League leaders Sorrento consolidated their place at the top of the Football West Premier Division table with a 5-0 win against Swan IC at Percy Doyle Reserve. A goal just before half time from Todd Harnwell was the catalyst for Steve Neville’s side’s second half onslaught. Harnwell made it 2-0 on 58 minutes and Stuart Montgomery added a third ten minutes later. Scott Bulloch added a fourth on 71 minutes, and Montgomery rounded off the rout for the Gulls late on.

Inglewood United moved into second spot with a hard fought 2-1 win against bottom of the table side Fremantle Spirit. Kevin Griffiths gave the home side the lead on 13 minutes, but Marc Wingell’s side hit back on 71 minutes through Pottier. With an upset looking likely United’s midfielder teenager James Sammut scored two minutes later to win the game for Lee Bamber's side.

Mandurah City bounced back from last week’s heavy defeat by thumping an undermanned Cockburn City 5-0 at Dalmatinac Park. Ryan Townsend opened the scoring on 14 minutes and Phil O’Callaghan made it two five minutes before the break. The game was broken open midway through the second half when O’Callaghan scored on the 68th minute and Andy Brown added a fourth three minutes later. A goal in the final minute from Andy Brown made the final score 5-0.

Armadale won for the first time on the road this season with a hard fought 1-0 victory against Stirling Lions at Macedonia Park. Gary Faria scored the only goal of the game for Brad Hassell’s side on 17 minutes. The winning goal came after Lions keeper Phil Straker was forced wide by a poor back pass, and his clearance fell to Faria 35-yards from goal. The former Perth Glory midfielder looked up and sent the ball back over the head of the keeper and into the net.

Perth SC came from behind at half time to beat Western Knights 3-2 at Nash Field. Former Knights midfielder Andrija Jukic gave the visitors the lead on 36 minutes, but sixty seconds later Rory Grant leveled for the home side. Just before the break the Knights hit the front, Mario Macenko scoring to give Ronnie Campbell’s side the lead at half time. But Perth hit back in the 59th minutes through David Onoforo and with time running out second half substitute Roberto Lujan followed up a free kick to give Perth the victory.

Floreat Athena gained some revenge for their Soccer Pools Cup defeat against ECU Joondalup a fortnight ago by winning 2-0 at the E&D Litis Stadium. Daniel Niederberger scored a goal in each half for Michael Roki’s side, his first came on 21st minute and he wrapped up the points eight minutes from time.

Round 11 Results 
Stirling Lions 0 Armadale 1(Faria17’); Inglewood United 2(Griffiths13’Summitt73’) Fremantle Spirit 1(Potter71’); Cockburn City 0 Mandurah City 5(Townsend14’O’Callaghan40’68’Brown71’90’); Sorrento FC 5(Harnwell43’58’Montgomery68’82’Bulloch71’) Swan IC 0; Floreat Athena 2(Niderburger21’82’) ECU Joondalup 0; Western Knights 2(Grant37’Marcenko44’) Perth SC 3(Jukic36’Onoforo59’Lujan89’).

Mandurah City bounced back from their defeat to Sorrento last weekend with a 5-0 mauling of a hapless Cockburn City at Dalmatinac Park.

The Dolphins were well worth the win and on another day could have racked up double figures as the Cockburn defence was all at sea against the attacking threat of O’Callaghan, Crampton, Bright and Andy Brown who were all sensational for the visitors.

It was an end to end affair with both teams looking to concentrate on attack rather than defence. Mandurah were forced into an early change when the injured Currie was replaced by Loreto after only 12 minutes.

Within moments of the change, Cockburn had fashioned a well worked chance, with no less than five players involved in the intricate build up, however Johnny Mirco’s final shot flew just wide of the post.

Play went down the other end were O’Callaghan found himself through with only one defender to beat, but as he shaped to shoot Cockburn’s Liam Lilly blocked for a corner.

The home side failed to heed the warning and from the resultant Wiley corner, defender Ryan Townsend jumped the highest to head home.

Just before the half hour mark Mandurah caught out the home defence with a quickly taken throw- in that was flicked into the danger area by Crampton, the ball fell to Bright whose low shot was blocked in the area.

Cockburn struggled to clear the ball and as Mandurah seized possession in midfield, a clever flick pass from O’Callaghan found Brown who beat the offside trap but saw his outside of the right foot effort come back off the post.

