Heart edge into top six at Glory's expense MELBOURNE HEART moved into the top six - at least temporarily - after beating struggling Perth Glory at AAMI Park on Saturday night. It was a moment of inspiration from Nick Kalmar midway through the first half that put them on the way, a second-half Eli Babalj strike making sure of the points with his first goal since returning to the club. The opening 15 minutes might have been of interest chiefly to the committed, as both teams looked to establish an advantage in a game which both needed to win and neither could afford to lose. But as the teams settled down and got into a groove, things improved, with David Williams beginning to pose a threat for Heart and Liam Miller taking charge for the visitors. It was Kalmar's delivery from a free kick in the 23rd minute which lit up proceedings and provided the spark that Heart needed. Matt Thompson was clumsily brought down by Perth striker Shane Smeltz about 23 metres from goal and Kalmar stepped forward to take the set-piece, sending a well-flighted delivery high and over Danny Vukovic in the Glory goal, the ball striking the bar before bouncing behind the flailing goalkeeper. Perth's best chance to that point had come shortly before, when Heart debutant Jamie Coyne, who had spent much of his career at Glory, almost gave his former club a goal when he lost possession in his area, the ball falling to Smeltz. The goal lifted the hosts, and Williams caused plenty of problems with his pace and preparedness to take on opponents and shoot from distance. Babalj's size and technical ability, his capacity to hold the ball up and play on the ground, gives them a potent threat down the middle. Babalj should have put his side two up in the 27th minute when another long-range drive, this time from Williams, tested Vukovic. The goalkeeper spilled the shot and the rebound fell straight to the feet of the striker who tried to pass the ball in from close range rather than blast it, Vukovic redeeming himself with a save. Chris Harold, the Perth winger, shared a good battle with Heart's lively teenage full-back Jeremy Walker, who loves to attack. But Harold did get in round the back to flash a shot just wide as Perth drove forward in search of a leveller. Kalmar almost struck again from similar distance 10 minutes into the second half with a free kick that took a deflection and went just wide of Vukovic's post. But Heart didn't have to wait long to double their advantage. Glory failed to clear a corner and when the ball was headed back across goal, Jonatan Germano's shot hit the post and Babalj lashed home from close range.