Report by Kelechi Osunwa

A free-flowing Perth Glory provided a professional display in their 5-0 rout of Floreat Athena in last night’s ANZAC Day NPL fixture at E&D Litis Stadium.

The minute’s silence was observed excellently and you would have been forgiven for thinking it was 90 minutes of silence from the home faithful, such was the dominance of the young Glory side.

A hat-trick from in-form Australian youth International striker Jamie Maclaren, accompanied by goals from Joseph Knowles and Harry O’Brien, set the Glory on their way much to the delight of coach Scott Miller.

“I thought our boys were very professional today,” Miller said.

“Everything we asked them to do they did. Floreat played really well I thought, considering Pete’s (Murphy, new Floreat coach) only been here a couple of weeks, but I thought our boys were very professional today.”

There was always going to be goals in the encounter with the Glory fresh from a 6-0 victory over Armadale while Floreat were on the back of two 5-0 victories of their own but it was the Glory who lived up to the pre-match billing.

Knowles opened the scoring in the seventh minute with an easy tap-in after Maclaren’s lob past the onrushing Dixon rebounded off the crossbar.

Boosted by A-League players like Brandon O’Neil and Jack Clisby, Glory’s defence proved to be resolute as they limited Floreat to half chances before a calamitous mistake between Dixon and Mark Walsh allowed Maclaren to tap into an empty net on the stroke of half time.

The goal was Maclaren’s sixth in three games and having had a difficult A-League season.

“Personally for me, to get 90 minutes in a league that’s still competitive and physical (where) you’re playing for points as in the A-League is great,” Maclaren said.

“I knew I was going to play two or three games in this NPL and I set my self a target of scoring as many goals as I could for confidence.

“It’s been a hard season for myself in terms of goals and (to) get these goals to send off my season is a good thing.”

The game was over as a contest when Maclaren turned provider and O’Brien kept his composure before lashing home to make it 3-0 to the visitors.

Maclaren added two more goals to claim his second NPL hat-trick in as many weeks and lift the Glory into third in the league standings, while the loss sees Floreat slide down to sixth.

Floreat Athena 0
Perth Glory 5 (Joseph KNOWLES 7’, Jamie MACLAREN 44’ 72’ 83’, Harry O’BRIEN 62’)
7pm, Friday 25th April, 2014
E & D Litdis Stadium
Crowd: 650
Referee: Tim Mihevc
Assistant Referees: Taz Pareskevas, Tom Ashton

Floreat Athena: Tom DIXON, 13. Cameron YORKE (4. Gary HILL 50’), 33. Mark WALSH, 2. Blair GOVAN, 8. Bobby WILSON, 16. Ashley CORKER (12. Kye DOUGLAS 52’), 10. Aryn WILLIAMS, 3. Jack ALLEN, 14. Ludovic BOI, 17. Callum FRANSZ, 9. Jamie EAMES (6. Yves MWILA 45’)

Substitutes not used: 99. Michael WOOLCOTT , 11. Andrew SCALDAFERRO
Yellow Cards: 17. Callam FRANSZ 8’, 14. Ludovic BOI 57’, 8. Bobby WILSON 60’, 10. Aryn WILLIAMS 70’
Red Cards: Nil

Perth Glory: Fraser GREENWOOD (gk), 2. Matt DAVIES (11. Slob VULIN 78’) , 3. Josh TUCKER (15. Rocco PIZZATA 62’), 4. Brandon O'NEILL, 5. Jack CLISBY, 6. Jacob COLLARD (16.Blamo QUAQUA 73’) , 7. Borbor SAMBINDI, 8. Cameron EDWARDS, 9. Joseph KNOWLES, 10. Jamie MACLAREN, 17. Harry O’BRIEN

Substitutes not used: 19. Hanafi GHAZALI, , 20. Luke RADONICH
Yellow Cards: 9. Joseph KNOWLES 30’, 5. Jack CLISBY 38’, 2. Matt DAVIES 57’, 3. Josh TUCKER 60’, 16. Blamo QUAQUA 86’
Red Cards: Nil