Even without Stan Lazaridis, Perth Glory have won their second game of the A-League season with a stirring 3-1 victory over a ragged Melbourne Victory at Member's Equity Stadium.

A double by Nikita Rukavytsya and Jamie Harnwell's sixth goal of the season were ample reward for Glory's dominance, and kept alive their slim finals hopes.

While Adrian Caceres' spectacular goal for the visitors will go down among the best of the season, it came as little consolation for the Victory who were poor throughout.

The loss also locked in the longest winless sequence in the club's history - six games.

For the Glory, it was all smiles despite missing their former Socceroo.

Even on Sunday morning Glory coach Dave Mitchell was still insisting Lazaridis was a chance to return from his drug ban - despite the 35-year-old's newspaper column revealing he'd decided on Friday that he wasn't fit enough for a comeback.

With December 30 pencilled in for Lazaridis' return, he may struggle to break into a Glory side in this form, which saw them almost totally dominate the reigning A-League champions.

A frantic opening presented clear chances at either end, Glory the most guilty of not capitalising.

But Jamie Harnwell, the newest member of Glory's 200 game club, did not have long to wait to add to his highlight reel.

Finding acres of space down the right, Jimmy Downey's perfect left foot delivery was ideal for the defender-cum-frontman to head home after 18 minutes.

And with the pace of Downey and Rukavytsya causing the visitors nightmares, the Glory were in dreamland on the half hour when the Ukrainian-born striker curled a left-foot beauty into the far corner.

Rukavytsya's first home goal was worthy of the performance, but also seemed to relax the Glory into thinking the job was done.

In the shadows of halftime, Caceres reminded them it wasn't, with a 25 metre drive leaving `keeper Tando Velaphi clutching at air.

With memories of two goal leads squandered twice already this season, the absence of Downey after halftime was another reason for Glory to feel some anxiety.

But substitute Jerry Karpeh eased any jitters within 21 seconds of the restart, outstripping a flat footed Victory defence before crossing for Rukavytsya to cooly finish.

Ten minutes later, Glory's mood was darkened when skipper Simon Colosimo appeared to pull a hamstring.

But with Melbourne providing little threat the Glory held on to climb off the foot of the A-League ladder.

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