Another goalless Glory performance was never going to secure a first win of the campaign, as a dogged Adelaide United side withstood a barrage of home pressure to grind out a 0-0 draw.

Under-pressure Ron Smith opted to make four changes to last weekend’s starting line-up with Tyler Simpson, Nikita Rukavytsya, Tando Velaphi and Jimmy Downey all coming into the side with the latter pair making their first starts of the season.

The new additions certainly seemed to revitalise the Glory side as they began brightly and immediately put the visitors on the back foot. Downey and Tyler Simpson forged an instant understanding down the right, while Billy Celeski and Jordan Simpson quickly took charge in central midfield.

The chances started early for Glory with Adelaide midfielder Ange Costanzo forced to hack a dangerous Leo Bertos cross over his own bar with three minutes gone, before Cassio undertook the same desperate defensive measure six minutes later as Tyler Simpson came close to getting on the end of a searching cross-field ball from Simon Colosimo.

The visitors did occasionally threaten from set-pieces, with Cassio’s delivery causing one or two anxious moments for Perth’s backline, but generally it was one-way traffic, with the home side monopolising possession for long periods.

On 25 minutes a cluster of Adelaide defenders combined to prevent the lively Rukavytsya from connecting with a James Robinson flick-on and five minutes later Bertos wasted a decent shooting opportunity created for him by some neat interplay between Tyler Simpson and Downey on the right flank.

Ron Smith’s side managed to create two more chances before the break, but neither of the headed efforts from Nikolai Topor-Stanley or Bertos managed to trouble Daniel Beltrame in the Adelaide goal.

Cassio was narrowly off-target for the visitors in the first minute of the second-half with 20 metre free-kick, but having survived that scare, Glory wasted little time in reasserting their superiority.

The club’s best chance coming on 49 minutes after a miss-hit Bertos shot turned into an inviting cross for Topor-Stanley, but the outstanding young defender saw his bullet header cannon back off the crossbar.

The South Australians were again forced into desperate defence midway through the second stanza to prevent Rukavytsya from getting on the end of a Bertos cross, then seconds later Colosimo showed the same impeccable timing at the other end of the pitch to foil Bruce Djite as the powerful striker bore down on goal.

Nathan Burns had Adelaide’s best chance but he wasted the open invitation to goal after some great build-up play by Travis Dodd. Velaphi sprung into action but in the end didn’t need to make the save as Burns miss-timed his kick in the only real threat on Perth’s goal over the duration of the match.

James Robinson went close to breaking the deadlock twice within a minute as the home side practically laid siege to the Adelaide goal. The speedy striker was just off target with a header and then denied by Beltrame at the near post. Seconds later Robert Cornthwaite was on hand to block a stinging Bertos shot that looked destined for the net.

Ron Smith threw Mitchell Prentice, Nick Rizzo and Jamie Harnwell into the fray as the game moved into its final quarter and the latter almost made an instant impact as he bulldozed his way through the visitors’ defence with a barnstorming run, only to miscue his shot well wide.

Roared on by an enthusiastic crowd, Glory seemed on the brink of that vital first win of the season, but somehow Adelaide hung on to maintain their unbeaten record at Members Equity and leave the home side without a much deserved three points.

“The pleasing thing was that we stuck to our game plan better today than we have done in the past. The first half was terrific and the players can see themselves the way we need to be playing,” Smith said after the match.

“We were a lot more direct tonight and probably a little bit unfortunate not to have scored a goal.

“We took the game to them and I’m pleased with the effort and feel that we were unlucky not to be celebrating our first win,” Smith added.

Match Details

Perth Glory 0
Adelaide United 0
Sunday, 7 October 2007
Members Equity Stadium, Perth
Referee: Peter Green
Crowd: 6,252

Perth Glory
30.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 2.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY, 4.Simon COLOSIMO, 10.Billy CELESKI (16.Nick RIZZO 78’), 12.Leo BERTOS, 13.Nikita RUKAVYTSYA (5.Jamie HARNWELL 74’), 14.Jamie COYNE, 17.Jimmy DOWNEY, 21.James ROBINSON, 24.Jordan SIMPSON (15.Mitchell PRENTICE 67’), 25. Tyler SIMPSON,

Yellows Nil

Adelaide United
1.Daniel BELTRAME (gk), 2.Richie ALAGICH, 4.Angelo COSTANZO, 6.CASSIO, 8.Kristian SARKIES (7.Lucas PANTELIS 73’), 10.Nathan BURNS, 11.Bruce DJITE (17.Isyan ERDOGAN 73’), 13.Travis DODD (Captain), 15.Jonas SALLEY, 18.Robert CORNTHWAITE, 22.DIEGO.

Yellows Isyan Erdogan 86’.