Happy Days are here again for long suffering Sydney United supporters.
The sign on the corner of Edensor Road points the way to the United Sports Centre and the crowd certainly showed and felt that unity when they stood as one to salute their side at the end of a magnificent game at the ground on Sunday afternoon, which produced a third consective victory under new coach Alan Hunter.
One of their favourite sons from the days when the ground was known variously as King Tomislav Park, the Croatian Sports Centre or even just Edensor Park, Hunter has revitalised this once powerful club to the point where they can now rightly be seen as potential title challengers this season.
Their win over Perth Glory was thoroughly deserved, for while they may have had less of the game at times, what they did show on the day was meaningful and allowed the team to do all that was essential to claim the spoils.
Brett Hughes was magnificent in goal, thwarting the lively Perth strike force with some sensational saves. Perth produced by far the majority of the scoring chances, but as with the previous home game against Northern Spirit, which also finished 2-1 in their favour, United did put the ball in the net when they needed to.
The first goal was sublime.
It came in just the third minute when veteran skipper Aytek Genc spread the ball wide to Tom Pondeljak on the right who then whipped over a cross from the byline to the near post where Zlatko Arambasic flew in to beat Jason Petkovic with a brave header, timed to absolute perfection.
It brought the house down.
For a side now calling itself the Brave Hearts it was an indication that the players are using that name as motivation.
The football played thereafter lived up to the standard set by the quality of that first goal; it was a delight to watch and at the finish sent an appreciative crowd home very happy.
Glory never panicked, but neither did United. Both attacked solidly, with United mostly using a counter-attacking approach for much of the game.
Chances for Glory were too numerous to recount in full.
Suffice it to say that Bobby Despotovski shook hands with Hughes immediately after the final whistle, acknowledging with a shrug and an embrace that he had met his match on this occasion.
The woodwork also deserved a kiss; it had stood between Glory and a goal more than once on Sunday as well.
Either side of United’s opener Brad Maloney shaved the left post with a shot across the goal from the right and Shayne Pryce had a fierce drive palmed around the post by the keeper, who had no right to get there in time.
Perth were rewarded for their persistence and attacking dominance in the 28th minute when Jamie Harnwell, denied minutes earlier by Hughes, climbed high at the far post to nod home a Kasey Wehrman free kick from the right of the area, needlessly given away by Sydney defender Danny Burt, with a silly push on Despotovski.
Perth were denied several times again before the break, by Hughes, while United went close with an overhead kick inside the 6 yard box from Nahuel Arrarte, which just cleared the bar and a run and shot by Genc which Petkovic smothered nicely.
Twice, United defenders cleared off their goal line in a busy second half, first from a corner by Scott Miller which was swung in from the right and looked set to go in at the far post only for Goran Talevski to just get his head to the ball first and then when Burt blocked a goalbound drive from Despotovski not long after.
Hughes also saved at point blank range from Despotovski in the last five minutes, but these attempts came, pointedly, after Awaritife had already restored United’s lead with a super strike in the 76th.
The 36 year old, on target yet again for his latest club, after being dumped by near neighbours Marconi, found himself with his back to goal inside a crowded penalty area, yet somehow found room to turn and slam a completely unexpected shot inside the right post.
A free kick from Pondeljak had been floated into the area and was pushed on by Cummings Menapi to Awaritife, who appeared to have no options open to him. He thought otherwise.
Instead, he produced a piece of priceless magic.
It was enough to beat a Perth Glory side which will play a lot worse than it did here and manage to win handsomely, elsewhere and who contributed to a cracking game, played on an immaculate surface.
Football like this should be played every week and the crowds will soon come back. They are back at the United Sports Centre already.