Jeff Bright saw another effort saved low by the keeper after a quick break while up the other end, Aaron Dos Santos forced Mandurah ‘keeper Green into a fingertip save after cutting into the box and lashing a snap shot towards the top corner.

The second goal came for Mandurah six minutes before half time, and it owed as much to good fortune as to skill. Influential playmaker Andy Brown stole possession in midfield and broke forward. His cross to Crampton at the back post was sent back towards Brown whose acrobatic attempt at the volley was miscued to McCulloch on the edge of the area. Just as it looked like he would bulge the net, his low shot was deflected into the air by Lilly, where O’Callaghan showed his predatory instincts to volley home.

Cockburn had a chance to hit back just before half time, however Dos Santos’ glanced header from a Kamasz free kick flew inches wide.

Mandurah came out for the second half determined to put the result beyond doubt as they dominated the hosts, who had run out of ideas and struggled to create any genuine opportunities.

Within two minutes of the restart, Mandurah had three opportunities to increase their lead, but were twice thwarted by Liam Lilly blocks on the goal line; while Loreto smashed another effort into the side netting from 18 yards.

Mandurah were laying siege to the Cockburn goal but couldn’t find a way to stick the ball into the back of the net with the Cockerels’ defence at sixes and sevens.

The visitors had a goal disallowed 15 minutes into the second term as Loreto was adjudged to have fouled the defender before powering a header into the corner; however the good fortune for Cockburn only lasted eight more minutes as O’Callaghan netted his second of the day.

Hesitant defending from Aleksic saw his misjudged back header to the ‘keeper fall straight to the ever alert O’Callaghan who finished past Feely with aplomb.

The floodgates were now open and it took only three minutes longer for Mandurah to have their fourth, Andy Brown’s low effort giving the keeper no chance following an O’Callaghan cut back from inside the area.

The fifth rubbed further salt into the Cockburn wounds as the sensational Brown scored the goal of the match with a strike from a near impossible angle flying into the roof of the net to start the party for Mandurah.

Cockburn: GK. N Feely, L Lilly, D Palermo, A Dos Santos, D De Felice, J Mirco, S McNally, G De Bartolo, M Mirco, M Aleksic, N Joshi – SUBS: J Findlater, A Pereira, J Kamasz, M Miletic, P Underwood
Bookings: Shane McNally (Cockburn)

Mandurah: GK. M Green, C Currie, J Bright, S Crampton, A  Brown, P O’Callaghan, R Townsend, D McCulloch, C Wiley, G Collins, R McDarby – SUBS: M Currie, N Connor, J Loreto, C Paschkewitz

Referee: Mathew Cheeseman

A week ago it was the Western Knights who stole the points from Armadale in the dying minutes at Nash Field, this week they were on the receiving end as ten man Perth scored to make it 3-2 with Lujan scoring in the penultimate minute.

An entertaining game was marred by over zealous refereeing. Without there being one malicious tackle, five players found their way into Ton Klaver’s book and two were sent off, one after the final whistle. Both coachs agreed, without being prepared to go on the record, that the officiating marred a competitive match.

Having convincingly beaten Perth in the Soccer Pools cup just two weeks ago, many believed the Knights were favourites, but Perth had a number of their star signings back, and this was always going to be a much closer affair.

In the first twenty minutes both teams were feeling each other out, and the closest either came to scoring was when in the 7th minute Naglieri’s miscued shot looped just over Knights’ ‘keeper Kevin Miller and over  the bar. Soon after Josip Peran cleared off the line following three consecutive corners to Perth.

On the twenty-minute mark Perth began to dominate and following a mix up between Miller and Mathers in the Knights defence Danskin played the ball infield to Naglieri, but with an open goal gaping in front of him he pushed the ball wide. Another defensive mix up between the same two players led to a corner three minutes later and Mathers did well to clear off the goal line.

Despite their dominance Perth did not hit the back of the net until as late as the 38th minute. Oliviera found himself in space on the left and played the ball into Andrija Jukic who had not been tracked by the Knights’ midfield. He surged into the penalty area and unopposed slotted the ball home to Miller’s left.

This goal sparked the Knights into life and within a minute they were level. Marcenko chased a hopeful ball forward that Sharland had possession of, but the forward playing in midfield, panicked and hit a poor ball only as far as Daniel Micevski. He had time to look up and cross to the far post where Rory Grant rose well and headed back across Deeg’s goal and into the net to equalise.

