Report by Jayden Lihou

Subiaco have recorded their first victory of the PS4 NPLWA season with a 3-1 away victory against Stirling Lions at Macedonia Park on Saturday.

The win sees Subiaco move off the bottom of ladder and up into 11th place, with only goal difference separating them from Stirling in 10th.

Player-coach Ian McMurray said he was absolutely delighted to have secured his side’s first win of the season.

“For me the win is brilliant, but more importantly, the boys put in an outstanding performance today and played some great football,” he said.

“It was very sore on us to come into half-time one-nil down, but I settled the boys down during the break and I told them if we kept going like that we would score goals and we did exactly that.

“This season we have a new set of boys, are playing a new style of football and are getting better every week, but we still know that we have a hard task ahead of us.”

After a positive start to the first-half from the away-side, Stirling took the lead in the 38th minute.

A good cross was whipped into the box and Jason Rubidge was there to head the ball into the back of the net.

Stirling had another opportunity early on in the second period when Moses Alavakis played a through ball to Daniel Micevski inside the box.

Micevski’s effort was denied by keeper Ryan Montgomery which kept Subiaco in the game.

Subiaco levelled the scores in the 57th minute in a counter-attacking move that culminated in Carlin Feely squaring the ball to Jordan Candish who made no mistake.

It only got worse for the home-side as Subiaco scored again just four minutes later thanks to a long distance strike from Mike Lawson that beat the keeper at his near post.

After squandering some genuine goal-scoring opportunities, Subiaco finally finished the game off in the 87th minute.

A long ball was played to Rory Feely that looped over the Stirling defensive line, and Feely chipped the ball over the onrushing keeper and into the back of the net.

Stirling assistant coach Derek Johnstone said that a lack of desire was the reason for his side’s defeat.

“Subiaco started the game very strong, and we didn’t expect them to come out like that,” he said.

“They pressed high and dominated the middle of the park, so I was quite surprised that we found ourselves one-nil up at half-time to be honest.

“We have got enough quality in our squad to win games, but it was just that lack of hunger that cost us today.”

“We have a big game against Inglewood next week, but the boys are good enough, and we have a decent enough squad so we should bounce back.”

Stirling Lions 1 (Rubidge 38min)
Subiaco 3 (Candish 57min, Lawson 61, Feely 87)
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Macedonia Park
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Referee: Josh Mannella
Assistant Referees: Nico Hoyle, Sorousha Moayer

Stirling Lions: 1. John PERKINS, 2. Michael PUGLIESE, 4. Blamo QUA QUA, 6. Dejan SPASESKI, 7. Milorad VUJACIC (C) (17. Darren O’RIORDAN 70’), 10. Daniel MICEVSKI, 11. David MICEVSKI, 12. Jason RUBIDGE (9. Alex TANEVSKI 62’), 15. Shane CASSIDY (3. Alex SULESKI 88’), 16. Mathaing MATHIANG, 18. Moses ALAVAKIS
Substitutes not used: 19. William PENDER, 20. Lance ALAVKIS
Yellow cards: Vujacic 67, Pugliese 84
Red cards: nil

Subiaco: 1. Ryan MONTGOMERY, 7. John LOCKHART (6. Kevin CASTLE 93’), 8. Mike LAWSON, 9. Rory FEELY (16. Ian MCMURRAY 88’), 11. Carlin FEELY, 12. Nathan SMITH, 13. Jordan CANDISH (15. Henock BUTSHIRE 79’), 14. Ross JARMAN, 17. Alex CASTIELLO, 18. David PERICH, 19. Stefan HILL
Substitutes not used:  10. Dylan ANDREWS, 21. Nick SPECA
Yellow Cards: nil
Red Cards: nil