Report by Josh Chiat

Photos: Courtesy Vince Caratozzolo

Second-placed Floreat Athena scored a 3-1 away win against Subiaco in the PS4 National Premier Leagues WA on Saturday, preventing league leaders Bayswater from disappearing over the horizon.

With an eight point gap between first and second, and a game between the two teams coming later this season, Floreat coach Glen Grostate was philosophical about his side's chances of making up the deficit over the last six rounds.



“You never give up”, Grostate said. “We don't have control, it's Bayswater's to lose, not ours to win. So if they drop a couple of points hopefully we can get to where they are.

“However if they finish first and we finish second there's no shame in that.”



Floreat did all they could with a solid 3-1 victory at a ground that has become a minor fortress for their opponents.

Floreat regularly got behind Subiaco's deep defence, helped by the pace and stellar touch of captain Ludovic Boi, who assisted one goal and scored another.



Though both teams had early chances, the first goal came when Floreat striker Kris Gate turned his marker in the box, squaring the ball across goal where, after pinballing off a number of bodies it was tapped in by Jon Stynes.

The lead was almost short-lived. Clayton Arnez underhit a backpass, allowing Subiaco's veteran striker Ian McMurray to intercept and round keeper Fraser Greenwood only to hit the base of a post. However, after withstanding a spell of Subiaco pressure, Athena made it two.



This time Gate was the recipient of a brilliant touch and cross from Boi, tapping into an open net at the back post on 36 minutes.

Subiaco were by no means out of the game and after 15-year-old left winger Ignacio Dominguez fired over from point-black range earlier in the second half, Danny Milne grabbed a goal back with an unstoppable header in the 66th minute.



Withstanding enormous pressure for the rest of the match and a red card to Floreat midfielder Jack Allen, it was Floreat's Boi who sealed the game in the 86th minute when he latched onto a long through-ball to clip over the onrushing Subiaco keeper Ryan Montgomery.



Despite the loss Subiaco's coach Gerry McEwan commended his squad, which included three players Dominguez, Owen Coates and Ross Jarman who are under the age of 18.

“The squad (was) decimated today,” he said.

“I'm proud of the boys' performance, I'm just a bit sad for them that they never got a result. It was a very even game and I felt anybody watching it would've enjoyed it.”



Subiaco 1 (Milne 66)
Floreat Athena 3 (Stynes 17, Gate 36, Boi 86)
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Rosalie Park
Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Shuo Chen

Subiaco: 1. Ryan MONTGOMERY(c), 3. Ger FITZGERALD, 4. Jackson DONGRAY, 5. Mitch STEINBERG, 6. Daniel MILNE, 8. Owen COATES (7. Matthew AKEHURST 85), 9. Ian McMURRAY, 14. Ross JARMAN, 16. Ignacio DOMINGUEZ, 13. George Tchami,  15. Siyang ZHANG (12. Trevor LAURE 39)
Substitutes not used: 21. Hamist St-George, 17. Zachary HARDISTY, 11. Joshua BOOYSEN
Yellow cards: McMurray 90+1, Fitzgerald 90+2
Red cards: nil

Floreat Athena: 1. Fraser GREENWOOD, 2. Blair GOVAN (17. Callum FRANSZ 75), 3. Jack ALLEN, 5. Bobby WILSON, 6. Clayton ARNEZ, 8. Jon STYNES, 11. Dennis GALAN, 12. Kris GATE, 14. Ludovic BOI(c), 18. Phillip ARNOLD, 19. Steve BURTON
Substitutes not used: 23. Mitchell PAPAS, 13. Raz GALOO, 33. Nathan GROSTATE, 10. Andrew SCALDAFERRO
Yellow cards: Gate 38, Burton 59
Red cards: Allen 83