Soccer: Glory's hopes of finals spot rest on tough road trip

Jacob Burns of the Glory and Marcos Flores of Adelaide contest the ball. Photo / Getty Images

PERTH - Perth Glory will throw caution to the wind in their upcoming road trip to Queensland, hoping their bold attempt to bring back a double result will pay off and boost their A-League finals hopes.

The Glory, a daunting seven points adrift of sixth spot, take on fourth-placed Gold Coast and ladder leaders Brisbane on January 3 and 7 respectively, in a tough trip that could in all likelihood end their finals hopes.

But Perth skipper Jacob Burns remains adamant the team haven't given up hope of finals soccer just yet, claiming six points from those two games could be the spark needed to ignite a charge up the table.

He said they were never going to give up until it was a mathematical impossibility.

"We're going to keep on fighting until the very end. We don't fear anyone in the league.

"You've seen the league, you saw us jump two places [after the win over Adelaide].

"We've still got teams to come here [to Perth] that are in and about and around us, so I think that if we stay positive and we keep to our game, not think about the ladder so much and just concentrate on getting the points ... I think we'll be somewhere better.

"The luck hasn't always been with us, but we've got to keep on fighting and remain positive and, you know, hopefully we start stringing them together."

Marquee striker Mile Sterjovski, who scored a goal and won a penalty upon his return to the starting line-up in Perth's 4-2 win over Adelaide last week, hoped that victory would lift the confidence of the side.

"We know it's going to be difficult to get into that top six but we believe in ourselves and if we keep working the way we have been then there's no reason why we can't make it," Sterjovski said.

"If we do make it, then anything can happen from there."

Perth will be boosted by the return of central defender Chris Coyne, who missed the first 22 games of the season because of a transfer oversight when he extended his loan deal in China.

But fellow defender Andy Todd could be sidelined for another two weeks as he struggles to recover from a groin complaint.

- AAP