A goal in each half from Andrija Jukic and former Armadale midfielder Peter Lord was enough for Perth SC to beat Armadale 2-0 in Saturday evening’s round five Football West Premier Division clash at Alfred Skeet Oval.

The home side began brightly and from Scott Devine’s free kick on five minutes Ryan Pearson’s header at the back post was tipped over by the alert Gareth Deeg. Perth were being made to work for every ball by a tenacious Armadale side but they gradually got on top, and Jukic fired straight at Cyril Sharrock when well placed on 12 minutes and moments later Antonio Naglieri was found clear down the right by Andreas Oliviera but again Sharrock was equal to the task.

But it was the home side that went closest to opening the scoring; Devine’s free kick rebounded off the wall to Stefan Smiljanic, his first time shot from five-yards hit the bar. The wood work came to Perth’s rescue again on 20 minutes; Devine’s free kick from 20-yards crashed off the bar bounced down on the line and was cleared, much to the relief of Deeg.

With the home supporters still wondering how the ball didn’t go in, Perth went up the pitch and scored sixty seconds later. Naglieri played an intelligent ball out to David Onoforo wide on the right he cut inside Craig Anderson and his shot was parried by Sharrock but Jukic forced the ball home from close-range, despite Matt Bennion’s attempt to clear.

It was bitter blow for the home side but they kept pressing and Joesph Bruneto curled a shot inches past the post on the half-hour, while Jukic and Onoforo had chances saved by Sharrock as Perth went into half time with a 1-0 lead.

Perth began well in the second half, Jukic’s shot from the edge of the box flew high and from Greg Sharland’s cross on 55 minutes Trent Kay’s header at the back post was pushed on to the bar by Sharrock, and the keeper reacted superbly to block Oliviera’s follow up shot.

The home side had a penalty appeal turned by referee Mathew Cheeseman when Smiljanic fell under Gianfranco Circati challenge on 67 minutes, much to the annoyance of the Reds faithful.

It was still anyone’s game and their were chances at both ends, after good approach work from David Price on 77 minutes the ball fell to Onoforo, the Perth’s striker’s first time shot crashed off the bar. Then Smiljanic curled a free kick from 20-yards around the wall only for Deeg to deny him with a great save at his near post.

With Armadale pushing men forward in search of the equaliser Perth should have wrapped the points up. First Jukic fired inches past the post went sent clear by Oliviera on 82 minutes, and the midfielder missed a great chance sixty seconds later when he miss hit his shot from four-yards out.

But Perth’s pressure paid off with the second in the 86th minute, Lord, who had been given a hostile reception from the Reds supporters on his return to the club, fired home from10-yards to give them the three points.

Perth Coach Graham Normanton was happy with the victory. “It was a hard win, it always is down here.

“At Armadale you always know what you’re going to get, they work their backsides off and make it hard for you, and they did tonight and it took till the 86th minute to put them away, but I thought we deserved the points on the night,” said Normanton. 

Teams
Armadale – GK Sharrock, Bowyer, Bennion, Ramirez, Platten, Smiljanic, Devine (Plaatjies 75), Pearson, Madeley, Bruneto, Anderson
Subs not used: Preece, Walters, Atturo

Perth SC – GK Deeg, Kay, Circait, Jukic, Danskin, Onoforo, Oliveira, Price, Lord, Naglieri, Sharland
Subs not used: Madaschi, Hett, Polak, Willson, Human

Referee: Mathew Cheeseman 

Football West reporter - Peter Simcox