An injury decimated AIS squad was no match for Perth Glory, losing 2-0 to goals by Samuel Mitchinson and substitute (and Canberran) Mario Marcinko. The result sees the Glory leap over Gold Coast into either second or third position pending the other match today.

Perth commenced the game with intent to put the result beyond doubt as early as possible. Unfortunately, no one told the forwards of the plan as they blasted over and wide as each opportunity was presented to them.

Most of the damage was from the lef side where Ryan Pearson and player-of-the-half Ludovic Boi ran rampant, intercepting AIS passes and setting up their teammates.

As early as the seventh minute a pull-back from Pearson found Howard Fondyke, but he aimed for the trees in the background instead of the goal. A few minutes later Boi came close when Milion Butshiire chipped the ball over the bar, but his effort went wide of the mark.

Boi then played provider when he collected a wayward AIS pass and set up Dean Evans, but the Glory player again did not give Lawrence Thomas, in goal for the AIS, and concerns.

Just after the midway point of the half Perth had three good chances. First Pearson crossed for Boi to send the ball skimming off the outside of the post. Then a free kick from playmaker Cameron Edwards was cleared to Fondyke, but he skied his attempt.

Finally, just prior to the half-hour mark, a Perth corner from the right was cleared by the AIS defence. In an attempt to dribble out of defence Kamal Ibrahim found trouble which resulted in him being dispossessed by Boi. Crossing over the front of the penalty area, he layed the ball off to Mitchinson who sent a left foot shot that slid in off the right upright.

The goal awoke the AIS and they ventured forward with some purpose, something lacking for the previous thirty minutes. Jared Lum found himself one-on-one with Aleks Vrteski, but the big keeper swallowed up the chance.

Brodie Patterson tried his luck from distance with a free kick, and although unlike the Perth players he was on target. Still, the shot was easy for Vrteski to grab. Paterson had another chance later in the half, but again Vrteski was his nemesis, the keeper grabbing the ball with Ibrahim awaiting any error.

AIS coach Jan Versleijn made one tactical change at the break swapping Ibrahim to the left side. Not only did it solve some of the shortcomings in the defensive duties, it also gave the youngster a chance to show his skills.

Ibrahim's work down the left gave the Perth defence some severe concerns, those which they could not deal with. Only a few minutes into the second half, he went down the left, only to see his cross slide behind Paterson who was flying into the penalty area.

Perth were not without their own chances, the best early coming from a well-worked move with Glen Trifiro sending Jimmy Downey down the left, but his low cross was just in front of Milion Butshiire.

Ibrahim continued his deft runs down the left setting up Lum first, the midfielder's shot well blocked and then going for goal himself, sending his effort over. The AIS were causing problems, yet without any reward.

Twenty minutes in, it was the turn for Brendan Hamill, but his shot was acrobatically saved with one hand by Vrteski. Ibrahim also fed Patrick Dixon, only for the resultant shot to rebound off the cross bar.

Then Perth got the chance to double their lead after AIS captain Nikola Stanojevic brought down Perth substitute, and ex-Canberran, Mario Marcinko in the penalty area. Marcinko dusted himself off and sent Lawrence Thomas the wrong way.

The goal deflated the AIS, yet eventually they challenged again. Defender Marc Warren waltzed through the defence, but when he crossed from the goal-line, there was no-one in the box. They were all admiring Warren's work.

The last shots of the game fell to Ibrahim, but he went 'koala hunting' and Chris Bush sent a shot that stung the hands of Vrteski.