Report by Daryn McCleave

Mark Doninger helped himself to all five goals in a one-sided semi-final at Frank Drago Reserve as Perth SC claimed NPL WA Grand Final hosting rights with a 5-0 thrashing of Bayswater City.

Once Doninger was handily placed to net his first, the Azzurri never looked back. They led 3-0 at the break before a penalty 10 minutes into the second half dashed any hope of a Bayswater comeback with the fifth goal adding a well-deserved gloss to the final score deep into added time.

Pictured: Mark Pritchard gives Mark Doninger a lift. Picture: Vince Caratozzolo

"It's always a good feeling scoring goals but getting the team through to the final was all that counts really," Doninger said.

"Bayswater started well and for the first 15 minutes or so we did well to contain them but once we got the first goal we got on top and built from there. It was a great team performance."

Perth coach Taki Nicolaidis was "over the moon" to be hosting the Grand Final and was full of praise for his squad for their season's efforts so far following a lowly ladder placing last season.

"Credit to the group we've got, they've given it their all today, they executed the game-plan to perfection, every one of them did their job," Nicolaidis said

"We had a few players out today including Clark Keltie, who's probably the best player in the league this year. We can say we missed him but every single guy out their contributed to this result."

"Twelve months ago we were 28 points behind them (Bayswater) so to come here and close that gap is huge credit to the boys.”

The outcome could have been so very different had visiting keeper Francis Soale not been alert within the first two minutes to superbly tip over the bar Paul McCarthy's swerving, dipping shot from the edge of the box.

Soale was again called into action to push away Todd Howarth's stinging free-kick but that was about as good as it got for City as Perth, who looked good on the counter in the early stages, took the lead in the 21st minute.

The impressive Josh Wilkins delivered a deep cross from the right for Aden Da Luz who saw his shot blocked by Devon Spence but showed great awareness to lay the ball to Doninger from the rebound who squeezed it home from barely a metre out.

There was perhaps a hint of good fortune about the second in the 32nd minute, as a harmless looking shot from around 30 metres deflected off a Bayswater defender into the path of Doninger who steadied himself before calmly side-footing past goalkeeper Devon Spence under pressure from two defenders.

Bayswater looked out-of-sorts and the Azzurri went for the kill, Spence denying Andreas Theodosiades before Doninger's hat-trick was completed two minutes before the break.

Wilkins' cross-field pass caught the home defence napping, and Doninger coolly lofted the bouncing ball over the on-rushing Spence. Despite a last-ditch attempt on the line to keep it out, Bayswater found themselves with a mountain to climb to rescue their hopes of a home final.

City coach Chris Coyne introduced Gustavo Giron Marulanda for the start of the second half to bolster their attack, but seven minutes after the re-start it was game-over after Chris Saldaris was penalised for handling in the area. With regular penalty taker Keltie out, Doninger stepped up to send Spence the wrong way.

Perth were happy to soak up the pressure as Bayswater sought an unlikely way back into the contest, and three minutes into stoppage time Doninger raced away down the left hand side before cutting in and firing in his and the visitors' fifth goal.

Bayswater assistant coach Stewart Moses thought too many players were missing for his side.

"It's how we react now during the week,” he said. “Hopefully we bounce back and do it the hard way. We will be training three times next week to prepare for whoever we'll play next Saturday.”

Bayswater will have a second chance to reach the Grand Final when they face Balcatta in next weekend’s preliminary final.

BAYSWATER CITY 0
PERTH SC 5 (Doninger 21, 32, 43, 53 pen, 90+3)
2.30pm, Saturday 30 August 2014
Frank Drago Reserve
Referee: Steve Gregory
Assistant Referees: Tim Mihevc, Matthew Southern
Crowd: 500 approx.

BAYSWATER CITY: 1. Devon SPENCE, 5. Andy REALE (3. Adam BACHILLER 54'), 13. Trent KAY (9. Gustavo MARALUNDA 46'), 23. Chris SALDARIS, 20. Sam MITCHINSON, 16. Jamie COYNE, 21. David HEAGNEY, 8. Paul McCARTHY, 6. Todd HOWARTH (2. Declan HARGREAVES 54'), 15. Brian FARRELL, 12. Steve BURTON.
SUBSTITUTES NOT USED: 22. Joel DRISCOLL, 14. David MOLINARI

PERTH SC: 1. Francis SOALE, 2. Josh WILKINS, 4. Craig SIMPSON (5. Laurence GAUGHAN 64'), 13. Alex CASTIELLO, 20. James MAROCCHI, 19. Andreas THEODOSIADES (17. Matt MILENKOVIC 70'), 14. Mark
PRITCHARD, 12. Tim ROBERTSON, 15. Mark DONINGER, 8. Aden DA LUZ, 10. Ashley ROSINDALE (22. Harley ORR 61').
SUBSTITUTES NOT USED: 9. Friday ZICO, 23. Alex DUNN
YELLOW CARD: Orr 73'