ECU cash in against nine-man Lions
Report by Peter Simcox
Photo by Peter Simcox
ECU Joondalup kept their NPL WA top-four hopes alive after a 3-0 win against a nine-man Stirling Lions at Macedonia Park.
Tommy Amphlett gave the visitors the lead early on before Dhuors Chol and Dean Cummings were sent off in the space of six minutes midway through the first half.
A brace from Daryl Nicol after the break made sure ECU claimed their first win at Macedonia Park since 2004 and the win could have been by more if not for Stirling keeper Lance Alavakis, who pulled off a number of fine saves.
ECU head coach Dale McCulloch said: “A good win today, but if I’m going to be critical we should have put seven or eight past them.
“Really pleased with the discipline of the boys in the second half. It would have been quite easy for the referee to send one of ours off to even it up, but the lads were very good and we ran out easy winners in the end.”
His Stirling counterpart Keegan Ashley said the two dismissals ruined the match.
“Nine against eleven is extremely hard, but saying that I was proud the way the players battled and fought the game out.”
ECU knew a win was vital if they were to have any chance of catching the teams above them and they made the perfect start with a goal after only two minutes.
A long throw by Adam Tong was flicked on by Gordon Smith, the ball fell to Amphlett and the former Perth Glory midfielder finished past Alavakis.
It was almost two moments later, Nicol racing clear but his shot on the run was well saved by the Lions keeper.
The Lions settled and should have levelled on eight minutes. Steve Sokol was sent clear, but former Stirling keeper Johnny Perkins stood tall to deny him.
But the game took a twist on 26 minutes when Chol was shown a straight red card by referee Michal Jasinski after a tackle on Nicol, and it went from bad to worse when Cummings followed him to the changing rooms six minutes later.
The nine men managed to hold on until half-time, athough they had Alavakis to thank. The keeper pulled of a string of fine stops, the best a stunning reaction save from a deflection off his skipper Darren O’Riordan on the stroke of the interval.
But five minutes into the second half the visitors doubled their lead. Another Tong long throw picked out Nicol at the front post, who lost his marker to score from close range.
The visitors went close to a third on the hour. Sam Pollard played Nicol through, he cut inside his marker and his low shot beat Alavakis but crashed off the base of the post and away to safety.
The Lions went close themselves when substitute Alex Tanevski was sent clear. He rounded Perkins but Tong got back with a great last-ditch tackle to deny him.
And despite squandering a number of chances the visitors wrapped up the points nine minutes from time.
Brad McDonald picked out Nicol in the box, and he turned his marker and finished clinically past Alavakis for goal number 17 for the season for the Scottish striker.
Stirling Lions 0
ECU Joondalup 3 (Amphlett 2min, Nicol 50, 81)
Macedonia Park
Saturday, June 30
Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Michal Jasinski
Assistant referees: Andre Ferreira, Daryn Mccleave
Stirling Lions: GK Lance ALAVAKIS, 2 David MOLINARI, 3 Darren O’RIORDAN, 4 Alex SULESKI, 5 Liam HENDERSON (13 David FILIPPOU 82), 6 Dhuors CHOL, 7 Dean CUMMINGS, 9 Daniel MICEVSKI (11 Alex TANEVSKI 35), 10 David MICEVSKI, 12 Daniel HEPWORTH, 14 Steve SOKOL (19 Zane CASELLA 75)
Substitutes not used: RGK Ben CAMPBELL, 15 Joey PERKINS
Yellow cards: O’Riordan 29, Suleski 34
Red cards: Chol 26, Cummings 32
ECU Joondalup: GK Johnny PERKINS, 3 Ross MILLARD (17 Sam POLLARD 10), 4 Steven MCGARRY, 5 Adam TONG, 9 Daryl NICOL, 10 Gordon SMITH, 11 Andy HIGGINS,13 Tommy AMPHLETT (7 Lukas DE LIMA 51), 15 Kieron STALLARD (12 Ryan MCDARBY 82), 16 Brad MCDONALD, 18 Tom HOUGH
Substitutes not used: RGK Jack NUNN, 14 Ethan BROOKS
Yellow cards: Amphlett 39, Smith 83
Red cards: Nil
A brace from Daryl Nicol after the break made sure ECU claimed their first win at Macedonia Park since 2004 and the win could have been by more if not for Stirling keeper Lance Alavakis, who pulled off a number of fine saves.
