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Cockburn City moved to joint top of the Football West Premier Division after eight rounds with a stunning 4-0 victory against Floreat Athena at E&D Litis Stadium.
The home side had a chance to take the lead in the first half but Daniel Niederberger’s penalty crashed back from the post. Cockburn stormed home and broke the game wide open in the second half, first Giovanni De Bartolo scored on 65 minutes and Johnny Mirco doubled the lead two minutes later. Mirco added a third and second half substitute Giovanni De Bartolo made it four, and his second, in the last minute.
Mandurah City still leads the league on goal difference after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Stirling Lions in Saturday’s late game at the Hyundai Stadium. Andy Brown had given them the lead on 30 minutes, but Marc Anthony rescued a point for the visitors with an 82nd minute leveler.
Swan IC are the big movers, jumping to third after a 5-1 win against Armadale at Francis Street, with veteran striker Damian Scali scoring a hat-trick. His first came on 13 minutes from the penalty spot, and youngsters Alex Cocking (20) and Geoff Mason (33) made it 3-0 at half time. Scali made it 4-0 in the 70th minute and completed his hat-trick two minutes later. A late rally from Armadale saw Daryl Platten score a consolation goal for the visitors.
In other games there was an entertaining clash at BGC Stadium as Sorrento and Perth SC played out a 1-1 draw. In form striker Todd Harnwell opened the scoring for the visitors two minutes in to the second half. Perth fought back and leveled on 70 minutes through Todd Howarth.
Inglewood United continued its good form with a 2-0 victory against ECU Joondalup at the ECU University Arena. Youngster James Sammut gave them the lead in the sixth minute and the points were wrapped up in the 88th minute by Kevin Griffiths. Fremantle Spirit opened their season’s account with a point after a 0-0 draw at Nash Field against Western Knights.
Review: Peter Simcox
Perth vs. Sorrento
Perth 1 (Howarth 70) drew Sorrento 1 (Harnwell 47)
Perth SC and Sorrento both missed a big chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Mandurah City in an error-ridden 1-1 draw at Dorrien Gardens on Saturday.
Neither side could find their feet in the opening stages of what was a physical, but uninspiring first half.
It took 25 minutes for the first real chance to eventuate, orchestrated by Perth’s Peter Lord who whipped in a cross from the right, only for David Onoforo to glance his header wide of the far post.
Seven minutes later Andreas Oliveira should have scored when he found space in the penalty area only to fire his shot straight at Neil Young, who did well to tip the ball over.
It was a rare highlight in a poor first half which saw more turnovers of possession than shots on goal.
The second half wasn’t much prettier, but it was far more entertaining with plenty of goalmouth action.
It did not take long for the action to get under way as Sorrento went 1-0 up within two minutes of the restart. Perth’s Steven Campbell misjudged a bouncing ball in the midfield which enabled Stuart Montgomery to collect and put Todd Harnwell through. Sorrento’s leading goal scorer made no mistake in slotting past the oncoming Gareth Deeg for the game’s opener.
Despite trailing, the home side continued to dominate possession and came close to equalising in the 64th minute. A neat move involving Antonio Naglieri, Trent Kay and David Onoforo resulted in the latter whipping the ball across the goal face. Unfortunately for Perth no-one was on hand to finish.
The frustration continued for Perth until the 70th minute when David Onoforo was controversially awarded a free-kick outside of the box by referee David Currie, when it seemed the foul was committed inside the penalty area.
It didn’t seem to bother substitute Todd Howarth, who somehow drove his low free-kick straight through the Sorrento wall and past Neil Young to equalise.
On 76 minutes Andreas Oliviera should have made it 2-1 to the home side. A poor goal kick by Young saw the ball thumped forward by the Perth defence only for the experienced striker to somehow lob his shot on goal over Young’s head but just wide of the post.
Sorrento almost stole the points late on when Scott Neville conjured up some individual magic when he weaved through a number of Perth defenders and found himself one-on-one with just Deeg to beat. Unfortunately he missed his kick at the most crucial of moments and Perth escaped – but not without one last roll of the dice.
A last-gasp stoppage time counter attack saw Naglieri embark on a run and find an unmarked Lord 20 yards out. Unfortunately the midfielder could only sky his effort over the bar with the last kick of what was a largely frustrating afternoon for Graham Normanton’s men.
Football West Match Reporter – Ilija Mihalj
Teams
Perth: Deeg, Kay, Circati, Icanovski, Campbell (Danskin 60) (Ross 75), Naglieri, Jukic (Howarth 60), Lord, Sharland, Oliviera, Onoforo.
Subs not used: Madaschi, Lujan.
Sorrento: Young, Kilkelly, McDonald, Cain, Neville, Morgan, Thomas, Flatt, Bulloch (Banks 85), Montgomery, Harnwell.
Subs not used: Cochran, Martin, Moore, Trpevski.
Bookings: Cain 29, Neville 35, Thomas 44, Morgan 82.
Referee: David Currie.
Swan IC v Armadale
Swan IC 5 (Damien Scali x 3, Alex Cocking, Geoff Mason) beat Armadale 1 (Darryl Platten)
Swan IC moved up four spots on the Football West Premier Division table to third after a 5-1 win against Armadale at Francis Street. Veteran striker Damian Scali was the hero scoring a hat-trick, with youngsters Alex Cocking and Geoff Mason adding the others.
Armadale, who were thrashed 9-1 last week by Mandurah City, opened brightly and went close to the opener on four minutes. Oliver Hilton’s free kick from the edge of the box was only parried by Cory Hugo and Scali was quickest to react to clear the danger.
