Melbourne Heart FC Head Coach John Aloisi is confident his side can secure a second consecutive win against former bogey side Perth Glory tomorrow, despite injuries suffered to a number of key players.
Melbourne Heart FC Head Coach John Aloisi is confident his side can secure a second consecutive win against former bogey side Perth Glory tomorrow, despite injuries suffered to a number of key players.
Heart will be without captain Fred, Simon Colosimo, Josip Tadic (broken toe) and Sam Mitchinson (quad) but are boosted by the return of Dylan Macallister and Jason Hoffman as well as new signing Jamie Coyne.
Coyne, who signed a short-term deal mid-week, is expected to play a part against his former club on Saturday.
History illustrates Glory have been a thorn in Heart-s side in the nine encounters between the two A-League clubs, with Perth having won four to Heart-s two, with the other three ending in draws and Heart-s loss against the Western Australians in last season-s Finals Series still touches a nerve with the Red and White.
While Heart-s 1-0 triumph on December 8 at AAMI Park last year, courtesy of a last-gasp Golgol Mebrathu strike, has gone some way to mending those wounds, and despite missing key regulars, Aloisi is out to ensure Heart secures an important three points.
“Most of the season we have lost important players at crucial times,” said Aloisi.
“But we have got players coming back in and we signed Jamie Coyne so he will help us out.
“We still believe that our squad is good enough to put out there and still get a result.”
Heart are undefeated at home so far in 2013 and it is imperative that form continues if the side is to secure a spot in the finals.
“It is a big game for us,” Aloisi admitted.
“We need to win at home and we need to be beating the teams around us, and Perth Glory are one of those teams.
“It is an exciting game for us and we hope to have a big crowd that will support us and get us across the line.”
Perth Glory could be without Jacob Burns but Aloisi is still wary of the threat last year-s Grand Finalists possess.
“A big loss for them is not to have Jacob Burns involved at the moment,” Aloisi said.
“The danger man will always be someone like Shane Smeltz, he’s good striker even when he is not in form.”
“They have got a good team all round.”
