Report by Paul J. Laverty

Photo by Fotoenzo

Sorrento showed their steel and kept their spot at the top-of-the-table with a hard-fought victory over PS4 NPLWA champions Perth SC.

In a tepid first-half the top-two sides on the ladder wilted in the heat and cancelled themselves out with no real chances created.

The match ignited immediately in the second-period when Perth winger Matthew Milenkovic cut inside and fired a low-ball across goal for Gustavo Catarcione to pounce on and side-foot into the net.

Sorrento then lifted and responded almost immediately with Billy Quinncroft turning his marker and unleashing a powerful shot. Perth goalkeeper Francis Soale could only palm the ball out as far as Sam Byles who hit it home.  

The match came alive and both sides had chances to hit the front with Sorrento’s Alex Morgan heading just wide and a Quinncroft chip from the edge of the area which Soale did well to tip over the bar.

At the other end Catarcione brought out the best in Sorrento shot-stopper James Morgan with a long-range effort and moments later Aleks Jovic should have done better, skying his shot over the bar following some neat play between Catarcione and Harley Orr.

But it was the home-side who clinched the points in the 84th minute when substitute Sean Canham found space down the right, held his nerve and drilled the ball into the back of the net giving The Gulls the points.

Sorrento boss Jamie Harnwell praised his side’s character but cautioned that the season had only just begun.

“The performance probably wasn’t what we wanted but we know we’ve got goals in us and to grind out a result against a very good Perth side was very pleasing,” he said.

His opposite number, Ramon Falzon, was less pleased and called for an immediate reaction from his Perth players to halt the loss of further points in the games to come.

“I think we deserved the full three points but when you create the chances you can’t win games by missing those chances and then gifting those opportunities to the opponent,” he said.

Sorrento 2 (Byles 52min, Canham 84)
Perth SC 1 (Catarcione 46)
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Percy Doyle Reserve
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Steven Gregory
Assistant referees: Daniel Cole, Jake Friend

Sorrento: GK James MORGAN, 2. Jacob SHORE, 5. Billy QUINNCROFT (9. Sean CANHAM 73), 7. Alex MORGAN, 8. Ryan PEARSON, 11. Timothy HILL, 13. Steve MCDONALD (c), 14. Scott WITSCHGE, 19. Jack SALTER (6. Daryl PLATTEN 54), 20. Brad MCDONALD, 21. Sam BYLES (4. Shaun KILKELLY 86)
Substitutes not used: RGK Anthony SALPIETRO, 3. Jackson DONGRAY
Yellow Cards: Shore
Red Cards: nil

Perth SC: GK Francis SOALE, 4. Adrian MADASCHI (c), 7. Aleks JOVIC, 8. Tom KING, 9. Gustavo CATARCIONE, 10. Nicholas AMBROGIO (3. Andreas THEODOSIADES 73), 11. Matthew MILENKOVIC, 12. Jordan DE LEO, 13. Rocco PIZZATA, 15. Harley ORR (14. Cameron REECE 85), 16. Kieran COLWELL
Substitutes not used: RGK Daniel PASSARELLI, 2. Alex SILLA, 21. Paul ZIMARINO
Yellow Cards: Madaschi
Red Cards: nil