence in the opening half and the Victory striker was at it again after the break, setting up numerous chances as the defending champions threatened to tear the game wide open.

Perth’s defence finally wilted in the 67th minute when a lunging Hernandez, unmarked at the far post, latched on to Nathan Elasi’s low cross with the outside of his right boot, cannoning the ball into the unguarded net to notch his seventh goal of the season.

“It’s been a while (since our last win here), 24th September, 2006. so I kept reminding the boys to get another win here,” Merrick said after the match.

“Perth’s a good side on home soil so it’s very satisfying to put on a performance like that and get all three points.”

However, Merrick was less than impressed with several close off-side calls that went against Thompson.

“In the second half we created a number of one-on-ones but I was really disappointed Archie was pulled up for two off-sides,” he said.

“Replays showed he wasn’t off-side … the linesmen really have to get it right.”

Perth coach Dave Mitchell rued his side’s inability to convert chances.

“I’m bitterly disappointed because we’ve lost our home advantage,” Mitchell said.

“The first half we’ve played very well and could have been a couple of goals up.

“The second half we didn’t perform the way we would have liked and we paid the price for it.”

© AAP 2012

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