ECU stroll past Subiaco
Report by Kalon Harrison
ECU Joondalup stalwart Andy Banks chose the perfect match to retire after having kept a clean sheet and seeing his side win 3-0 against Subiaco at ECU Sports Complex.
Banks said his side had a mixed season following their eighth place finish but felt the club he is leaving can only go upwards.
“We started badly and came to in the middle,” he said. “Maybe the last 10 games we went a bit iffy but we’ve finished ok.
“The younger lads will progress and get better from this (season),” he said. “Maybe they can kick on next year and look to get into the top four or five.”
After a slow start to the game ECU got their reward for an extended period of pressure at the end of the first half.
After taking a corner Dan Dixon drifted back into the box and when the ball landed back at his feet having not being cleared properly the winger struck the ball first time and found the back of the net in the 45th minute.
Joondalup got their second of the game in the 62nd minute after Subiaco started the half brightly like they did in the first but then dropped off.
Substitute and ECU’s top scorer with 10 goals Tommy Amphlett caught the Subiaco defence square and struck his shot first time from 25m out into the top corner.
The pace of the game slowed right down with ECU happy to keep the ball and Subiaco sitting deep and giving their opposition plenty of space to play in front of them.
The third goal came in the 84th minute following a raking diagonal ball which Jon Stynes let bounce, and then headed the ball over the outrushing Sam Stone with a clever finish.
In a difficult first season in the top division Subiaco finished in 11th place with just four wins.
Coach Gerry McEwan said he was happy his side had not finished bottom of the league and believes they are able to improve next season.
“It’s been a big learning experience for us,” he said. “Everybody has had a fair crack at establishing themselves in the league.
“We know where we need to improve and what we need to build on,” he said. “I wanted to be off the bottom of the league so that if anybody was throwing stones they wouldn’t be throwing them at us.”
Subiaco AFC 0
ECU Joondalup 3 (Danny DIXON 45’, Tommy AMPHLETT 62’, Jon STYNES 84’)
Saturday 23 August, 2014
ECU Sports Complex
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Referee: T Fleskens
Subiaco: 21. Sam STONE, 2. Nathan DIAZ, 3. Rowdy YATES, 10. Guy McDONALD, 16. George TCHAMI, 6. Brad McDONALD, 12. Mitch STEINBERG (13. Jonas DORLING 71’), 8. Sheldon McDONALD, 14. Joshua BOOYSEN (17. Iuwa SIMBILE 33’), 7. Ger FITZGERALD, 11. Tristan GAUDIN (9. Shatoosh BHAT 68’)
Unused substitutes: 15. Matt AKEHURST, 1. Henry DAVIES
Yellow cards: Yates 57’, Diaz 77’
Red cards: Nil
ECU: 1. Andy BANKS, 2. Ryan LOWRY, 3. Jon HIGGINS, 4. Charlie COMYN-PLATT (13. Tommy AMPHLETT 51’), 5. Carl RODGERS, 6. Jon STYNES, 8. Joe SMITH, 9. Dave FOSTER (7. Henry DURR 51’), 10. Andy HIGGINS, 11. Danny DIXON, 19. Stuart MONTGOMERY (14. Jake BENSON-COOPER 71’)
Unused substitutes: 16. Daniel HEPWORTH, 21. Jamie SERRN
Yellow cards: Nil
Red cards: Nil
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