Report by Peter Simcox

Pictured: Balcatta's Feisal Zaw and ECU Joondalup's Joseph Jones battle for the ball

Balcatta continued their unbeaten run after a stunning 6-2 win against ECU Joondalup at the ECU Football Stadium on Saturday.

The win, their third on the bounce, was a great display of attacking football that left the hosts floundering in their wake.  

The visitors raced to a two-goal lead through Conor Kavanagh and Feisal Zaw, before Steven McGarry pulled one back for the hosts. But Allan Carroll gave Balcatta a 3-1 lead at the break.

Further second half goals to Zaw, Anthony Bafobusha and Cameron Teece was just rewards for the rampant Balcatta, while McGarry bagged his second for the host.

Balcatta’s Marc Anthony said his side has improved, after a shaky start to the season, and he said some of the football they played was exciting to watch.

“We’re dangerous going forward, and we hope the penny has finally dropped, as a lot of people wrote us off after the Night Series,” he said.

“But the boys are starting to respond to what we’ve asked of them, and the attitude and work rate today was fantastic.

“We had the players fired up all week, because they (Joondalup) gave us a hiding in the Night Series and looked miles ahead of us, but the players put in a good shift and to come away from home and score six is fantastic.”

He praised the youngsters the club have brought into their side this season and he said they have given the whole side a huge lift.

“We’re on a bit of a roll at the minute, and the boys in there deserve a great deal of credit, especially after losing the first three games,” Anthony said.

“We have some young players in the side with pace, and I’m always going to give the kids a chance. We have some talented young players at our club, and the strong work ethic is shining through and they are starting to reap the rewards.”

Skipper Kieron Stallard said it was a fantastic performance and he said it continues their momentum going forward.

“It’s still early days in the competition and were not looking too far ahead of ourselves,” he said.

“The younger players in the side are gained confidence and we are starting to get the results and we’ve probably put a marker down for the rest of the season.

“They are working extremely hard and it gives us a real threat going forward in the final third and long may it continue.”

It was Joondalup who began the brighter, and Gordon Smith and McGarry combined after only eight minutes, but the former Perth Glory midfielder’s shot was saved low by Curtis Davies.

Moments later McGarry’s curling-cross shot dipped inches over the bar. But that was as good as it got for the home side and Balcatta hit the front with the first attack on 12 minutes.

Zelfy Nazary raced clear down the left and pulled the ball back to Kavanagh whose shot went under the body of Joondalup keeper Lewis Italiano and into the net.

Joondalup defender Joseph Jones then saw his header crash off the post on the half hour, but sixty seconds later Balcatta doubled their lead. A deep cross from Hanafi Ghazali was headed home at the back post by Zaw.

Then two minutes later the home side were back in the game. Smith was brought down on the edge of the penalty area and McGarry’s resulting free kick was deflected off the wall and past Davies.

But on the stroke of half time Balcatta regained their two-goal advantage. Nazary’s corner picked out an unmarked Carrol, whose glancing header flew into the net.

The home side needed a good start to the second half to get back in the game, but they found themselves further behind five minutes in. Zaw held off his marker at the back post to fire low past Italiano.

Joondalup reduced the margin again three minutes later, McGarry curling home another superb free kick, but Balcatta were rampant and added two more.

First Bafobusha was quickest to react after Nazary’s shot was well saved by Italiano, to fire home from 8m, before a poor back pass allowed second half substitute Teece to nip in ahead of Italiano to add the sixth.

The visitors had other chances to increase their lead. Jonathon Corness’ long-range shot flashed wide of the target, before Keiron Colwell’s shot crashed off the post.

The win moved Balcatta above ECU Joondalup on the table and sets up a round eight home game against Floreat Athena, while Joondalup travel to Perth Glory.    

ECU Joondalup 2 (McGarry 33min, 53)
Balcatta 6 (Kavanagh 12min, Zaw 31, 50, Carroll 44, Bafobusha 61, Teece 66)
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Venue: ECU Football Stadium, Joondalup
Referee: Michal Jasinski
Assistants: Anastasios Paraskevas and Amit Hosany

ECU Joondalup: GK Lewis ITALIANO, 2 Ryan LOWRY, 3 Joseph JONES, 5 Coire MCGUIGAN, 6 Stefan VRANESEVIC, 8 Steven WALMSLEY (16 Ollie ANNIS 87), 9 Paddy DOYLE (7 Harley ORR 85) 10 Gordon SMITH, 11 Josh TUCKER (15 Bayley BROWN-MONTGOMERY 46), 14 Steven MCGARRY, 18 Henry DURR
Subs not used: RGK Scott WALLIS, 4 Shane PICKERING
Yellow cards: Walmsley 73

Balcatta: GK Clint DAVIES, 2 Hanafi GHAZALI, 3 Kieron STALLARD, 5 Conor KAVANAGH, 6 John CORNESS, 10 Zelfy NAZARY, 11 Feisal ZAW (14 Parvis SHIRZADI 80), 15. Anthony BAFABUSHA (9 Kyle MURRAY 81), 17 Keiron COLWELL, 19 Alan CARROL, 23 Gomo DUKULY (13 Cameron TEECE 62)
Subs not used: RGK Adrian VACCA, 16 Carmelo GIUFFRE
Yellow cards: Stallard 73