A day when ‘God’ illuminated the NIB stadium.
Robbie gave us a glimpse of his talents, earning him the nickname of God at times.
Perth Glory has been struggling for quite some time, but the player from the ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ brought a dash of Hope to the fans by scoring an impressive hat-trick, leading to a 3-1 victory against Melbourne Victory over the weekend.
Having gone 10 matches without a win, it’s unfortunate that only 6217 spectators witnessed Robbie’s crucial hat-trick that brought a much-needed win against Victory.
Nonetheless, those 6217 will cherish the moment when Robbie Fowler netted a hat-trick for Perth Glory, a tale that will be shared across generations… it’s the essence of folklore.
Melbourne managed to score once through Mate Dugandzic with 11 minutes left, but Victory never posed a serious threat to score again as Perth interim coach Ian Ferguson celebrated his first victory since taking over from Dave Mitchell a little over a month ago.
The outcome doesn’t change either team’s standing, with Glory remaining eighth while Melbourne stays sixth after suffering three losses in their last four matches.
Even amidst Perth’s winless streak, their efforts over the past three games have been commendable, which was highlighted again in minute two when Jamie Coyne’s pass sent Fowler racing toward goal, only for him to be denied by a remarkable reflex save from Petkovic.
Melbourne responded with Archie Thompson, who was making his first start since recovering from knee surgery.
Proving he still had his speed and skill, the Victory striker maneuvered around Scott Neville on the left and approached the goal, but was thwarted by Tando Velaphi at the near post.
It had been nearly a month since Perth last scored, with Michael Baird finding the net on October 14 against the Fury, but the long-awaited breakthrough finally came when Fowler converted a penalty in the 13th minute.
A subtle flick from Baird set Fowler free, where he was brought down in the box by Rody Vargas, prompting referee Chris Beath to point to the penalty spot immediately.
The penalty was not without its drama, as Fowler’s casual attempt was saved by Petkovic, but he composed himself to net the rebound.
Perhaps driven by that goal, Perth showcased some of their most cohesive attacking play in many weeks, exemplified when Todd Howarth headed just over the bar in the 28th minute.
In the 34th minute, Melbourne nearly equalized when Thompson’s clever lay-off allowed the dynamic Marvin Angulo to launch a sharp angled shot, but it was denied by a diving Velaphi, who pushed the ball to safety.
Two minutes later, Angulo went close again, but Perth finished the half on a stronger note as Jacob Burns shot wide and Petkovic courageously smothered the ball at Neville’s feet.
After the break, Glory continued from where they had left off, with Petkovic forced to save Fowler’s header from a fiery left-wing cross by Baird.
However, it didn’t take long for them to double their advantage, as Fowler scored his second in 
the 54th minute. The goal resulted from a series of impressive passes from Glory as they patiently advanced from defense.
The sequence ended with Burns, whose cross was blocked, but it fell perfectly for Neville to deliver a cross from the right, which Fowler effortlessly converted.
Victory nearly found their footing again just before the hour when a trademark Hernandez free kick sailed narrowly over the bar, but the moment the Glory faithful had been anticipating soon arrived in the 61st minute.
There seemed little threat when Adriano Pellegrino gained possession in midfield, but his stunning lofted pass over Melbourne’s defense put Fowler in position to score the season’s first hat-trick.
In the 71st minute, Perth came close to making it four when a powerful attempt from Neville was deflected over the bar, giving Melbourne a chance to respond by scoring 11 minutes from the end.
A smart pass from Angulo set Diogo Ferreira free on the right, and his low cross was deftly glanced into the goal by fellow substitute Dugandzic.
Nevertheless, despite Glory playing their fifth match in just 16 days and showing signs of fatigue in the closing moments, they secured a memorable victory.
Perth Glory 3 (Fowler 13, 54, 61)
Melbourne Victory 1 (Dugandzic 79)
Attendance: 6217 at NIB Stadium, Perth
