Balcatta go back-to-back
Report by Samuel Hays
A brace from Anton De Francesch ensured Balactta a 2-1 win over Armadale at Grindleford Reserve on Saturday.
The victory made it two wins in a row for Balcatta, and assistant coach Fab Pergoloni was pleased with the performance that he believes was the result of a good pre-season.
“The boys performed well and did pretty much what they had to do,” Pergoloni said.
“We’ve been working hard all pre-season so therefore we’re starting to put some bricks on the wall.
“We’ve been working together for six months and we’re all working well with each other which is now coming to fruition on the pitch.
“We had a plan and sometimes plans work and sometimes they don’t, but it seemed in the second half we started to string it all together and it came together in the end.”
Armadale assistant coach Simon Walker was disappointed with a result that he puts down to a lack of focus.
“It wasn’t what we planned for but these games happen, we weren’t on our game and we got punished for it,” Walker said.
“The boys are very disappointed with the performance they put in but we’ll get back into training and put it right next week.
“It’s just focus. When you score a goal and you’re all on a high, then lose your shape you’re going to concede and that’s exactly what we did.
“It’s just a very poor performance on our part, the poorest one we’ve had all year and we’re very disappointed with the result.”
The match started slowly with only two great saves from both keepers ensuring the score line remained 0-0 at half-time.
Balcatta came out firing in the second half and had a chance to take the lead when Shubham Mokala whipped an excellent free kick into the box only for the header to be saved by Sam Hutchings who got down well to his left.
Another chance fell Balcatta’s way only four minutes later when in the 59th minute Kris Gate saw his powerful shot palmed away by Hutchings’ who proved the lifeline for Armadale.
Balcatta’s pressure payed off in the 77th minute when Lawrence Shurama found an unmarked De Francesch who blasted it past Hutchings’ from close range.
Armadale found a way back into the game in the 84th minute through Chris Jackson who tapped the ball into the net after it had bounced around the box.
But it didn’t take long for Balcatta to regain the lead as only two minutes later Shurama found De Francesch who finished superbly in almost a carbon copy of the first goal.
The win means Balcatta leapfrog Armadale and move into 11th spot while Armadale drop into 12th position on the NPLWA table.
Balcatta 2 (De Francesch 77min, 86)
Armadale 1 (Jackson 84min)
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Grindleford Reserve
Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Julian Serra
Assistant referees: Darren Quinlan and Ethan Persse
Balcatta: 15. Adriano Jelenovic, 3. Hayden Stevens, 10. Jonathan Corness, 6. Kris Gate, 25. Kyle McDonald, 23. Lawrence Shurama, 20. Shubham Mokala, 5. Tom Pellizzari, 18. Dougal Kindness, 19. Nic Challot, 24. Antoni D’Allesio, 12. Anton De Francesch, 4. Calum O’Connell, 7. Mathew McRoberts
Unused substitutes: 1. Domenico Savoldelli, 14. Vasco Da Silva
Yellow cards: Pellizzari 39, Corness 53
Red cards: Nil
Armadale: 15. Ali Gholami, 21. Beau Rahim, 9. Billy Quinncroft, 7. Charlie Kenna, 10. Chris Jackson, 3. Delan De Silva, 2. Joshua Kuser, 8. Michael Lawson, 11. Michael Rizidis, 4. Nathan Costello, 1. Sam Hutchings, 17. James Atkins, 14. Jonathan Bogoni, 6. Kevin Castle
Unused substitutes: 99. Duncan Lennon-Black, 12. Daragh Nagle
Yellow cards: De Silva 19, Rizidis 74
Red cards: Nil
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