Report by Peter Simcox

 

ECU Joondalup have overcome a hardworking Subiaco side to win 4-1 in week eight of the PS4 NPLWA at ECU Football Stadium on Saturday.

Daryl Nicol gave the home side the lead midway through the first half, before Steven McGarry doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time.

Gordon Smith made it 3-0, before Carlin Feely pulled one back for the visitors, but Smith’s second wrapped up the points and gave them back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

ECU Joondalup coach Dale McCulloch said it was a well-earned point and said Subiaco made his team work for their goals.

“I thought we deserved it today, but they (Subiaco) are a real honest side and made us work really hard for it,” he said.

“We’ve played well in games recently and not got our rewards, and today we probably didn’t play our best, but the players worked extremely hard with and without the ball, and we got the reward.”

McCulloch said his back five stood up in the game after working hard on that side of the game this week at training.

“I thought we were solid in defence today, Shane (Pickering), Cian (Hirrell) and Logan (McIsaac) were good and young Stef (Vranesevic) in only his second first team game was great, while Fraser (Greenwood) was outstanding again,” he said.

"We put a few challenges to the back five and they have responded, although we weren’t happy conceding a sloppy goal, we switched off, and it’s something we’ve got to address.”    

Defender Shane Pickering said the win builds the momentum after last week’s big win at Cockburn.

“It wasn’t a pretty game today, but we worked hard for the 90 minutes and got the result we wanted,” he said.

“We deserved the win at Cockburn and we went into this game knowing a win was important to keep our momentum going, and I hope, like last season, we can kick on.”

It was a lively opening with both sides going close early. First on three minutes Smith was denied by Ryan Montgomery, and moments later David Perich’s header flashed over the top.

The home side were convinced they had a penalty on 13 minutes, after Smith headed Nicol’s cross goalwards, but Alex Castiello got back to clear off the line.

The ECU players, coaches and supporters thought the defender had handled on the line, but referee Steven Gregory waved away their protests.

That was all forgotten on 24 minutes, when the home side hit the front.

Kevin Moon won possession in the middle of the park and fed Smith, who played in Nicol on the left of penalty area, and he finished clinically past Montgomery.

Subiaco went close to the equaliser two minutes later, Rory Feely played a one-two with Perich on the edge of the penalty area, sending the midfielder in on goal, but Fraser Greenwood spread himself well to deny him.

Greenwood had to be alert again moments later, as the home side failed to clear a corner and Perich’s first time shot was saved low by the ECU custodian.

But in the shadows of half time the home side added a second.

Smith was brought down by Castiello just outside the penalty area, and McGarry curled the resulting free kick around the wall and into the corner of the net.

Subiaco still had time to half the deficit before the break, but Greenwood produced a great low save to deny Rory Feely and send his side to the break with a two goal lead.

It was more of the same after half time with both sides looking dangerous going forward. Perich fired wide for Subiaco, before Moon and Smith did likewise for ECU.

But on 72 minutes the home side added a third. McGarry’s ball over the top sent Smith racing in on goal, he held off his marker and lobbed the on-coming Montgomery.

Montgomery then saved well to Jon Higgins, as ECU looked to put the game to bed, but on 76 minutes Subiaco hit back.

Carlin Feely was sent down the right channel, and he raced in the penalty area and finished well past Greenwood.

Subiaco were giving as good as they got, with Perich outstanding in the middle of the park, but it was ECU who had the final word, adding a fourth ten minutes from time.

Great work from Pickering on the left, the big defender’s cross on the run picked out Smith, who guided his header into the corner of the net to seal a hard-earned three points.     

 

ECU Joondalup 4 (Nicol 24mins, McGarry 44, Smith 72, 80)

Subiaco 1 (Carlin Feely 76)

Saturday, April 8, 2017

ECU Football Stadium

Kick-off: 3.00pm

Referee: Steven Gregory

Assistant Referees: Arvin Shanmuganathan, Adrien Liechti

 

ECU Joondalup: GK Fraser GREENWOOD, 2 Stefan VRANESEVIC, 4 Shane PICKERING, 5 Logan MCISAAC, 6 Jon HIGGINS (C) (12 Danny MILNE 83), 7 Kevin MOON, 9 Daryl NICOL (13 Tommy AMPHLETT 46) (15 James OWEN 79), 10 Gordon SMITH, 11 Sam POLLARD, 14 Steven MCGARRY, 18 Cian HIRRELL
Substitutes not used: RGK Todd HOYLE, 8 Declan HUGHES 

Yellow Cards: Pickering 93

Subiaco: GK Ryan MONTGOMERY, 7 John LOCKHART, 8 Mike LAWSON (6 Jonas DORLING 75), 9 Rory FEELY, 11 Carlin FEELY, 12 Nathan SMITH, 13 Jordan CANDISH (10 Owen COATES 71), 14 Ross JARMAN (16 Ian MCMURRAY 62), 17 Alex CASTIELLO 18 David PERICH, 19 Stefan HILL
Substitutes not used: RGK Hamish ST GEORGE, 15 Henock BUTSHIRE

Yellow Cards: Hill 23, Castiello 43, Carlin Feely 80