Report by Jayden Lihou

Photo by Jonny Warrington

Subiaco have come from a goal behind to defeat an undermanned Armadale side 2-1 in the penultimate round of the PS4 NPLWA at Alfred Skeet Reserve on Saturday.

Armadale took the lead thanks to a penalty from Charlie Kenna after they went down to ten-men, before Jordan Candlish came off the bench to make it 1-1 just five minutes later.

Kenna went from hero to zero after he became the second player to be sent off two minutes after the equaliser.

That proved to be the turning point as David Perich went on to find the winner in the 90th minute of the match.

Despite the victory, Subiaco player-coach Ian McMurray said that his side could have performed better but admitted he was pleased with his side’s never-say-die attitude.

“I thought we were pretty average and it was a bit of a scrappy game to be honest, but naturally I’m delighted with the win,” he said.

“It was disheartening when the penalty was given against us but credit to the boys for coming back and getting the result.

“It’s been a great season, I think we have lifted ourselves a place or two today so we’ll go into our last game of the season against Sorrento with confidence and hopefully we can continue our good run.”

In a half where neither side troubled the opposition keeper, Armadale created their best opportunity in the 40th minute when Jordan Pavett failed to tap a low cross into an open net.

Subiaco had a chance to find the opener in the second-half after they were awarded a free-kick when Armadale’s Milan Ognjenovic was given red in the 67th minute.

Alex Randell stepped up to take the set-piece and played the ball short to McMurray who in turn laid it off to Steve Purton whose powerful first-time effort was just wide of finding the top corner.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 78th minute when Armadale were awarded a penalty.

Kenna took responsibility for the spot-kick and scored for his side despite Subiaco keeper Ryan Montgomery getting his fingertips to the ball.

Armadale’s lead was short-lived however, as Subiaco responded in the 83rd minute when Candlish received the ball from fellow substitute Robert Harding before firing the ball home.

Things only got worse for the home-side as their playmaker Charlie Kenna was given his marching orders for a second yellow card five minutes from time.

Perich completed to the come-back to further compound Armadale’s woes as he was first to reach the ball after a scramble in the box before he sealed the victory with a strike that found the back of net.

Armadale assistant coach Jonathan Lupolo-Chan said he was disappointed with his side’s lack of discipline after taking the lead.

“This was not the result we wanted today,” he said.

“We knew it was going to be a hard game, but in games like these you expect three points.

“To go down 2-1 after getting the goal and to get two red cards is tough to take, but that’s football.

“We have definitely got a point to prove next week, to show that a lack of discipline and killer instinct won’t let us down, so next week will hopefully be a much-improved performance.”

Armadale 1 (Kenna 78min)
Subiaco 2 (Candlish 83min, Perich 90)
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Alfred Skeet Reserve
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Walter Ciotti
Assistant referees: Darren Quinlan, Callum Haddow

Armadale: GK. Michael CRAGGS, 3. Jake SARDELIC, 4. Nathan COSTELLO (C), 7. Charlie KENNA, 8. Jordan PAVETT, 10. Alex BOND (17. James ATKINS 72’), 14. David ANNALL, 18. Milan OGNJENOVIC, 19. Beau RAHIM, 21. Broden BROWN, 25. Anthony SKORICH (22. Daniel CUMMINGS 89’)
Substitutes not used: 11. Cameron DE-LUCA, 20. Ryan JAMES, 30. Alec RADONICH
Yellow Cards: Kenna 25, 85, Bond 31, Rahim 45, Craggs 84
Red Cards: Ognjenovic 67, Kenna 85

Subiaco: GK. Ryan MONTGOMERY (C), 4. Alex RANDELL, 6. Steve PURTON, 8. Mike LAWSON (13. Jordan CANDLISH 65’), 9. Ian MCMURRAY (16. Asher NELSON 76’), 10. Owen COATES (7. Robert HARDING 79’), 11. Carlin FEELY, 12. Nathan SMITH, 14. Ross JARMAN, 17. Alex CASTIELLO, 18. David PERICH
Substitutes not used: 15. Nathan HADRIE
Yellow cards: Jarman 37, Lawson 43
Red cards: Nil