Report by Blayne Treadgold

 

Cockburn City edged Mandurah City 2-1 at Dalmatinac Park with goals from Blake Adams and Gian Albano in their round 19 PS4 NPLWA clash on Saturday.

Andrew Brown pulled one back for the visitors, who fought back after a dominant first half performance from the hosts.

Cockburn coach Scott Miller felt his team should have put the game to bed earlier.

“If I’m honest, we made it harder for ourselves than it needed to be,” he said.

“Once Mandurah scored, we panicked a bit.

“We hit the post a few times, had one on ones, and we only came out with a 2-1 win.”

Adams opened the scoring for Cockburn when he latched onto a stray back pass and ran through to beat Mandurah goalkeeper Cyril Sharrock at the second attempt.

Four minutes later, Albano doubled Cockburn’s advantage from the penalty spot after referee David Bruce spotted a handball in the area.

Albano and Reuben Tristao both hit the upright early in the second half as the home side looked to put the game out of reach.

Mandurah gradually worked their way into the game, though, and got their reward for showing more purpose when Brown scored on the hour mark.

The skipper got on the end of a superb cutback to the top of the box and finished brilliantly over a stranded Luke Radonich.

Radonich then produced a terrific save when a Mandurah free kick deflected and the goalkeeper somehow managed to throw a foot at the ball and knock it clear.

Despite a late flurry of chances, the visitors fell short of snatching a much-needed point in their quest to avoid relegation.

Mandurah coach Doug Hesketh was pleased with his side’s response after the break.

“I thought we possibly deserved something out of the game,” he said.

“We can take a lot of positives from the second half as I felt we were as good as them.”

Cockburn City 2 (Adams 25min, Albano 29’pen)

Mandurah City1 (Brown 61min)

Saturday July 1, 2017

Dalmatinac Park

Kick-off: 3:00pm

Referee: David Bruce

Assistant Referees: Josh Nixon, Sorousha Moayer

 

Cockburn City: GK. Luke RADONICH, 4. Euen GRANT (C), 5.Keiron STALLARD, 6. Reuben TRISTAO, 7. Calvin WHITNEY, 9. Gian ALBANO, 10. David ARAYA (2. Joshua KUSER 87’) 13. Blake ADAMS, 15. Daniel SANTICH, 16. Daniel ROBINSON, 17. Jesse LAZZARO (11. Harry O’BRIEN 61’)

Substitutes not used: RGK. Ryan BARKER, 3.Daniel DOLS,

Yellow Cards: 9. Gian ALBANO, 7. Calvin WHITNEY

Red Cards: Nil

  

Mandurah City: GK. Cyril SHARROCK, 2. Oliver MCGEE, 3. Jeffrey BRIGHT, 4. Matthew STARES (16. Shane BOYLE 46’) 5. Thomas STRAKER (14. Slade RULE 71’), 6. Mitchell FIRTH, 7. Lance LOUVIE, 8. Andrew BROWN (C), 9. Sean TROUP, 10. Jordan RHODES (12. Joseph O’BRIEN 46’), 11. Ryan FRANCIS

Substitutes not used: RGK. Lewis MANNING, 15. Kevin CASTLE

Yellow Cards: 5. Thomas STRAKER

Red Cards: nil