Victory's Berisha lapping up A-League hate
  Story By Ben McKay     

Monday, 20 November 2017: With a four-day turnaround, Melbourne Victory are heading straight from Perth and their first win of the season to their next assignment; Newcastle Jets.

Besart Berisha has a message for the A-League boo boys: keep on singing.

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The Kosovo international netted his third goal of the season on Sunday as Melbourne Victory claimed their first win of the campaign, a 2-0 triumph over Perth.

He did so against vicious chants from the home Glory crowd, which boasts a particular distaste for the 32-year-old.

Berisha's contentious injury-time penalty in the 2012 grand final against Perth, and resulting spot-kick winner, is still the closest the Western Australians have come to silverware in the A-League era.

And then there's Berisha's all-time record against Perth.

In 19 matches, Berisha has scored 16 goals against the Glory -- more than any club in his seven-year stay in Australia.

So amid the chants of being a bastard and a cheat, perhaps that's way the A-League's leading striker had a huge smile on his face after scoring the opener at nib Stadium.

"It always motivates me when you see that you're not loved from away supporters," he said.

"That's very normal. It would be bad if they love you.

"It will never change. If you're a player that will score against their team, always you'll be hated."

Victory leapt from bottom of the A-League to the top six with the win, and will climb further if the feat can be repeated on Thursday night.

Kevin Muscat's side go straight from Perth to Newcastle for a Thursday night clash with the second-placed Newcastle Jets.

Three points will lift the heavyweights to fourth in the league, not bad given it took them six rounds to score their first success.

"It was a very needed three points. A very important win for us," Berisha said.

"I always believed that very soon the win was going to come.

"I hope this game against Perth will give us momentum and good confidence to go to Newcastle."