The State Football Centre opened its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday and supporters were treated to four high-scoring State Cup finals at the Queens Park venue.
In total there were 25 goals scored, with Floreat Athena, Hyundai NTC, Perth Glory and Perth SC ending the day as winners.
Floreat finished a testing season as Men’s State Cup winners following a 3-2 win over Inglewood United.
After the two sides had been forced to go to the final day of the regular season to ensure their NPL survival, there was a sense of freedom on show in an entertaining first half.
Floreat went ahead on 11 when Bayley Brown-Montgomery controlled a diagonal ball on his chest, held off Roberto Del Borello and slipped in Nick Ambrogio to score.
Athena kept the lead for only five minutes as Rene Kisesa brought Inglewood level with a screamer from the edge of the box, before Stan Lazardis Medal winner Ambrogio headed in Brown-Montgomery’s free-kick to restore the advantage for Floreat.
Then in first-half stoppage time, Inglewood were again on terms after a scramble resulted in Robert Petkov inadvertently diverting the ball into his own net.
But three minutes into the second half former Inglewood striker Petkov netted at the right end, beating United keeper Alex Dunn to the ball to net what turned out to be the winner.
Both teams ended the game with 10 players after Brown-Montgomery and Anthony Bafobusha were dismissed in stoppage time.
In the Women’s State Cup final Hyundai NTC put on a ruthless showing to blow away Murdoch University Melville 6-1.
NTC did not look back from the moment Emily Garnett drove down the left to square for Louise Tana to score inside two minutes.
MUM FC had a great opportunity to level after skipper Charli Wainwright was upended inside the box on 18 minutes. Unfortunately for Murdoch, Clara Hoarau’s spot-kick was too close to keeper Lilly Bailey who saved comfortably.
Five minutes later and NTC were two in front as Tana and Garnett linked up again, with Garnett this time the scorer. Murdoch did register on 28 minutes when the impressive Jessica Johnson started and finished a break down the right-hand side for 2-1. But MUM FC head coach David Biancuzzo would have been disappointed with how easily his side conceded almost immediately afterwards, with Tanika Lala allowed to dance through to score.
NTC made the game safe on 58 minutes when Garnett cashed in on more confusion in the MUM FC backline, and the tall winger completed an outstanding game with her third when she swept home Lala’s pull-back.
Ben Anderton’s team were not finished there and Claudia Houlis made it 6-1 near the end to cap a sensational victory, with hat-trick hero Garnett receiving the Sandra Brentnall Medal.
In the Men’s Reserves State Cup final, Perth Glory were too good for Armadale as they ran out 5-0 winners.
Despite an early own goal from Cohen Lane, Armadale remained in the game until the 57th minute Samuel Barry added a second. From that moment it was all Glory and Royle Rahamim (2) and Sebastian Despotovski got themselves on the scoresheet as Ivan Zuvela’s NPLWA - Men’s U20s champions completed a league and cup double.
In the first game of the day, Perth SC and Floreat Athena served up a thrilling Men’s U18s State Cup final, with the Azzurri having to come from behind three times before getting over the line.
It was 2-2 at half-time, Jack Sparkes and Gianluca Paiano on target for Floreat while Oliver Carr and Jamie McNelis got the Perth goals. Early in the second half, Harry Stonehouse pulled out one from the top drawer to give Floreat the lead once more, but it was Perth who finished the stronger and two goals from Jonathan Ricupero and one from Nicolas Echeverria gave them the cup.
