Report by Aisling Lawless

Jon Stynes grabbed a late winner as ECU Joondalup kicked off Rivalry Round with a 2-1 win over Sorrento at Percy Doyle Reserve last night.

The visitors clinched their first win of the season, thanks to goals either side of halftime from Danny Dixon and Stynes, while captain Shaun Killkelly scored for Sorrento in the 28th minute.

It was ECU Joondalup’s first rivalry round win after losing and drawing against their northern rivals last year.

“It’s always a tough game down here at Percy Doyle,” said Stynes after scoring a late winner. “I think there’s more intensity coming against one of your biggest rivals, but it topped off a great night scoring the winner.

“We have a smaller side this year but I think we are a lot more technical, so we look to pass the ball a lot more and I think we did that today.”

Coach Dale McCulloch said while it was fantastic to win the derby, he was more relived to get three points on the board after their shaky start to the season.

“We want to keep accumulating as many points as we can,” McCulloch said.

“We know we are a good side, once we settle down and get ourselves going we’ll find our rhythm.”

ECU broke the deadlock after 19 minutes when Dixon smashed in a lay-off after some fluid team passing.

But nine minutes later the home side equalised when Jason Mirco’s curling free kick found Killkelly at the far post and he knocked the ball past Jamie Serra in the scramble.

To ECU’s dismay they had a goal ruled offside in the 38th minute and a free kick from Dixon that grazed the right goalpost, leaving the scores even at halftime.

In a largely uneventful second half, Joondalup’s Tommy Amphlett failed to take advantage of an empty goal in the final 15 minutes, sending the ball over the crossbar.

Then six minutes from time a fantastic ball into the box fell to Stynes, who tapped it over the line to claim a dramatic win.

Sorrento coach Jamie Harnwell thought his side lacked their usual energy and failed to stretch their opponents as much as they should have.

“Credit to ECU, they made the game difficult for us by stopping us playing and we just weren’t good enough on the night to get around that,” Harnwell said.

“But we’ve had a lot of players come in this season and had to regenerate the squad so it will it will take time, but we’ll continue on and try to play a good brand of football.”

Sorrento FC 1 (Killkelly 28’)
ECU Joondalup 2 (Dixon 20’, Stynes 84’)
Friday 17 April 2015
Percy Doyle Reserve
Local kick-off: 8:00pm
Referee: Josh MANELLA
Assistant Referees: Liviu KATONA, Thomas ASHTON
4th official: Simon HICKS

Sorrento: 1. James MORGAN, 2. Danny CAIN, 4. Shaun KILLKELLY (c), 9. Todd HARNWELL, 10 Jason MIRCO, 11. Thomas BOSS (5. Adam LUCA 85'), 12. Jack EADES, 16. Niccolo SABATINI, 18. Sean CANHAM, 19. Jack SALTER (8. Ryan PEARSON 51'), 20. Brad McDONALD (22. Lewis HALL 82')
Substitutes not used: 61. Jordan BLANK, 13. Steven McDONALD
Yellow Cards: 1. James MORGAN 19', 11. Thomas BOSS 60', 4. Shaun KILKELLY 90'
Red Cards: Nil

ECU Joondalup: GK. Jamie SERRA, 2. Ryan LOWRY, 4. Charlie COMYN-PLATT, 5. Carl RODGERS, 6. Jon STYNES,  8. Joe SMITH, 9. Guy MCDONALD ( 3. Jon HIGGINS 61’), 10. Andy HIGGINS, 11. Rowdy YATES (18. Stuart MONTGOMERY 81'), 13. Tommy AMPHLETT, 14. Danny DIXON (12. Josh TUCKER 71')
Substitutes not used: 17. Bayley MONTGOMERY, 20. Ash MAYNARD-BREWER
Yellow cards: 9. Guy MCDONALD 27'
Red cards: Nil