Report by Peter Simcox

Photos: Peter Simcox

Armadale moved off the bottom of the PS4 National Premier League WA table for the first time since Round 14 last season, after a stirring come-from-behind 4-2 win against ten man Perth Glory at Inglewood Stadium.

The home side raced to a two-goal lead after 16 minutes thanks to a brace from striker Nikola Talimdzioski. 

But the game changed when former Armadale defender Nathan Costello was sent off for the home side just after the half hour mark.

Danny Hodgson bagged a brace and the unfortunate Talimdzioski scored his third, but in the wrong net. The points were made safe eight minutes from time when substitute Jackson Bealey added the fourth.  

Hodgson said they were stunned early, but showed great character to fight back.

“We knew coming into the game it was a six pointer, and to find ourselves two goals down wasn’t the way we wanted to start such a vital game,” he said. 

“But we’ve come back from the same situation a few times this season, so we knew we could do it.

“The sending off was a real game changer, and it was nice to score from the resulting free kick and we grew in confidence and deservedly won it.” 



Armadale coach Paul Price said they were totally dominated early by the Glory, but said they steadied and fought it out, and deserved the three points.

“We got caught in the first minute and to be fair the Glory was on top and we weren’t at the races,” he said.

“But the sending off changed the game and I thought the lad was unlucky, he got the ball but it was a tackle from behind.

“Danny scored from the free kick and I was delighted the way the lads finished the half to go in to the break in front.

There was only going to be one winner after that, the lads battled well, like they have since I’ve been here.”

The home side made a perfect start and was ahead in the opening minute.

Tom King burst down the left and pulled the ball back from the byline to Talimdzioski, whose first time shot crashed off the bar and bounced down on the line, but assistant referee Liviu Katona flagged that the ball was over the line. 

Armadale went in search of a reply immediately, and Hodgson was sent through one-on-one with Glory keeper Jordan Franken, who stood tall to deny him. 



But on the quarter hour mark the Glory doubled their advantage. Slobodan Vulin slid a perfectly weighted through ball to Talimdzioski, and the striker held off his marker and finished clinically past Dylan Wilson. 

The game then took a massive twist when referee Steven Gregory sent off Costello. A long ball over the top sent Hodgson racing clear, Costello got back with a last ditch tackle, but Gregory believed he didn’t get the ball and showed him a straight red card. 

Things went from bad to worse for the home side, as from the resulting free kick, Hodgson curled the ball up and over the wall and into the net via the post.  

Then in the shadows of half time Armadale leveled. Dejan Spaseski brought down Hodgson, and Gregory pointed straight to the spot, before Hodgson picked himself up and fired low past Franken.



But there was still time for Armadale to take the lead. A corner from the right by Mitch Castrilli deflected off the unfortunate Talimdzioski into the net, to send them into the break 3-2 ahead.

Both sides had chances early in the second half as Wilson pushed substitute Stefan Valentini’s shot around the post, before Darren Francis’ shot from the edge of the box flashed over the top.

The Glory were defending well and hitting on the counter attack, with Valentino a constant threat, but Armadale looked more likely to score, and Alex Castiello headed over the top on the hour. 

Armadale had the perfect opportunity to wrap up the points on 80 minutes when Faustino Machochi was brought down in the area by Spaseski and they were rewarded another penalty. Hodgson stepped up, but his spot kick was superbly saved by Franken low to his right. 

But from the resulting corner they did put the game to bed. Castiello’s header was superbly tipped on to the bar by Franken, but the Glory couldn’t clear their lines and Bealey fired home the rebound from five meters.  

Perth Glory 2 (Talimdzioski 1 Mins, 15)
Armadale 4 (Hodgson 33 Mins, 45, O’Goal (Talimdzioski) 45+2, Bealey 82)
Saturday July 4 2015
Inglewood Stadium, Inglewood
Referee: Steven Gregory
Assistants: Liviu Katona and Alex Kim

Perth Glory: GK Jordan FRANKEN, 2 Ali GHOLAMI, 3 Jacob COLLARD (c), 4 Nathan COSTELLO, 5 Tom KING, 6 Calvin WHITNEY, 7 Waliedin ISMAIL (15 Stefan VALENTINI 60’), 9 Nikola TALIMDZIOSKI, 10 Slobodan VULIN (12 Sean TROUP 53’), 11 Gian ALBANO (14 Michael MCDOUGALL 70’), 16 Dejan SPASESKI
Subs not used: RGK Jordan YOUNG, 13 Henry DURR
Yellow Cards: Spaseski 90’
Red Cards: Costello 32’ 

Armadale: GK Dylan WILSON, 2 Nick CRERAND, 3 Sam COLE (11 Jackson BEALEY 27’), 4 Alex CASTIELLO, 6 Jake SARDELIC, 7 Danny HODGSON, 9 Darren FRANCIS, 10 Raveshlan KUPPUSAMY (5 Sam LOVELESS 70’), 12 Faustino MACHOCHI (8 Kade MCNAMARA 90’), 14 Mitch CASTRILLI, 17 Jesse FULLER
Subs not used: GK Alex RODONICH
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil