Report by Chris Caldwell

 

A first half goal blitz, with braces apiece from Hanafi Ghazali and Luccas Mello, gave Balcatta a convincing 4-0 win over Perth Glory at Ashfield Arena on Saturday in round four of the PS4 NPLWA.

Balcatta coach Salv Todaro, while delighted to see his side produce a clinical display in front of goal, was equally as pleased with his defenders, who sealed a third successive clean sheet on the road.

“It was a good first half,” he said. “We took advantage of the opportunities we created. We were pretty clinical up top and we were reasonably OK at the back.

“Our goal in the second half was to keep a clean sheet and our defensive shape was good, we didn’t give them any free shots on goal. We have three clean sheets on the bounce, so as a coach you can’t complain about that and it shows they are very disciplined with regards what we want them to do.

“I’m very happy with where we are at the minute. About four, five, maybe six weeks ago we were a little bit all over the place, but the boys that have come in are working really hard, they are taking to our game plan and our structure really well.”

Things couldn’t have started any better for Balcatta, who took the lead in only the fourth minute when Ghazali’s searching ball into the box from around 40 yards was swept goalwards by the wind, catching Stef King off his line before dropping under the bar for a somewhat fortuitous and eye-catching opener.

While Glory rallied after that setback with a couple of testing attacks, they were soon put to the sword with three goals in 14 minutes.

Mello struck next with a sweetly rifled effort from the right corner of the box on 21 minutes that left King clutching at thin air as it flew into his far side-netting. Ghazali was on the score-sheet again on 30 minutes after winning and converting a penalty at the second attempt, following a retake after King was adjudged to have come off his line.

Mello completed the scoring when he finished from close range after good work from Paddy Quinn and Feisal Zaw on the right.

Despite their best efforts in the second half, Glory could find no Barcelona-style comeback as Balcatta held on comfortably to see the game out and seal the points.

At the final whistle, Glory coach John Gibson described his side’s efforts as embarrassing,

 “We conceded some really soft, soft, soft, soft goals today, and that set the tone, but we weren’t at the races,” he said.

“The work rate and performance was very, very poor. That’s normally something we strive for and it wasn’t there, which for us is massively embarrassing and disappointing.

“It was just a really, really poor performance. Next week we have Perth away so we’ll have to build up again, work really hard, go in with a fantastic attitude and work rate and there’s no doubt there will be a reaction – hopefully it’s a positive one!”

Balcatta 4 (Ghazali 4min, 30; Mello 21min, 35)

Perth Glory 0

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Ashfield Arena

Kick-off: 3.00pm

Referee: Nico Hoyle

Assistant referees: Brendan Skinner and Frank Laval

Balcatta: 1. Domenico SAVOLDELLI, 2. Hanafi GHAZALI, 3. Justin ONEK, 4. Calum O’CONNELL, 5. Kieron STALLARD, 6. Jonathan CORNESS, 9. Luccas MELLO (19. Jaedon EWEN, 78), 11. Feisal ZAW (14. Carmelo GUFFRE, 90+2), 12. Kurt KOUAKOU, 20. Paddy QUINN (Cpt), 23, Ismael BANGURA (16. Nathan SULLY, 51).

Substitute not used: 13. David KAI.

Yellow Cards: Nil.

Red Cards: Nil.

 

Perth Glory: 1. Stef KING, 2. Bayley MONTGOMERY-BROWN, 16. Luca BODNAR, 4. Jack IREDALE, 5. Walter SCOTT, 6. Sam RIAK (14. Callum DOBBS, 57), 7. Yacoub MUSTAFA (13. Riley WARLAND, 55), 8. Callum TIMMINS (12, Jack LEECH, 35), 9. Michael MCDOUGAL, 10. Daniel STYNES (Cpt), 17. Kosta PETRATOS.

Substitute not used: 15. Bleron WARLAND.

Yellow cards: King, 28; Mustafa, 55; Warland, 55; Montgomery-Brown, 74, Iredale, 87.

Red cards: Nil.