Iain Fyfe and Sergio van Dijk found the back of the net for the Reds in a heated contest that saw nine yellow cards and a red to the Glory's Naum Sekulovski on 63 minutes.

The visitors picked up seven cards, including the red, to United's two after a less than entertaining first half.

The best chance of the half came from the Reds just before half-time through some good work out on the left from Lucas Pantelis.

The winger's cross was cleared out of the box by the Glory but Paul Reid volleyed from 20 metres only for his rocket to take a slight deflection and skim the bar.

Minutes after the break Robbie Fowler almost opened the scoring when he tried to curl one past Eugene Galekovic from 25 metres.

The Reds shot stopper was equal to the task and tipped it past the post.

Travis Dodd's impact was almost immediate injecting pace into a game that lacked life.

The Reds captain got on the end of an inch-perfect Cassio cross after the little Brazilian burnt off his opponent but Dodd could only manage to put his header over the bar.

A minute later it was van Dijk who went close again from a Cassio cross with the striker also off target.

Just after the hour mark the game was turned on its head when Sekulovski was shown his second yellow card for using his hand to stop a beautiful through ball from Fabian Barbiero.

From the resulting freekick Iain Fyfe found the back of the net for United with well placed header from a pin point delivery from Pantelis.

United claimed a stranglehold on the contest although the visitors worried the Reds when they went forward.

Dodd had another good chance to kill off the contest getting in front keeper Tando Velaphi who raced off his lane to meet the captain.

The pair tussled for the ball on the edge of the area and Dodd won out but put his shot into the side netting with an open goal begging.

Pantelis also missed a guilt edged chance in the dying stages before van Dijk finally got United's second goal in injury time.

Cassio found substitute Iain Ramsay on the left and the winger whipped in a cross first time for the burly forward who made no mistake with his header from six metres.

Adelaide United 2(Fyfe 64, van Dijk 90)
Perth Glory 0
10,023 at Hindmarsh Stadium