Allardyce, who claimed he'd fielded his strongest side from the start on Saturday, was delighted to see the Aussie duo get through some valuable gametime.

 

Emerton produced the opening goal of the contest, with a well-taken finish on 37 minutes.

"He sneaked into the box well off a long free-kick and the chest and volley were really good," Allardyce said after the game. "He got another 60 minutes under his belt.

"Vince did as well, which is very good for us in the build-up to the season. There are only two weeks to go now, so there is not a lot of time left."

Allardyce did his best to put an end to ongoing speculation linking Grella with a switch to Galatasaray to join fellow Australians Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill in Turkey.

"There has been no contact from Galatasaray at all," he said. "Vince is still one of our players and we are glad to see him get 60 minutes in today."