Leigh Broxham’s first-half header proved the difference as Melbourne Victory emerged 3-2 winners in a frenetic A-League contest over Adelaide United.
The utility’s goal and two United own goals was enough for Victory, with Awer Mabil and Marcelo Carrusca netting in reply during a madcap first-half.
The win at AAMI Park on Friday returns Victory to the top of the A-League.
This was a night where both sides could have scored five, with Nigel Boogaard at the centre of the action after scoring one own goal and assisting another.
Adelaide had barely touched the ball when Victory began the scoring spree after seven minutes.
Gui Finkler’s delivery into the box found the back of the net when a backtracking Boogaard headed in an own goal under much pressure.
The barnstorming contest had an equaliser on 14 minutes when Mabil scored, but Kevin Muscat’s side returned to the lead with a slapstick moment from Boogard.
Finkler glided into the box and delivered across goal but the hapless defender cleared straight into the face of Sergio Cirio for another own goal after 16 minutes.
A minute later it was time for a Victory player to get on the scoresheet.
The dynamic Fahid Ben Khalfallah found Broxham unmarked at the back post, who headed home.
United thought they’d found a reply on 34 minutes when Goodwin netted directly from a free kick, but the referee found a foul on Adrian Leijer in the box.
Three minutes later, fortune went Adelaide’s way when Leijer’s contact on Cirio brought a penalty which Carrusca netted.
Half-time stopped the flow of goals but nor the relentless attacking from both sides.
Mark Milligan went close with a header from the top of the box, while Mabil continued to threaten on the wing.
Josep Gombau made all three substitutions by the 65-minute mark, including Osama Malik off with a leg injury.
Joining Malik in the wars was Finkler, substituted with a groin injury, and substitute Nick Ansell, struck in the face with a cross.
A procession of tricky 50-50 decisions and intense tackles brought tensions to the boil at several points in the second half.
While the match yearned for another goal, Goodwin’s wastefulness from set-pieces and Victory’s prolifigacy in front of goal kept the half-time score unchanged.
In injury time the chances kept coming, with Pablo Sanchez missing at the back post and Bruce Djite slicing wide.
Muscat said there was “so much to like” about the match.
“Our first half of football was as intense as this country’s seen,” Muscat said.
“The guys in that front third are running at such speed and intensity.”
Gombau said he felt his team didn’t deserve to leave Melbourne empty-handed.
“We made some mistakes in defending actions and it cost us.”
Brick Tamland of the pants party
Guest
I too was a little young to watch a lot of 1980's English football apart from FA Cup finals, but 4 different English sides won 5 European Cups ( 4 Champs league and 1 UEFA Cup) in that decade so you could argue its quite effective.
langou
Roar Guru
1) Its hard to provide objective analysis when it is your own team playing. 2) I have never watched any 1980s English football so no idea if that is how Glory are playing. 3) Perth will be playing in the FFA Cup final so your final sentence is wrong Cheers Langou
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
It was a good game Bondy. The tribute to Phillip Hughes was quite moving. A credit to all involved.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"last night was full of mistakes. Missed opportunities at both ends, own goals, defensive lapses, passing efficiency well down on season averages." Looking forward to your objective analysis of the usual 1980's English football Perth Glory served up at Lang Park. :-D Only final Perth will be playing is the Elimination Final.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"Victory only managed to score one goal(excluding own goals) and Adelaide scored two" Huh... Did you watch the game? MVFC scored 3 goals & AUFC scored 2. In football - like all major sports - it doesn't matter how the ball crosses the opponent's goal line, the score is the same. An own goal is not given any less value. The idea behind every forward move in football is to create a situation in the box, which places the opposition defence under stress making them lose their organisation and composure and the ensuing panic allows the ball to cross the goal line. Happy for all MVFC goals for the rest of the season to be own goals, if we play with the intensity & high tempo we saw last night. Absolutely breathtaking football. Let's hope Brisbane puts on a show now, so we don't fall asleep watching Perth Glory.