ECU head coach Dale McCulloch said: “A good win today, but if I’m going to be critical we should have put seven or eight past them.
“Really pleased with the discipline of the boys in the second half. It would have been quite easy for the referee to send one of ours off to even it up, but the lads were very good and we ran out easy winners in the end.”
His Stirling counterpart Keegan Ashley said the two dismissals ruined the match.
“Nine against eleven is extremely hard, but saying that I was proud the way the players battled and fought the game out.”
ECU knew a win was vital if they were to have any chance of catching the teams above them and they made the perfect start with a goal after only two minutes.
A long throw by Adam Tong was flicked on by Gordon Smith, the ball fell to Amphlett and the former Perth Glory midfielder finished past Alavakis.
It was almost two moments later, Nicol racing clear but his shot on the run was well saved by the Lions keeper.
The Lions settled and should have levelled on eight minutes. Steve Sokol was sent clear, but former Stirling keeper Johnny Perkins stood tall to deny him.
But the game took a twist on 26 minutes when Chol was shown a straight red card by referee Michal Jasinski after a tackle on Nicol, and it went from bad to worse when Cummings followed him to the changing rooms six minutes later.
The nine men managed to hold on until half-time, athough they had Alavakis to thank. The keeper pulled of a string of fine stops, the best a stunning reaction save from a deflection off his skipper Darren O’Riordan on the stroke of the interval.
But five minutes into the second half the visitors doubled their lead. Another Tong long throw picked out Nicol at the front post, who lost his marker to score from close range.
The visitors went close to a third on the hour. Sam Pollard played Nicol through, he cut inside his marker and his low shot beat Alavakis but crashed off the base of the post and away to safety.
The Lions went close themselves when substitute Alex Tanevski was sent clear. He rounded Perkins but Tong got back with a great last-ditch tackle to deny him.
And despite squandering a number of chances the visitors wrapped up the points nine minutes from time.
Brad McDonald picked out Nicol in the box, and he turned his marker and finished clinically past Alavakis for goal number 17 for the season for the Scottish striker.
Stirling Lions 0
ECU Joondalup 3 (Amphlett 2min, Nicol 50, 81)
Macedonia Park
Saturday, June 30
Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Michal Jasinski
Assistant referees: Andre Ferreira, Daryn Mccleave
Stirling Lions: GK Lance ALAVAKIS, 2 David MOLINARI, 3 Darren O’RIORDAN, 4 Alex SULESKI, 5 Liam HENDERSON (13 David FILIPPOU 82), 6 Dhuors CHOL, 7 Dean CUMMINGS, 9 Daniel MICEVSKI (11 Alex TANEVSKI 35), 10 David MICEVSKI, 12 Daniel HEPWORTH, 14 Steve SOKOL (19 Zane CASELLA 75)
Substitutes not used: RGK Ben CAMPBELL, 15 Joey PERKINS
Yellow cards: O’Riordan 29, Suleski 34
Red cards: Chol 26, Cummings 32
ECU Joondalup: GK Johnny PERKINS, 3 Ross MILLARD (17 Sam POLLARD 10), 4 Steven MCGARRY, 5 Adam TONG, 9 Daryl NICOL, 10 Gordon SMITH, 11 Andy HIGGINS,13 Tommy AMPHLETT (7 Lukas DE LIMA 51), 15 Kieron STALLARD (12 Ryan MCDARBY 82), 16 Brad MCDONALD, 18 Tom HOUGH
Substitutes not used: RGK Jack NUNN, 14 Ethan BROOKS
Yellow cards: Amphlett 39, Smith 83
Red cards: Nil
Last Modified on 01/07/2018 15:09
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