Swans settled and new signing Andy O’Neill set up their first opportunity on eight minutes, his pin point cross from the left found Scali who headed wide. But five minutes later the Swans opened the scoring, David Perich sent Mason into the box and he fell under an Andy Bowyer tackle and referee Ton Klaver pointed to the spot. It looked a little harsh as Bowyer had taken the ball but Scali sent Cyril Sharrock the wrong way to make it 1-0.
The luck was against Armadale again on 19 minutes when the home side made it 2-0. O’Neill’s long-range shot took a deflection off Shannon Dally and fell kindly to Cocking, with the youngster finishing clinically past Sharrock from five-yards.
With the Armadale traveling supporters in full voice, Brad Hassell’s side should have pulled a goal back on the half-hour, Sharrock’s long kick sent Hilton clear but his shot from 10-yards drifted wide of the target.
That miss came back to haunt Armadale as three minutes later the Swans made it 3-0, Scali played a great through ball into Perich, his shot was superbly saved by Sharrock but Mason was quickest to react and fired home from close-range.
As the half wore on the Reds lifted and had two great opportunities to pull a goal back. First Daryl Platten’s cross from the right picked out Joe Brunetto at the back post, but his shot was saved well by Hugo. Then on the stroke of half time substitute Ryan Pearson was played in by Hilton, but again Hugo was alert to save low.
The visitors opened the second half well and Marlon Ramirez’ shot from 12-yards on 50 minutes was saved by Hugo, and the young midfielder flashed a shot inches past the post moments later.
Swans went close on 65 minutes as O’Neill’s corner found Aaron Cole whose header was cleared off the line by Dally, but the black and whites did make it 4-0 on 70 minutes. Perich’s cross found Cole whose header was superbly saved at full stretch by Sharrock, but John Mansaray crossed the rebound to Scali who headed home at the back post.
It was 5-0 two minutes later when the impressive Perich made a great run down the right and his cross found Scali who headed home to complete his hat trick.
Armadale to their credit continued to press and were rewarded on 76 minutes, Pearson found space down the left and his cross found Platten who scored from close-range.
The goal lifted the Reds and they went close again four minutes later, Pearson again delivered a great cross from the left and Platten’s header crashed off the crossbar, but it ended 5-1 to the Swans and Coach Paul Lincoln was happy with the performance.
“We started really well today and that was our focus as they had suffered some heavy defeats recently. But credit to Armadale they came into the game in the second half but we caught them twice on the break to seal the victory and keep our unbeaten home record intact which is very pleasing,” said Lincoln.
Match Reporter: Peter Simcox
Teams
Swan IC – GK Hugo, Knox, McNally, Cole, Ando, Mason (Tronchin 82), Mansaray, Perich (Da Re 89), O’Neill, Cocking (Baczynski 86), Scali – Subs not used: Agudelo, Monterosso
Armadale – GK Sharrock, Bennion (Pearson 37), Ramirez (Walters 65), Platten, Devine (Galvin 65), Brunetto, Dally, Darby, Bowyer, Madeley, Hilton – Subs not used: Preece
Referee – Ton Klaver
Floreat Athena v Cockburn
Floreat 0 lost to Cockburn 4 (G De Bartolo 65’, 90’, J Mirco 69’, 79’)
The Champions recent run of good form deserted them as a rampant Cockburn humiliated the home side with a 4-0 win at E&D Litis Stadium thanks to braces from Giovanni De Bartolo and Johnny Mirco.
It was Floreat who opened the brightest, a well worked move involving Dean Apelgren and Branomir Mikulic found Garin Collins, but his cushioned header was easily caught by the Cockerels keeper Nick Feely.
Cockburn defender Daniel Palermo had to be alert only minutes later to clear a looping Mikulic header off the line after an Apelgren cross found the winger at the back post.
The visitors should have taken the lead only moments later, a Johnny Mirco one-two with Aaron Dos Santos sent the striker into the box, but his low centre was blazed over the bar by Miletic Mileta, in what was a golden opportunity.
On 22 minutes an Adam Bachiller corner was flicked on by Mikulic at the near post to Daniel Niederberger who couldn’t get enough purchase on the ball and somehow headed over the bar from two yards.
On 38 minutes Floreat were awarded a spot kick after Garin Collins chased down an Ante Kovacevic long pass and was tripped by Feely.
Niederberger, in his first match back from injury stepped up but saw his effort roll back off the post in what was a reprieve for Cockburn.
The teams came back after half time looking for the goal that would give either side the three points but it took until the 65th minute for it to come, and it was thanks to excellent vision by Dos Santos who dinked a ball over the static defence for De Bartolo to spring the offside trap and roll home under the advancing Vujacic.
As the home crowd were shifting nervously in their seats, Johnny Mirco doubled the pain for Athena when he skipped down the left side and advanced into the box. His initial shot was deflected, but Athena failed to clear their lines and when Dos Santos’ ball fell to Mirco, he was faced with the easiest of tasks to fire home from four yards.
Athena looked to respond and Garin Collins fired a first time volley over the cross bar when he might have been better served taking a touch.
The result was sealed on 79 minutes when Johnny Mirco scored his second of the match and condemned Athena to their first home league loss in over two years.
The Cockerels rubbed salt into the Floreat wounds in injury time, De Bartolo took advantage of a two on one situation at the back to take a Mirco pass and stroke it home from 12 yards to put the icing on the cake, and send the visitors to second spot on the League table behind Mandurah City only on goal difference.
Football West Match Reporte
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