Report by Peter Simcox

Photo by Peter Simcox

A goal three minutes from time from Jonathan Stynes, has given Floreat Athena a 1-0 win against ECU Joondalup in week five of the PS4 NPLWA at E&D Litis Stadium on Saturday evening.
 
Both sides had chances in a tight game, but it looked like it was heading for a scoreless draw, before Stynes was picked out by second half substitute Bobby Wilson to win it against his former club.
 
Stynes said it was a great performance, especially with a number of regulars out of the side, and he was quick to praise their super sub.
 
“Bobby (Wilson) is making a habit of popping up late to set up or getting the winner, he causes havoc up there and gives me and Zelfy (Nazary) more space, and we’re thinking of making it a new tactic and incorporating it every week,” he joked.  
 
“We’ve had a lot of first team players out and our last four games have been a battle, but we have the players that can step in and tonight showed that.
 
“We knew going into the game the danger they (ECU) have in certain areas, and we worked hard at training during the week and we got the right result.”
 
Floreat Coach Glen Grostate said his undermanned side worked extremely hard and he was proud of their efforts.
 
“We have been hit really hard with injuries, but I’m just so happy the way the boys have dug in for each other, and we’ve got some really young boys in there and I love the team spirit we’ve got here,” he explained.
 
“So we will limp to the line as they say, and when we get those players back we’ll give it a right crack.

Grostate was happy with the way the new players had settled into the club.
 
“Some of the new lads have really fitted in well, Jesse Fuller was outstanding at the back, like all the back five tonight, and the work Rhys Williams has done for us at training has been magnificent,” he said.  
 
“But I was also really pleased the way 17-year-old Jackson Morgan played tonight, what a player he is – really composed in the middle of the park and his work rate is great.”
 
ECU Joondalup Coach said they switched off late in the game and were punished.
 
“It was a scrappy game and we really didn’t get started, we spoke at half-time about keeping it tight but to be honest it had 0-0 written all over it,” he explained.
 
“We had defended well, but you have to do it for 90 plus minutes, but we switched off late in the game, which was disappointing.”  
 
Both sides went into the game after big wins last week, but it was the visitors first to threaten. Tommy Amphlett raced down the right and crossed to the back post, and Daryl Nicol’s volley was well saved by Jason Saldaris.
 
It was a real arm wrestle with Floreat’s Dean Evans and youngster Morgan going toe-to-toe with ECU’s Steven McGarry and Jon Higgins, but clear cut chances were few and far between.
 
The game came to life just before half-time. Morgan tried his luck from long-range for the home side, but it was straight at keeper Fraser Greenwood.
 
Moments later Shane Pickering played a great ball over the top for Amphlett, but the ECU wingers’ shot on the run was well saved by Jason Saldaris at his near post.
 
Both sides had good late chances. First Stynes sent the overlapping Shaun Timmins down the right but his shot from the angle was saved low by ECU custodian Greenwood, before Nicol blazed over the top after good work by Amphlett on the right.
 
Floreat started to take control after the break. Stynes’ header was well saved by Greenwood, before Kris Gate shot dropped on top of the net.
 
Morgan was outstanding in the middle of the park, and he tested Greenwood again on the hour, but his shot was straight at ECU custodian.
 
ECU lifted and Higgins’ in-swinging corner beat everyone and crashed off the crossbar away to safety, before Gordon Smith’s header flashed inches past the post.

On 87 minutes a long ball into the penalty area picked out Wilson, laying the ball off to Stynes who finished clinically past Greenwood to seal all three points.  
 
Floreat Athena 1 (Stynes 87min)
ECU Joondalup 0
Saturday, March 18, 2017
E&D Litis Stadium
Kick-off: 7:00pm
Referee: David Bruce
Assistant Referees: Ammar Timour, Roland Hunt


Floreat Athena: GK Jason SALDARIS, 2 Shaun TIMMINS, 3 Clayton ARNEZ, 4 Andrew SCALDAFERRO, 6 Jesse FULLER, 8 Jonathan STYNES, 10 Kris GATE (5 Bobby WILSON 71), 12 Jackson MORGAN, 13 Zelfy NAZARY, 15 Christopher SALDARIS, 17 Dean EVANS (C)
Substitutes not used: RGK Jordan BARBAS, 11 Ali NAZARY, 16 Ryan MALTON, 20 Joe TWEATS
Yellow Cards: Gate 11, Fuller 73, Arnez 82
Red Cards: nil

ECU Joondalup: GK Fraser GREENWOOD, 3 Ross MILLARD, 4 Shane PICKERING (8 Kevin MOON 53), 5 Nathan DIAZ, 6 Jon HIGGINS, 9 Daryl NICOL, 10 Gordon SMITH, 13 Tommy AMPHLETT (11 Danny MILNE 82), 14 Steven MCGARRY, 17 Jack JONES, 16 Cian HIRRELL
Substitutes not used: RGK Todd HOYLE, 7 Keylun POLLARD, 15 Rikki SMITH
Yellow Cards: Smith 12, Jones 77
Red Cards: nil