Report by Daryn McCleave

New Floreat Athena coach Peter Murphy was given an excellent start to his tenure as his new charges romped to a comprehensive 5-0 away success against a sorry Cockburn City outfit who conceded five goals for the second successive week.

Jamie Eames and Ludovic Boi helped themselves to braces after Bobby Wilson's headed opener in the seventh minute immediately put the Cockerels on the back foot - finding themselves three down at half-time before Athena added two late strikes to add a gloss to the score-line.

Former Armadale coach Murphy had had only one training session with the Floreat players before the game, and was delighted to get off to such a positive start.

"I'm very happy. I came into the game wanting to see commitment, passion and hard work and they obviously showed it and worked really hard for each other," Murphy said.

"I said to the boys at half-time to sit in, show discipline and work hard. At 3-0 we knew Cockburn would change things and come at us for the first 10/15 minutes - after that we started to counter attack and probably could have had another two had the final ball got through.”

But the outcome could have been a whole lot different had Floreat goalkeeper Tom Dixon not been alert from the off, as Cockburn's Feisal Zaw tried his luck with a well-executed overhead kick which Dixon reacted superbly to, pushing around the post.

But in the seventh minute, the visitors took the lead when Wilson rose highest at a corner to send the ball in the same direction it had come from and into the net for the opener.

And three minutes later the Cockerels were left stunned when Eames found space on the right hand side of the penalty area and drove his effort across home stopper Dejan Aleksic into the far corner.

Cockburn struggled for a response, and only an alert Aleksic prevented Eames making it three on 12 minutes, racing off his line to thwart the lively forward, and Wilson came close again just clearing the bar with an 18-yard shot after a swift break-away.

City did see the ball scrambled off the Athena goal-line following good work by Zaw, but it was really no surprise when the visitors' third did arrive, in the 32nd minute, with Ludovic Boi finishing off a superb flowing attacking move with a calm finish low to Aleksic's left.

After the break Cockburn huffed and puffed in search of a way back into the game, and half-time replacement Papa Kpatar deserves special mention for running his socks off in attack and occasionally being found deep in his own half bringing the ball back with marauding runs forward.

But despite plenty of the ball and a big penalty appeal for handball, City couldn't find a way through a stubborn Athena rearguard.

And Floreat added a fourth - Boi's second- in the 80th minute when the home defence found themselves out-numbered with Boi having plenty of time to plant the ball beyond a helpless Aleksic.

Jonty Turner missed a glorious chance to get the hosts on the scoreboard before Eames completed the rout for Athena on 85 minutes, holding off a challenge and providing another clinical finish across goal in off the post to mark a sorry homecoming for Cockburn in their first game of the season at Dalmatinac Park.

After the 5-5 draw with Perth Glory the previous week, Cockerels boss Marc Anthony was obviously not happy with his side's defensive play.

"It's pretty disappointing. It's alright losing goals but if you're not scoring any it becomes a problem,” he said.

"We gave away some stupid goals at the end of the day; they never had to work for the first three.

"But fair play to them, they worked hard for each other and the new coach and worked as a team, whereas we didn't."

COCKBURN CITY 0
FLOREAT ATHENA 5 (Bobby WILSON 7' Jamie EAMES 10' 85' Ludovic BOI 32' 80')
3pm, Saturday 19th April, 2014
Dalmatinac Park
CROWD: 250 approx.
REFEREE: Matt SOUTHERN

COCKBURN CITY: 23. (GK) Dejan ALEKSIC, 17. Paul NATALE (20. Papa KPATAR 46') 4. Euan GRANT, 11. Devon GIBSON, 9. Eamon McNELIS, 14. Conor KAVANGH, 8. David ARAYA, 5. Alan CARROLL, 12. Feisal ZAW (19. Jonty TURNER 59'), 18. Ross DIAMOND, 13. Blake ADAMS.

SUBS NOT USED: 1. HARRY McCANN, 7. Ryan HASLETT, 16. Julien TELES
YELLOW CARDS: Conor KAVANAGH 26' Jonty TURNER 90+3'

FLOREAT ATHENA: 23. (GK) Tom DIXON, 12. Cameron YORKE,  33. Mark WALSH, 8. Bobby WILSON, 2. Blair GOVAN, 16. Ashley CORKER, 10. Aryn WILLIAMS, 3. Jack ALLEN, 14. Ludovic BOI (11. Zdenek BEZXDEK 86'), 17. Callam FRANSZ, 9. Jamie EAMES.

SUBS NOT USED: 1. Tryston AHERNS, 15. Yves MWILA, 20. Joshua PUGH, 6. Kye DOUGLAS
YELLOW CARDS: Blair GOVAN 39'