Perth has scored its first win of the Hyundai A-League season with a gutsy 4-1 victory over the Newcastle Jets in a rain-soaked encounter at Energy Australia Stadium on Friday night.

The Jets dominated the opening half-hour of play, but an own goal from Newcastle defender Andrew Durante handed Perth the lead midway through the first half. Joel Griffiths made it 1-1 just after half-time before goals to Jordan Simpson and a brace to Nikita Rukavytsya gave the Glory a much-needed win.

The victory sees the Glory still propping up the table, but gives the West Australian side a bit of sunshine after a tumultuous week that saw the demise of coach Ron Smith.

For Newcastle, the loss sees the club clinging to equal second on 17 points but in danger of tumbling out of the top four after the rest of the weekend's fixtures.

Mark Bridge squandered the first chance for the Jets in the sixth minute after a promising break down the right flank from Tarek Elrich found the striker unmarked in the area, but Bridge could only send his shot sailing over the crossbar.

Joel Griffiths went close with a shot across the face of goal in the ninth minute after a well-worked one-two with Elrich, while Scott Tunbridge was denied by a brave save from Glory keeper Tando Velaphi after being put in a great position by a long-ball from Stephen Laybutt.

Perth lost key defender Naum Sekulovski to a hamstring injury in just the 11th minute with 22-year-old Tyler Simpson coming at right back.

The visitors had their first chance when skipper Simon Colosimo fired a bullet-like free kick from 20 yards in the 17th minute. The ball deflected off the Jets defence before Jamie Harnwell pounced and fired a goal-bound shot that was parried by Covic, who managed to scramble to his feet and swipe the ball away before Harnwell could get a second touch.

Just a minute later Tunbridge missed a golden opportunity down the other end when he sprayed his shot wide from just six yards out after a pin-point cross from Bridge.

The game was turned on its head in 25th minute with an own goal to Perth against the run of play.

Glory striker Nikita Rukavytsya pounced on a loose ball behind the Jets' defence and strode unmarked into the Jets penalty area where he danced around an advancing Covic before Durante, who was streaking back in defence, toed the ball into his own net.

Jets coach Gary Van Egmond injected his marquee player, former Brazilian international Mario Jardel for Tunbridge in the hope of capitalising on the host of chances being created by his team. But the Glory defence started to find its measure to slow down the Jets advance.

The visitors should have doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Jamie Robinson blew two golden opportunities – the second after he had played around Covic but slid the ball wide of the far post from just six yards with an open goal at his mercy.

The Jets were level just three minutes after the break when Adam D'Apuzzo put a great through ball for Griffiths, who streaked into the penalty area before calmly shooting past Velaphi.

The Glory restored their lead just moments later after a great run down the left flank from Leo Bertos took play to the edge of the Jets area. He squared to Rukavytsya, whose shot was stopped by Covic, only for substitute Jordan Simpson to tap into an open goal.

Perth went to a 3-1 lead just after the hour mark when Rukavytsya snared an opportune goal after Colosimo's cross was not cleared by the Jets defence. Jamie Harnwell got up for the header just 15 out and the ball fell to Rukavytsya, who turned and poked in from four yards out.

The Jets brought on Tory Hearfield and Noel Spencer and pushed forward in a desperate attempt to claw their way back into the match, but the tactic only resulted in the Jets' defence opening up and Rukavytsya knocked in his second during injury time after an incisive run from James Downey.

Perth Glory 4 (Durante og 25, Simpson 51, Rukavytsya 62, 90)

Newcastle Jets 1 (Joel Griffiths 48)

Crowd 8112 at Energy Australia Stadium, Newcastle    SPORTAL