Gulls still flying high at the summit
Sorrento cemented their position at the top of the league for at least another week after edging out a gallant Western Knights 5-3 at Percy Doyle Reserve on Saturday.

For the record the game produced eight goals, two penalties, two red cards and some controversial refereeing decisions. But for such an exciting game, it still took ten minutes to get going as both teams jostled for possession in the middle of the park.

In the 11th minute the game finally came to life, albeit slightly against the run of play. A Todd Harnwell half-chance was well saved by Western Knights’ Kevin Miller in goal, but Scott Bulloch was on hand to slide the rebound home and give the Gulls a 1-0 advantage.

Despite going behind the Knights seemed well on top in the midfield with the trio of Daniel Micevski, Barry Devlin and captain Luka Jukic causing all sorts of problems for the Sorrento back four. In the 36th minute they were eventually rewarded with a Rory Grant equaliser.

Controversy surrounded the goal however with Sorrento custodian Neil Young given his marching orders by referee Tolmie for taking out young striker Anthony Fearon. Despite being the last man it seemed Young fouled Fearon after the youngster had shot well wide.

Grant stepped up and made no mistake from the spot against substitute goalkeeper Anthony Cochrane. However, Sorrento’s reply was immediate.Five minutes from the break and with the ball bobbling high in the Knights’ penalty area, the opportunistic Harnwell acrobatically poked the ball past Miller to give the home side the unlikely 2-1 advantage at the break.

Even leading at the interval, Sorrento were very slow to get into the game in the second half. They were made to pay on 53 minutes when Michael Ord was adjudged to have fouled Anthony Skorich in the penalty area.

Much to his and the home crowd’s disapproval, Ord was booked for remonstrating with the referee and could only watch as Rory Grant struck home his second of the afternoon from the penalty spot to make it 2-2.

The controversial incident appeared to bring Sorrento to life and the 59th minute dismissal of Western Knights’ Keith Butler aided their cause. He was given a second booking for a poor tackle on Scott Neville.

Less than a minute later it was that man Neville who put his side 3-2 up. After spotting Kevin Miller stranded he was able to skillfully chip the ball over the advancing goalkeeper who could only get a hand to it and watch it roll into the net.

Sorrento coach Steve Neville was then sent off the ground for abusive language but it didn’t seem to bother the home side who went further ahead in the 63rd minute following a neat move involving Stuart Montgomery and James Morgan. The latter stroking the ball into the net from 18 yards after a tidy one-two with his teammate for a 4-2 lead.

The game was effectively over as a contest in the 67th minute when Harnwell tapped in his second after Bulloch’s cross on the left to make it 5-2. Some indecision by Miller in the Knights’ goal played a part as the visitors’ defence was torn to shreds.

Grant completed his hat-trick for Western Knights sliding home a consolation goal at the near-post after being set up by Skorich in the 83rd minute to pull it back to 5-3.

It merely added respectability to a scoreline which could have been greater if Montgomery hadn’t shot wide in a one-on-one with Miller. It would have been his first competitive goal against the club he left in the summer, but it didn’t seem to worry the veteran who celebrated with his new side at the final whistle as the Gulls’ unblemished start to 2008 continued.

Sorrento: Young, Ord (O’Connell 77), McDonald, Kilkelly (Cain 62), Banks (Cochran 35), Morgan, Thomas, Bulloch, Neville, Montgomery, Harnwell.

Subs not used: Martin, Flatt.

Bookings: Morgan 8, Montgomery 51, Ord 54.

Dismissed: Young 35.

Western Knights: Miller, Allen, Dawson, Jukic (Shackleton 84), Ferguson, Butler, Micevski (De Souza 84), Devlin, Fearon, Grant, Skorich.

Subs not used: Chudy, Peran, Gavranich.

Bookings: Butler 3,59, Ferguson 38, Jukic 74, Shackleton 86.

Dismissed: Butler 59

Referee: M. Tolmie.

Football West Match Reporter - Ilija Mihalj