Report by Peter Simcox

ECU Joondalup moved to fourth place on the PS4 National Premier Leagues WA table with a convincing 5-2 win against Subiaco at the ECU Football Stadium on Saturday.

The home side bouncing back from their shock Westfield FFA Cup defeat against Dianella last week, and they shared the goals around with five individual scorers.

Shane Pickering opened the scoring early, before Gordon Smith doubled their lead before the break.

Bayley Brown-Montgomery added another one early in the second half before Kevin White pulled one back for the visitors.

Further goals to Steven McGarry and Harley Orr wrapped up the win, while White bagged a second goal for Subiaco to round off the scoring.  

Coach Dale McCulloch said he was looking for a good response from his players after the cup exit, and he said he certainly got one.

“We spoke at length after that loss, and I got a perfect response from the lads today,” he said.

“We could have had a few more to be honest, but the movement and passing was good, and the win moves us up the table, and gives us back-to-back home wins, so it was a very pleasing performance.”

Defender Shane Pickering, who opened the scoring, said they have worked hard on their game, and they are starting to see the rewards in their performances.

“It’s always nice to pop with a goal, long may it continue,” he said.

“We have all worked hard at training and it was good to put in a good team performance. Obviously as a defender not happy to concede a couple of sloppy goals, but overall it’s a good three points and it keeps building momentum.”  

Subiaco, who were still looking for their first point of the season, started brightly and striker Ian McMurray tested ECU keeper David Keenan, before Carlin Feely’s goal-bound shot was blocked by Andy Higgins.  

But after the early onslaught the home side settled and hit the front on 19 minutes. Higgins’ corner was pushed out by keeper Ryan Montgomery, but it fell to Pickering and the big defender drilled it home from 5m.

The visitors hit back and Keenan was at full stretch to save Carlin Feeley’s free-kick moments later, before White shot on the run flashed just wide of the target.

The home side looked dangerous going forward and Tommy Amphlett and Smith had chances before they doubled their advantage in the shadow of halftime.

Higgins’ corner again causing problems and Scottish striker Smith headed home at the back post.
 
Subiaco need a good start to the second half to get back into the contest, but seven minutes in the home side added a third.

Amphlett’s cross-field pass sent Smith racing down the right, and his low-cross was turned home by Brown-Montgomery at the back post.

Subiaco did pull one back three minutes later. Good work on the right by Owen Coates ended with a cross to the back post and White tapped home from close-range.

ECU continued to dominate and it wasn’t a surprise when they added a fourth just after the hour, McGarry finishing with aplomb after a great through-ball from Smith.  

Montgomery saved well to deny Amphlett, and Orr in quick succession, but there was little he could do when ECU added a fifth.

Good approach work from Higgins and Amphlett ended with a cross into the box and Orr finished at the back post.

White scored a late consolation goal for Subiaco with two minutes remaining, finishing James Dorling’s, but it was too little too late and ECU made it back-to-back wins.

ECU Joondalup 5 (Pickering 19 mins, Smith 40, Brown-Montgomery 52, McGarry 65, Orr 77)
Subiaco 2(White 55 mins, 85)
Saturday April 2 2016
ECU Football Stadium, Joondalup
Referee: Alex Novatsis
Assistants: Liviu Katona and Amit Hosany

ECU Joondalup: GK David KEENAN, 2 Ryan LOWRY, 3 Joseph JONES, 4 Shane PICKERING, 5 Andy HIGGINS, 8 Steven WALMSLEY, 10 Gordon SMITH, 11 Bayley BROWN-MONTGOMERY (7 Harley ORR 69’), 13 Tommy AMPHLETT (12 Jack OLDHAM 81’), 14 Steven MCGARRY (16 Josh TUCKER 78’), 18 Henry DURR
Subs not used: RGK Scott WALLIS, 19 Paddy DOYLE
Yellow Cards: Jones 57’, Smith 85’

Subiaco: GK Ryan MONTGOMERY, 2 Nathan DIAZ, 3 Ger FITZGERALD (18 Dylan ANDREWS 71’), 4 Jackson DONGRAY, 6 Danny MILNE, 7 Carlin FEELEY, 8 Kevin WHITE, 9 Ian MCMURRAY (12 James DORLING 71’), 11 Owen COATES (17 Hamish BLANCHARD 78’), 15 Alexander TRIGLAVCANIN, 16 Zachary HARDISTY
Subs not used: RGK Hamish ST GEORGE, 14 Zack EDWARDS
Yellow Cards: Nil