24 SPORT MONDAY DECEMBER 12 2016 Jets grab the glory as title hopes go pear-shaped for Perth PERTH Glory’s title aspira- past 14 matches. But the form janic in first-half stoppage time league, and they started the Things started well for ces paid dividends for Newcas- tions are fading fast following guide was turned on its head in gifted Newcastle all three season with the belief they Glory when Marinkovic tle. Hoole levelled the scores in their woeful display in Satur- a match dominated by the fast- points. could contend for silverware. opened the scoring in the sev- the 21st minute when he day night’s 2-1 loss to A- paced Jets, ending Perth’s 10- The Jets would have won by But four losses and two draws enth minute with a sweet latched onto a through ball League strugglers Newcastle game unbeaten streak at far more if it wasn’t for the ef- from their past seven games strike from outside the box. from Devante Clut and curled Jets at nib Stadium. home. forts of Glory goalkeeper Liam have seen Glory fall five points But that was a rare high- the ball past Reddy. And the Glory were expected to Jets attacker Andrew Hoole Reddy, who pulled off a series adrift of third spot. light. Jets hit the lead in first-half romp to victory against a Jets cancelled out Nebojsa Marink- of stunning saves to keep his Glory’s defence was sliced Reddy did his best to keep stoppage time when Smiljanic outfit which had won just one ovic’s opener, before an em- side in the match. open time and again and they Glory in the match with a se- headed the ball into his own game this season, and were barrassing own goal from Glory boast one of the most were lucky to be only 2-1 down ries of clutch saves. But net after trying to clear An- winless against Perth in their Glory midfielder Milan Smil- impressive squads in the at the break. eventually the weight of chan- drew Nabbout’s cross. Vardy hot as Foxes Four for put City to the sword JAMIE Vardy ended a three- Roar as month goal drought in style when his hat-trick led strug- gling champions Leicester to a 4-2 victory over Manchester City in the English Premier League yesterday. The diminutive striker Reds cop looked back to last season’s best, making a nuisance of himself and worrying defend- ers with pace and movement. It took Vardy only three minutes to score his first club goal in 17 appearances and pasting Andy King added another in- side two minutes. Vardy netted again in the THOMAS Kristensen scored a Roar’s perspective was a calf 20th and 78th minutes before first-half brace as Brisbane injury to Broich, who was City attempted a fightback. Roar waltzed to an easy 4-0 A- taken off shortly after scoring. Aleksandar Kolarov scored League win over a flat Adel- For the Reds, it was a harsh from a free kick and set up No- aide United yesterday. reality check after breaking lito to limit the damage for Pep Snapping a frustrating run through for their first win of Guardiola’s fourth-place side. of four straight 1-1 draws for the season last week, and any “Today was about getting the Roar, Kristensen’s two hopes of a similar run to last back to basics and doing what goals came within the space of season’s sensational march to we do best, getting in people’s just three minutes, and both the premiership-champion- faces and playing at a high were served on a platter by ship double looks unlikely. tempo,” King said. Socceroo hopeful Tommy Oar. Jamie Young started in goal It was Leicester’s first Prem- Veteran Thomas Broich for Brisbane, following Mi- ier League win since October added the third in the 55th chael Theo’s late withdrawal and took Claudio Ranieri’s minute, steering a well-timed due to a quad injury, and was team four points clear of the header past Adelaide captain equal to the task every time he relegation zone. It also vindi- Eugene Galekovic from a was tested. cated Ranieri’s decision to rest smart Dimitri Petratos free Adelaide’s best chances Vardy and other key players kick, while a late Jamie Mac- came late on, when the match during the 5-0 loss at FC Porto laren penalty was the final was already settled, with Iaco- on Wednesday, when Leices- dagger. po La Rocca’s crossbar-rattling ter’s qualification for the The Roar remain fourth on header in the 64th minute the Champions League round of 16 the ladder, equal on points closest they got to finding the as group winner was assured. with Melbourne Victory and back of the net. The break seemed to help one behind second-placed Former Danish internation- Vardy. Melbourne City, but have al Kristensen had no such He emerged from his slump closed the gap on runaway trouble, striking in the 28th by striking past goalkeeper leaders Sydney FC to seven and 30th minutes to take his Claudio Bravo after receiving a points. season tally to four goals. pass from Islam Slimani. It was a spritely perform- It was an unhappy return to After Andy King curled the ance from Brisbane despite a Suncorp for Henrique, who ball into the roof of the net, substandard pitch at Suncorp was received warmly by his Vardy latched on to a brilliant Stadium, which showed clear former fans but was responsi- cushioned lay-off from Riyad signs of wear after a Coldplay ble for the handball that gave Mahrez before rounding Bravo concert midweek. However, it away Maclaren’s 85th-minute and slotting into the net. did not overly detract from the spot kick. Vardy completed his treble spectacle of the match, played Maclaren nearly opted out when intercepting a stray pass out in front of 15,605 fans. of the match because of the re- Thomas Broich after scoring for Brisbane Roar against Adelaide United yesterday. Inset: Former Roar from John Stones before beat- The only concern from the cent death of his grandmother. star Henrique in action for Adelaide at Suncorp Stadium Pictures: JONO SEARLE and BRAD KANARIS ing Bravo again, with the ball going over the line off the post from a tight angle. “Except the last goal, he Madrid magic clinches record Berisha fires hat-trick as silencer made a good performance,” Guardiola said in defence of REAL Madrid set a new club record from distance, but former Madrid BESART Berisha says his stunning game as FFA Cup champions and hav- Stones. after a 35th consecutive match without youth player Joselu Sanmartin went on hat-trick in the 3-0 win against West- ing won the last two matches played be- “Central defenders are just a loss by beating Deportivo La Coruna for Deportivo and scored twice in a ern Sydney on Saturday night was mo- tween the sides, Berisha said it is the defending, put the ball long, 3-2 on another Sergio Ramos stoppage- three-minute span to force Madrid into tivated by his determination to prove season’s final standings that will deter- but what we want is a little bit time winner yesterday. fightback mode. critics wrong over his recent form. mine who is the better team overall. more, not just defending.” Ramos, who scored an injury-time With Cristiano Ronaldo and several The goals catapulted Berisha to “It’s a long way to go,” Berisha said. City failed to win a tackle in equaliser at Barcelona in the last round, other first-choice players unavailable, within one of Archie Thompson’s all- “There’s a game now on the week- the first 35 minutes but Guard- headed in a corner kick after 90 min- Madrid needed little-used Mariano to time A-League scoring record, with the end, a derby … I love these kind of iola sought to downplay the utes were up to maintain Madrid’s six- level at 2-2 in the 84th before Ramos scene now set for the striker to go past games.” statistic. point lead over Barcelona atop the snatched the winner. his former Melbourne Victory team- A growing chorus of critics had fo- “The second ball is a con- Spanish league. Under coach Zinedine Zidane, Mad- mate in Saturday night’s mouthwater- cused on a raft of gilt-edged chances cept here in England,” Guardi- Madrid appeared to have the mile- rid has not lost since April 6 when it fell ing derby against Melbourne City at Berisha, 31, had missed of late. ola said. “I’m not a coach for stone well in hand after Alvaro Morata 2-0 at German side Wolfsburg in the AAMI Park. Berisha said he heard that criticism the tackles, so I don’t train the gave the hosts the lead with a strike Champions League knockout rounds. And while City may go in to the which only spurred him on. tackles.” NTNE01Z01MA - V1.