Azzuri made to work by gritty Army
Report by Daryn McCleave
Photo: Heather Miller
Reece Vittiglia's 63rd minute tap-in was enough to secure Perth’s fifth consecutive National Premier Leagues WA victory against a gritty Armadale side at Alfred Skeet Reserve.
But the home side put up a fight and had they found an equaliser through Jackson Bealey's free kick at the death, it would have been no more than they deserved.
Instead, Azzurri shot stopper Francis Soale pushed away the low strike at full stretch and Armadale's barren run at home throughout 2015 continued.
The main talking point of the game arrived in the 49th minute as Perth defender Aleksander Susnjar should perhaps have received a second yellow card for halting Faustinho Machochi in a promising attacking position.
Referee David Bruce waved away Army's protests and instead just awarded a free kick.
Moments later Perth coach Taki Nicolaidis hauled off Susnjar and later admitted they were a touch lucky.
"He (Susnjar) was riding his luck and we didn't want to take any chances and end up with ten men," he said.
"We knew it was going to be difficult to break them down, their work rate was top notch.
“Had we put away some of our chances in the first half, it may have been a different story but I'm pleased at our end we've been able to grind out a 1-0 win."
Nicolaidis also praised his goalkeeper Soale who had a solid game and kept out efforts from Jesse Fuller, Raveshlan Kuppusamy and Sam Cole before his last gasp stop from Bealey.
The visitors, too, had chances before the goal, as Mark Pritchard hit the bar and Josh Wilkins smacked the near post from the edge of the area.
But the winner came from great wing play by Dean Evans, who zipped in a low cross with Vittiglia the man in the right place to direct the ball past a helpless Luke Radonich.
Armadale pressed hard for a point and perhaps should have had one, as Fuller wasted a gilt-edged chance with a side-footed shot wide with seven minutes left on the clock.
Coach Paul Price felt the game could have gone either way, but was frustrated that Perth were not reduced to ten men for what he described as a "rugby tackle with his arms."
"I was upset with the referee. Within minutes they've substituted him, so that was a bit of a game changer."
"They're a good side. We created chances, so did they, but unfortunately on the day it went to them."
Armadale 0
Perth SC 1 (Vittiglia 63 mins)
Saturday 22 August, 2015
Alfred Skeet Reserve
Referee: David BRUCE
ARMADALE: 1. Luke RADONICH, 5. Sam LOVELESS, 3. Shaydon PASSALAQUA, 6. Jake SARDELIC, 4. Alex CASTIELLO, 2. Sam COLE (19. Darren KINGSTON 65'), 8. Jesse FULLER, 9. Darren FRANCIS, 11. Jackson BEALEY, 10. Raveshlan KUPPUSAMY, 12. Faustinho MACHOCHI (14. Sam KHANKHALILI 81')
SUBSTITUTES NOT USED: 20. Dylan WILSON, 16. Joshua GARDNER
YELLOW CARDS: Loveless 71' Kingston 85'
PERTH SC: 1. Francis SOALE, 2. Joshua WILKINS, 3. David CYRUS, 4. Aleksander SUSNJAR (7. Julian MADASCHI 53'), 13. Rocco PIZZATA, 11. Frank FURFARO (21. Matt MILENKOVIC 60'), 6. Clark KELTIE, 5. Dean EVANS, 14. Mark PRITCHARD, 17. Reece VITTIGLIA, 19. Andreas THEODOSIADES (16. Nicholas AMBROGIO 75')
SUBSTITUTES NOT USED: 12. Marco SANTALUCIA, 23. Hudson HERRON
YELLOW CARDS: Susnjar 36'
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