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Football: Hot Perth Glory equals its best run of wins

Perth's Bruno Fornaroli has been in brilliant form.

Perth's Bruno Fornaroli has been in brilliant form. Photo: AAP

Bruno Fornaroli has continued his sizzling form to help lift Perth to a 3-0 A-League victory over Adelaide United at HBF Park.

Fornaroli notched his fifth goal in five games on Saturday when he unleashed a majestic strike from outside the box in the 44th minute in front of 11,168 fans.

Joel Chianese continued his own hot form with the opening goal.

It was his third goal in three matches, while Spanish maestro Diego Castro was influential as always with two first-half assists.

Chris Ikonomidis was introduced in the 59th minute and scored nine minutes later after a weak effort from Adelaide goalkeeper Paul Izzo.

But Ikonomidis is no certainty to face Western Sydney next week after injuring his left ankle in a dangerous tackle from Adelaide defender Michael Jakobsen.

It was a nasty tackle,” Glory coach Tony Popovic said.”On replay it didn’t look good. It looked like it was from behind. That’s just on first glance when you look up on the screen, but he obviously caught the player.”

Glory’s fifth victory on the trot equals the club’s longest A-League winning run – set twice in the 2015/16 campaign.

Perth, last before their winning run, find themselves in third spot and with a game in hand against second-placed Melbourne City, who are two points ahead.

The Reds have lost four games in a row and five of their past seven – a worrying slump which has dropped them out of the top six.

“The problem is that we are too easy in giving chances away and (Glory) do have the quality to use those chances,” Adelaide coach Gertjan Verbeek said.

“We also had chances but didn’t score.”

With the mercury at 34 degrees at kickoff, Chianese broke the deadlock in the 26th minute after latching onto Castro’s pass and spinning his way into the box.

It was Fornaroli who struck next, with the Uruguayan’s shot from just outside the box taking a slight deflection before crashing into the back of the net.

Ikomidis had seen just three minutes of action in the Glory’s past two games, and the Socceroo made the most of his opportunity when he came on.

The 24-year-old sprinted to reach Grant’s long ball in the 68th minute and arrived at the same time as Izzo.

Adelaide’s gloveman decided against putting his body on the line – a mistake that allowed Ikonomidis to knock the ball forward and score.

Ikonomidis, Chianese, and Fornaroli could have easily ended the match with a brace each, such was the glut of chances Perth created.

-AAP

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