Report by Peter Simcox

The National Premier Leagues WA started with a bang on Saturday afternoon, with ECU Joondalup and Cockburn City fighting out an entertaining 3-3 draw at ECU Football Stadium.

It was an historic day for Western Australian football and the first ever goal in the new NPL WA came from Cockburn City midfielder David Araya. His stunning long-range shot after only seven minutes was worthy of it.

“It’s nice to score the first ever goal in the new competition, and it was a good point for us today,” Araya said.

“The ball came to me, and I decided to put my foot through it and I caught it sweetly, luckily it went in. I thought we showed great character today to get something from the game after being behind.” 

An own goal from Conor Kavanagh levelled for the home side before Cockburn’s Devon Gibson and ECU’s Tommy Amphlett also found the back of the net to make the score 2-2 at the break.

Amphlett looked like he had given Joondalup the points with 11 minutes to go, but a late strike from Kavanagh, in the right goal this time, saw Cockburn leave with a point.

Coach Marc Anthony was happy with the point, but knows they can improve.

“The most pleasing thing in the second half from the lads was the character they showed, to fight back from 3-2 down,” he said.

“I thought we were the better side in the first half, but it was a different story in the second and they missed a few chances, but I’m delighted to have got a point especially after seeing the other results today.” 

The visitors were out of the blocks quickly and into the lead early. Gibson found Araya 20 yards out, and his bullet-like shot flew past Joondalup keeper Andy Banks.

That lead was wiped out on 20 minutes when Amphlett’s in-swinging corner flicked off the head of Kavanagh, to send the ball past the stranded Cockburn keeper Dejan Aleksic.

Cockburn began to take control of the game and Blake Adams’ shot on the turn whistled over the top, and on 35 minutes they regained their lead. Euen Grant’s free kick was deflected into the path of Gibson, who finished with aplomb past Banks from 12 yards.

But with half time looming, the home side levelled. Amphlett picked the ball up in the middle of the park, and his run took him past three Cockburn defenders, before firing low past Aleksic at his near post.

Joondalup could have taken the lead in to the sheds, but Dave Caine’s goal-bound shot was superbly blocked by Cockburn skipper Paul Natale with a last-ditch tackle.

Whatever ECU coach Dale McCulloch said at half time worked as his chargers began to take control of the game. David Foster’s shot crashed off the post only three minutes in, before Aleksic denied Amphlett five minutes later.

Both keepers kept their sides in the game with good saves. Banks came to the home side’s rescue on the hour, tipping Araya’s long-range shot onto the crossbar, before Aleksic denied Jake Benson-Cooper six minutes later.

However it was the home side that hit the front on 79 minutes. A neat through-ball by Lee Jones sent Amphlett in on goal and he finished low past Aleksic, and it looked like the points were safe.

But Cockburn had other ideas, and four minutes from time they levelled. Julian Telles found Kavanagh, who fired low past Banks from the edge of the penalty area.

Both sides had late chances to take all three points, Banks saved well from Kavanagh, before Aleksic denied Charlie Comyn-Platt.

ECU Joondalup coach Dale McCulloch was happy with the way his side responded in the second half.

“Disappointed not to take all three points, I thought we created enough chances to win three games today,” he said.

“But you have to remember it’s the first game of the season and I’m not going to be down on the boys, they responded well to what we spoke about at half time and performed well in the second half.” 

ECU Joondalup 3 (OG 20’, Amphlett 42’, 79’)
Cockburn City 3 (Araya 7’, Gibson 35’, Kavanagh 86’)
Saturday, March 8, 2014
ECU Football Stadium
Referee – Trent Fleskens
Assistants – Michal Jasinski and Alex Novatsis 
Attendance - 250 approx.

ECU Joondalup – GK Andy BANKS, 2 Ryan LOWRY, 3 Jon HIGGINS, 4 Charlie COMYN-PLATT, 5 Ryan TOWNSEND (12 Dejan SPASESKI 87’), 7 David CAINE (6 Jon STYNES 46’), 8 Joe SMITH, 9 David FOSTER (11 LEE JONES 51’), 10 Andy HIGGINS, 13 Tommy AMPHLETT, 14 Jake BENSON-COOPER
Subs not used – 16 Genaveo HUMAN
Yellow Cards – Smith 42’

Cockburn City – GK Dejan ALEKSIC, 3 Shazalee RAMLEE (15 Byran HUSON 82’), 4 Euen GRANT, 5 Alan CARROL, 8 David ARAYA (7 Ryan HASLETT 79’), 9 Eamon MCNELIS, 10 Papa KPATAR (16 Julian TELLES 70’), 11 Devon GIBSON, 14 Conor KAVANAGH, 17 Paul NATALE, 18 Blake ADAMS
Subs not used – RGK Struan HERD
Yellow Cards - Nil