Nix vs Perth Match 'Fred'

I'll start by congratulating Welly on a terrific crowd despite the rain, the chanting was fantastic as well, and will get better.

Diego, Ifill and Bertos were incredible. Paston, Siggy, Lochhead, McKain and Greenacre were up for it and apart from a few mistakes betwen them Dura and Ferrante did well, no real reason to drop anyone from the starting XI.

A Leo Bertos thunderbolt inspired Wellington Phoenix to a 2-1 A-League triumph over an injury-cursed Perth Glory at Westpac Stadium on Sunday.

With scores locked at 1-1, Bertos unleashed an unbelievable 36-yard bullet that took the slightest deflection off Glory skipper Jacob Burns and thundered into the back of the net, sending the 10,024 crowd who had braved the rainy conditions into raptures.

But Bertos' 85th-minute winner was a cruel result for Perth, who had dominated proceedings in the second half and deserved to come away with the win, or a draw at the very least.

Twice in the second half Perth struck the crossbar before Bertos drove the dagger into his former side.

Glory, who started the match without key players Jamie Coyne (knee) and Jamie Harnwell (hamstring), were dealt a further blow when winger Victor Sikora and Chris Coyne limped off with injury before the half hour was up.

Sikora had given Perth a 1-0 lead in the third minute after stripping defender Michael Ferrante of the ball and calmly slotting past Mark Paston.

But Phoenix striker Paul Ifill levelled proceedings with a classy header in the 24th minute.

Glory 'keeper Tando Velaphi had earlier pulled off a superb diving save to keep out Ifill's powerful half-volley in the eighth minute but there was no stopping the Phoenix striker following a searching run and pin-point cross from Bertos.

Ifill's glancing header from six yards out left Velaphi with no time to react as the ball sailed over the custodian's head.

Phoenix defender Manny Muscat ensured the teams headed to half-time locked at 1-1 after clearing Todd Howarth's goalward-bound header off the line.

The Glory had chances galore in the second half as Howarth dominated down the left flank but the visitors struggled when it came to the finishing touch.

Substitute Andrija Jukic fired high from six yards out after a neat back heel from striker Branko Jelic, while Mile Sterjovski's header hit the crossbar after an excellent cross from Howarth.

Sterjovski was causing Wellington's defence all sorts of problems and the Glory hit the crossbar again in the 68th minute before the Phoenix finally launched an attack of their own, only for Adriano Pellegrino to clear Diego's header off the line.

But there was no stopping Bertos after he was crudely brought down by Pellegrino in the 84th minute.

With a packed penalty box in front of him, Bertos watched in wonder as his strike glanced off Burns and beat Velaphi's outstretched hand to give Wellington their first points of the season.

The Glory, meanwhile, have nothing to show for their opening two rounds after going down to Adelaide United 1-0 last week.