Report by Peter Simcox

Photos: Peter Simcox

Perth Soccer Club bounced back from Wednesday’s Westfield FFA Cup defeat in Sydney to beat Perth Glory 3-1 in week 18 of the PS4 National Premier Leagues WA at Inglewood Stadium on Sunday.

A first half brace from midfielder Mark Pritchard sent them on the way to victory despite Glory’s Michael McDougall pulling one back early in the second half, Perth’s new Serbian defender Aleksander Susnjar sealed the points in the final minute.



Perth coach Taki Nicolaidis was disappointed with the sides’ second half performance, and let them have it in the changing rooms after the game.

“We’ll take the three points, but going forward we can’t sloppy like we were today, and I told the lads that after the game,” he said.

“We let them back in the game early in the second half, making silly errors on the edge of our box, and we were punished, we have to be better than that.”



Nicolaidis did not want to use travel as a factor in the second half fade-out, but said they will take some positives out of the win.

“I don’t want to make excuses, but yes possibly the travel took it out of the players more than we thought but I expect my players to have standards and they dropped off them today,” he said.

“It was good to see Aleksander (Susnjar) score his first goal today, he’s still fitting in at the club but he is a good player, and I thought Mark (Pritchard) took his goals well.

“So despite my disappointment in the overall performance, there were things to like out there today.”



Perth Glory coach John Gibson, who was without 10 first team players for the game, said his young chargers were magnificent and took the game to Perth after the break.

“We had a very young crew out there today, but the second half performance was excellent,” he said.

“We talk about opportunities, and with injuries and first team commitments we were missing some of our first team players today.

“But the youngsters who came in did a fantastic job and it bodes well for the future of this program.” 

Gibson believes the club’s NPL program is working well, and said the youngsters showed a great deal of maturity against a strong Perth side.

“Michael took his goal ever so well, and he linked up well with Nikola (Tamdzioski) up front today, but the whole group has shown a great deal of character and maturity,’ he said.

“I thought the skipper Nathan Costello and Ross Millard were great at the back, but like I’ve said all season the players have been magnificent.
 
“But we are still making small errors which are costing us goals, but that’s the learning curve for these youngsters.”  

It was an even opening to the game with chances few and far between, although Nicolas Ambrogio did have the ball in the net for the visitors early, but the assistants’ flag was up for offside.

Glory went close on the quarter hour. Waliedin Ismail picked out Ross Millard on the left; his low cross into the area was well blocked by David Cyrus, with Nikola Talimdzioski ready to pounce.

But on 23 minutes the visitors hit the front. A long ball from Susnjar was played on to Pritchard, whose half volley from the edge of the penalty area flew low past Jordan Franken.

The Glory youngsters were giving as good as they got and they went close themselves seven minutes later.

Daniel Stynes played a well weighted ball into the path of Talimdzioski, who raced into the area, but Francis Soale was alert to save.

Perth lifted the tempo before halftime and Reece Vittiglia fired wide, but two minutes before the break they doubled their lead.

Ambrogio was picked out by Susnjar, and the striker laid the ball back to Pritchard on the edge of the penalty area, and he picked his spot and finished clinically low past Franken.

Glory was quick out of the blocks after the break and they were back in the game five minutes in.

A long ball over the top sent Talimdzioski racing clear, Soale came racing out of area but the striker got to the ball first and cut back to McDougall who fired home from long range.

Glory was having their best period of the game and they went within inches of levelling ten minutes later.

McDougall played a one-two with Talimdzioski on the edge of the area, and McDougall’s fierce shot was heading for the top corner, but Soale made up for his error for the goal, saving superbly at full stretch.

The home side was creating the better chances and Perth were defending desperately. Substitute Sam MacKearnan’s free kick caused problems in the area, but the defence kept the Glory out.

Perth coach Nicolaidis was not a happy man in the technical area and when the heavy rain hit he looked for his side, led by skipper Clark Keltie and Dean Evans, to lift and they did.

Pritchard was denied a hat-trick, with a good save from Franken, and moments later his goal-bound shot was blocked by former Stevenage FC youth defender Millard.

With the Glory pressing forward looking for the equaliser they were caught out at the back in the 90th minute when Perth scored the sealer.

Glory failed to clear their line and Susnjar shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area, into a corner of the net.    

Perth Glory 1 (McDougall 50 mins)
Perth Soccer Club 3 (Pritchard 23 mins, 43, Susnjar 90)
Sunday August 9 2015
Inglewood Stadium, Inglewood
Referee: Michal Jasinski
Assistants: Josh Nixon and Simon Hicks    

Perth Glory: GK Jordan FRANKEN, 2 Gian ALBANO, 3 Ross MILLARD, 4 Nathan COSTELLO (c), 5 Ali GHOLAMI (14 Hayden STEVENS 71’), 6 Matthew NTOUMENOPOULOS (15 Sean TROUP 58’), 7 Waliedin ISMAIL, 9 Michael MCDOUGALL, 10 Daniel STYNES (12 Sam MACKEARNAN 75’), 11 Nikola TALIMDZIOSKI, 16 Dejan SPASESKI
Subs not used: RGK Riley STEPHENSON, 13 Alex TANESKI
Yellow cards: Nil

Perth SC: GK Francis SOALE, 2 Josh WILKINS, 3 David CYRUS, 4 Aleksandar SUSNJAR, 5 Dean EVANS, 6 Clark Keltie (c), 8 Aden Da LUZ (11 Julian MADASCHI 76’), 13 Rocco PIZZATA, 14 Mark PRITCHARD (9 Harley ORR 83’), 16 Nicholas AMBROGIO (19 Andreas THEODOSIADES 60’), 17 Reece VITTIGLIA
Subs not used: RGK Alex DUNN, 12 Marco SANTALUCIA
Yellow cards: Nil