Missed chances cost Armadale dearly as Bayswater City began their National Premier Leagues WA campaign with a 1-0 win at Frank Drago Reserve yesterday.

Bayswater goalkeeper Devon Spence made a string of fine saves and Faustin Machochi posed plenty of threat without providing a cutting edge in a match decided by Danny Dixon’s second-half finish.

Bayswater, who won the Night Series in impressive fashion, are favourites to win the inaugural NPL title but were made to work hard for their first victory.

Steve Burton was denied by Armadale goalkeeper Mathew Gould and Sahr Musa curled wide an early effort but the visitors were equally threatening at the other end.

Machochi showed the Bayswater defence a clean pair of heels and appeared to have done everything right in rounding goalkeeper Devon Spence but then fired wide.

Spence was then forced to come to Bayswater’s rescue to prevent Machochi’s next effort and the Armadale striker fired the rebound wide.

It was level at the break but Bayswater took just three minutes of the second half to take the lead when Dixon finished off a neat move.

Machochi had yet another opportunity to score for the visitors but Spence again made a save to deny Armadale parity and Damien Catalano had a chance saved by Gould at the other end.

The goalkeeper was understandably relieved to have eked out the victory.

“We knew Armadale were going to be tough and they showed us what they are going to be about this season and we were happy to grind that one out,” he told www.bayswatercitysc.com.au. 

Captain John Kearney had returned to the Bayswater team after a spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury but was replaced by Declan Hargreaves at half-time.

Bayswater City 1 (Dixon 48)
Armadale 0
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Frank Drago Reserve
Kick-off: 3pm
Crowd: 300 approx

Bayswater: GK Devon Spence, 3 Adam Bachiller, 4 John Kearney (Declan Hargreaves 45), 5 Andy Reale, 12 Steve Burton, 13 Trent Kay, 14 Danny Dixon (Damien Catalano 85), 15 Brian Farrell, 16 Jamie Coyne, 17 Sahr Musa (Adrian Caceres 61), 18 James Isaia.
Subs not used: 20 Joshua Kuser, RGK 22 Joel Driscoll.
Yellow cards: Sahr 46, Coyne 60, D Hargreaves 62, Burton 88.

Armadale: GK Mathew Gould, 3 Luke Bogoni, 13 Sam Loveless, 4 Billy Quinncroft, 5 Nathaniel Costello, 6 Jason Bardern, 7 Faustin Machochi, 8 Llewellyn Bake (Raveshlan Kuppusamy 79), 11 Dannie Richman, 14 Mitch Castrilli (Mark Peers 61), 15 Nicolas Tatasciore (Jackson Bealey 52).
Subs not used: Darren Haywood, Brandon Catchpole.
Yellow cards: Tatasciore 39, Bake 43, Loveless 66.