The Knights very nearly doubled their tally three minutes later when Grant closed down Circati and managed to feed Marcenko. He shot from the left hand edge of the box and had Deeg scrambling to push his goal bound effort round the post.

The Knights did in fact go into the break with a 2-1 lead when in the last minute of the half Peran played a good ball up the right flank to Daniel Micevski, who made a good angled run into the box before slipping the ball to Marcenko who pushed the ball past a slow to react Deeg.

Perth started the second half with more purpose and once again it was a good run from Andrija Jukic through the heart of the midfield that did the damage. He slipped the ball to Onoforo just inside the Knights box, Annall dived in to challenge and the ball ricocheted back to Onoforo, who picked his spot and planted the ball into the back of the net.

The Knights tried to counter the wave of Perth attacks but the final delivery from the flanks was never of a quality to concern Perth. An individual piece of skill from Grant almost brought them a goal in the 72nd minute. He controlled the ball well on his chest, turned his defender, but slipped at the vital moment as he was about to shoot. That split second gave the defender time to recover, and although he did manage to shoot, it was a tame effort that Deeg had no trouble saving.

The Knights had a promising spell and saw David Micevski’s goal bound shot blocked by a defender, another effort from Grant deflected from a corner and a Luka Jukic piledriver blocked after a poor punch from Deeg.

But in this end-to-end encounter soon Perth began to dominate again, and good interplay between Naglieri and Howarth ended with Andrija Jukic shooting wide from a tight angle in the 78th minute.

Two minutes later Danskin made a run into the box, shoulder to shoulder with a Knights' defender he tumbled to the ground a little too easily for referee Ton Klaver who correctly waved his penalty appeals aside and gave him a yellow card. The player jumped up and swore at the official and received a second yellow card and his marching orders. A correct decision, but harsh when other players had audibly used similar language to the official and not been booked

The Knights had a chance to seal all three points in the last five minutes, following a good run by Mathers on the left his cross was met by Grant, but he misdirected the effort over the cross bar.

Perth made them pay in the last minute or normal time. Howarth playing in the heart of midfield went on a superb run straight down the middle of the park, gliding past two players and was it appeared, tackled superbly by Ferguson on the edge of the Knights box. A vital interception, it seemed, but not a fair one according to referee Klaver, who awarded a free kick. Even watching Socceroo defender Chris Coyne, whose father was coaching Perth in the absence of Graham Normanton, said it was a fair tackle.

Perth lined up the free kick, Sharland ran over the ball and Nagilieri struck it into the wall. Once again the referee blew on his pink whistle, once again a yellow card was issued, this time to Marcenko for encroaching. The free kick was to be retaken. The wall did not look to be back ten metres and Naglieri saw that this could work to his advantage. He dummied to shoot, and instead laid a short pass to the right where Howarth was unmarked, he slid a first time pass into the six metre box and substitute Lujan poked the ball home from 4 metres. It was the quick thinking by Naglieri that gave ten-man Perth a vital 3-2 win.

The Knights did mount two more attacks in the time added on but both came to no avail. When the final whistle sounded referee Klaver was surrounded by Knights’ players and Grant was shown a red card.

Western Knights:
Miller, Peran, Annall, Ferguson, Mathers, Devlin, L. Jukic, David Micevski, Daniel Micevski, Grant, Marcenko.

Subs not used: Chudy, Gavrinich, Allen, Butler.

Deeg, Kay, Circati, Icanovski, A. Jukic, Howarth, Danskin, Onoforo (Human 80), Oliviera (Lujan 65), Naglieri, Sharland.

Subs not used: Madaschi Black, Wilson.

Yellow Cards: Annall (WK) Icanovski (P) Onoforo (P) Mathers (WK) L. Jukic (WK) Marcenko (WK).
Red Cards: Danskin (P) Grant (WK)

Referee: T. Klaver.
Assistants: A. Rush. J. Mannella.   
    

Gulls second half blitz downs the Swans
Peter Simcox

Sorrento consolidated their place on top of the Football West Premier Division table with a 5-0 win against Swan IC at Percy Doyle Reserve. A goal just before half time from Todd Harnwell was the catalyst for Steve Neville’s side second half onslaught. Further goals from Harnwell, Scott Bulloch, and a Stuart Montgomery double rounded off the rout for the Gulls.

