Chidiac magic as Victory beat Perth in ALW

Melbourne Victory have kick-started their A-League Women championship defence in style with Alex Chidiac's brilliant "Olimpico" goal headlining a 3-0 defeat of a 10-woman Perth Glory.

Melina Ayres' goal in the 25th minute handed Victory the advantage before Glory's Sarah Cain was sent off in the 56th at Macedonia Park.

Ayres smashed home her second goal, and third in two games, two minutes later, before Chidiac's wonderful strike directly from a corner kick in the 75th minute wrapped up Victory's second win on the bounce.

Chidiac, Beattie Goad and Ayres were excellent while Hana Lowry provided a consistent spark for Perth.

Victory have bumped up to fifth on the table while Perth, who remain winless after four games, are ninth.

Perth looked dangerous early with Victory's defence shaky on the ball and nearly scored in the 11th minute when skipper Natasha Rigby headed goalward but Elise Kellond-Knight cleared the ball off the line.

Three minutes later, Perth youngster Alana Jancevski shot just wide from long-range.

Victory snatched the lead when Claudia Bunge lifted a long ball forwards and it fell into the path of Goad, who cut wide then whipped in a lovely cross for Ayres.

The striker took a touch, turned on the ball and coolly ripped the ball into the bottom corner.

Perth attacker Rylee Baisden dragged just wide in the 40th minute, while five minutes into the second half Casey Dumont denied Lowry's header.

The Glory unnecessarily went a player down when Cain, earlier booked for a first-half shirt tug, fouled Lia Privitelli and received her second yellow.

Victory capitalised almost immediately.

Goad floated in a corner and it bobbled around in the area before Ayres chested down the ball and lashed home.

Perth's Cyera Hintzen dragged a shot wide in the 69th minute while Sadie Lawrence shot off-target four minutes later.

But Chidiac's wonderful left-footed strike from a corner 15 minutes from full-time sent Victory into raptures.

Victory youngster Ava Briedis rattled the crossbar from long range in the 89th minute but the visitors had to settled for a three-goal win.