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Perth Glory star Shane Smeltz’s A-League grand final pain was amplified at Suncorp Stadium as he was forced to undergo plastic surgery in a Brisbane hospital on Sunday night.
The A-League’s all-time leading goal-scorer bravely played out 80 minutes of the decider after a horrific gash under his nose due to a sickening collision with Brisbane Roar skipper Matt Smith.
Smeltz copped an accidental elbow from Smith in the 15th minute of the Glory’s dramatic 2-1 loss which saw his skin split from his nose to his lip and also inside his mouth.
Play was stopped for four minutes as Glory medics attempted to stem the bleeding as he was treated on the field.
It was suspected Smeltz’s nose was broken in the collision and Perth coach Ian Ferguson admitted he almost replaced the New Zealand international at halftime as he struggled to breathe.
Smeltz’s wife Nikki posted a graphic picture of his face on Twitter with the post “getting ready for plastic surgery!”
With a bandage wrapped around his nose and lip, the All Whites striker unsurprisingly failed to make the impact expected as Perth didn’t have a shot on goal all match.
The Glory hit the lead in the 51st minute through an own goal by defender Ivan Franjic after a dangerous build-up by Billy Mehmet and Travis Dodd.
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