It was typical day at ‘Windy Hill’ with rain threatening and the wind howling, but it was an even opening to the game. Andy O’Neill had the first shot of the game for the visitors after good work from David Perich, but Neil Young saved easily.

The home side had the wind in the first half but was struggling to penetrate the Swans backline, who were without the injured skipper Aaron Cole.  The Gulls first opportunity came on 12 minutes; Glen Thomas’ corner on the right was headed goal wards by Shaun Kilkelly but Swans keeper Daniel Agudelo saved well low to his left.

Agudelo was in action again moments later, tipping over a Thomas header after a great ball by Stuart Banks. The Swans looked to hit Sorrento on the counter attack and they went close on 20 minutes. Perich wriggled free of his marker and sent a great ball into Damien Catalano, he beat the last defender but his shot went inches past the post.

It was the best period of the game for the Swans and good work on the right by Geoff Mason sent Catalano in on goal again two minutes later, his shot was saved by Young at the second attempt. Then a good run and shot from Brendan Knox flashed wide as the Swans took the game to the league leaders.

Sorrento Coach Steve Neville had seen enough and he changed the side’s formation on the half hour and it worked. First Scott Neville’s long-range shot was well saved by Agudelo. Soon after the ‘keeper punched clear a Thomas corner, but only as far as Danny Cain whose volley flew inches past the post.

The home side thought they had the lead on 38 minutes, Thomas’ free kick was headed towards goal by Montgomery, but somehow Agudelo saved superbly. The Gulls players thought the ball had crossed the line, but referee Michael Nugus waved away their claims.

Sorrento was ending the half well and Agudelo again denied them with a great save from Thomas’ long-range shot. But the breakthrough finally came on 43 minutes, Bulloch’s run and cross found Scott Neville, who flicked on to Harnwell who fired home from 10-yards to give the Gulls the lead at the break.

The goal lifted the home side and they opened the second half brightly Harnwell and Bulloch were causing the Swans all sorts of problems. They dominated the opening ten minutes, but it was the visitors who should have levelled on 55 minutes, Perich’s corner fell to Mason who blazed over from six-yards.

The game was in the balance and Young had to be alert to save Perich’s long-range strike as Paul Lincoln’s side searched for the equalizer. It was the home side though that doubled their lead. Scott Neville’s cross from the right on 58 minutes picked out the unmarked Harnwell who headed into the roof of the net.

Moments later Montgomery almost added a third. His volley from the edge of the box crashed off the post as the Gulls began to take control. The visitors still looked dangerous on the counter attack and from O’Neill’s cross on the hour Knox’s shot was well saved by Young and Catalano fired the rebound over from close-range.

It was only a matter of time before the Gulls pressure paid off and on 68 minutes it was 3-0. A long ball by Lewis Flatt found Montgomery in the box, his first touch was superb and he fired low past Agudelo.

The Swans were wilting under the pressure and it was 4-0 on 71 minutes, Scott Neville’s cross from the right found Bulloch at the back post. His header beat Agudelo, but cannoned off the inside of the post and the ‘keeper collected the rebound. But the assistant referee flagged that the ball had crossed the line.

It was 5-0 to the Gulls on 82 minutes, the Swans failed to clear a cross from Bulloch and in the goalmouth scramble Montgomery fired home from close-range.

The visitors pressed late looking for a consolation goal but Young was in great form to deny Mason and O’Neill and at the final whistle it was Sorrento who continues to lead the table with a 5-0 victory.

Sorrento Coach Steve Neville was happy with the result but not the first half display. “I was disappointed with the first half, but the wind was a problem. We were very quiet all over the pitch, I think after last week they thought they just had to turn up and win.

“But we settled in the second half with Glen Thomas running the midfield and the movement of the two boys up front was good and we played some good football,” said Neville.

Teams
Sorrento – GK Young, Kilkelly, McDonald, Cain, Banks (O’Connell 84), Flatt (Morgan 72), Thomas, Neville (Trpevski 72), Bulloch, Harnwell, Montgomery - Subs not Used – Cochrane, Martin
Yellow Cards – Montgomery 13, McDonald 85

Swan IC – GK Agudelo, Monterosso (Bennett 75), McNally, Ando, Mason, Perich, Knox, Scali, O’Neill, Paone, Catalano (Cocking 70) - Subs Not Used – Sutton, Mansaray, Mahady
Yellow cards - Bennett 82

Referee – Michael Nugus