Bondy
I thought last night's match was a great game end to end stuff. Possibly a GF prelude that apart from Syd FC . Drive By's to win tonight although won't be the best team on the park .... A nice tribute to Phil Hughes too I might add ...
c
Guest
4 goals by adelaide united did not help our cause fuss
langou
Roar Guru
Hi Fuss, Thanks for your comments. Victory's passing accuracy inside the opponents half is normally 70% and Adelaide's 68%. Last night it was 59% and 51%. Some will say that is due to defensive pressure but I saw plenty of players taking the wrong option and turning the ball over. Going forward Adelaide had two absolute sitters, right in front of goal and missed them both. Victory had a heap of 3 on 2's at the end and squandered them.Despite the open nature of the game, Victory only managed to score one goal(excluding own goals) and Adelaide scored two - one from a lucky penalty and one due to the defender(I think it was Georgievski) having a quick on-field nap.
langou
Roar Guru
Sorry mate, I've had a shocker, completely missed the sarcasm in that one. How embarrassing :-)
savic
Guest
I want to see players stay on their feet where possible but Cirio was fouled. He took his first touch, looked to turn inside and Leijer put both his forearms around him and moved him the other way. It was a foul and it was in the box, I can't see how it can be disputed.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"I think Melbourne and Adelaide are both great sides but last night was full of mistakes. Missed opportunities at both ends, own goals, defensive lapses, passing efficiency well down on season averages." Last night's match was, for me, the highest quality football I've seen in the 9.3 year history of the A-League. And, via social media, that was the view of many ex-players whom I regard highly. Aren't defensive lapses the foundation of every goal? Apart from the occasional piece of individual brilliance (e.g. James's goal at WC2014) very few goals in open are scored by pure genius & the defence has made no mistake. I'm intrigued ... What was the passing efficiency last night & what is the season average for other clubs? Admittedly, if you follow Perth Glory, it's easy to count the completed passes because the game is played at such a slow tempo.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Sorry to make you write all that from a sarcastic comment haha I was alluding to the question put to Gombau last night about whether he thinks MVFC will win the the Premiers Plate easily or not. Despite the fact that they weren't even in first place a couple hours earlier. I think Glory will need to establish a 10 point lead before anyone on this side of the world realises they exist.
langou
Roar Guru
To be honest, I haven't seen much of Sydney this year. I think Melbourne and Adelaide are both great sides but last night was full of mistakes. Missed opportunities at both ends, own goals, defensive lapses, passing efficiency well down on season averages. If I had to get off the fence, I would say Adelaide vs Perth. Re: the logo. The only three sporting teams I really care about are Socceroos, Glory and Freo so for the final corner I chose the logo of my third favourite sport, golf. I thought about including the logo of the sporting club I play for, which is Hawthorn Badminton Club but it looks too much like the Hawthorn Football Club for my liking.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Who do you think will play in the GF? MVFC, SFC or AU? By the way, who's that team bottom left of your logo? Never heard of them.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
More than happy for AUFC & SydFc to aim for the Grand Final. The main trophy I want MVFC to win this season is to win the the ALeague title - puts us straight back in Asia as the best team in the A-League. Played 5 at home, haven't dropped a game. MVFC has now scored more goals at home than any of the 9 other teams have managed both Home and Away.
langou
Roar Guru
I was a bit worried that Berisha might keeping rolling all the way into the fence when he got taken down.
langou
Roar Guru
Both teams looked shaky last night, great game for neutrals but managers wouldn't have been overly happy I imagine. In my opinion, the ref did a good job but made two mistakes. Disallowed goal should have been allowed, and penalty shouldn't have been given. In the end it evened itself out.
Punter
Guest
Fuss, a bit rich when you have Berisha in your side. Yes and lets not mention the goal from the freekick that was not a goal.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
As a neutral Savic, I saw the game the way you did last night. AUFC showed last night that they have the makings to be worthy finalist against Sydney FC at season's end in Sydney. What a great final those two teams will play-out in Sydney---and may the best team win it on the night.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"Leijer rugby tackled Cirio in the box" I don't watch Rugby, but surely you're kidding - that's not the type of tackle that brings down a 100 kg player in Rugby? In the final minute, Archie receives the exact same manhandling inside the box - nothing given. Berisha is chopped from behind - nothing given. I like Gombau. I like the way AUFC plays attacking football. But, the Spanish influence at AUFC has brought diving & simulation into the A-League, which is a real shame.