Pollard late strike shares the Glory
Report and photo by Peter Simcox
A goal four minutes from time by substitute Keylun Pollard has given ECU Joondalup a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Perth Glory in an entertaining PS4 NPLWA clash at Ashfield Arena on Saturday.
ECU's Tommy Amphlett gave his side the lead early, but Michael McDougall and Bayley Brown-Montgomery pushed back to be in front at the break. It looked like Glory would take all three points, before Pollard popped up late to share the spoils.
Glory coach John Gibson said it was one that got away.
Glory coach John Gibson said it was one that got away.
“I thought we dominated the first half and should have taken a few more chances, but that has been the story of our season,” he said.
“But once again it was a fantastic performance against a good ECU side but we want more, I want the boys to be rewarded for their performances.
“We had to re-shuffle the pack after losing Luca (Bodnar) in the warm up, but Brandon (Wilson) came into the back four and was outstanding for us.”
ECU coach Dale McCulloch said he was pleased with the way his side fought back late to take a point.
“But once again it was a fantastic performance against a good ECU side but we want more, I want the boys to be rewarded for their performances.
“We had to re-shuffle the pack after losing Luca (Bodnar) in the warm up, but Brandon (Wilson) came into the back four and was outstanding for us.”
ECU coach Dale McCulloch said he was pleased with the way his side fought back late to take a point.
“Really proud of the boys today, to fight back and dominate the second half and get the reward against a very good Glory side,” he said.
“We could have got all three points late on but their keeper produced a great save to deny us, but not many teams will come here and take points if they play that team each week.
“It’s great to see Keylun, and the others young lads coming on and doing a job for us and influencing the game, and it gives them a little bit of a reward for all the hard work they are putting in.”
The home side opened well and Joe Knowles’ long-range shot was deflected wide, before Brown-Montgomery headed wide from the resulting corner.
Knowles tried his luck again from distance on 14 minutes, but Fraser Greenwood was down sharp to save.
The ECU custodian was alert again moments later, this time saving Daniel Stynes’ shot on the run, as the Glory dominated.
But on 24 minutes, and against the run of play, ECU hit the front. A poor clearance went straight to Smith on the right of the penalty area.
The Scottish striker then picked out Amphlett at the top of the box, and the former Glory midfielder fired low past Jordon Thurtell.
Moments later Thurtell had to be alert to deny ECU a second, getting back to punch Shane Pickering’s flick off the line.
“We could have got all three points late on but their keeper produced a great save to deny us, but not many teams will come here and take points if they play that team each week.
“It’s great to see Keylun, and the others young lads coming on and doing a job for us and influencing the game, and it gives them a little bit of a reward for all the hard work they are putting in.”
The home side opened well and Joe Knowles’ long-range shot was deflected wide, before Brown-Montgomery headed wide from the resulting corner.
Knowles tried his luck again from distance on 14 minutes, but Fraser Greenwood was down sharp to save.
The ECU custodian was alert again moments later, this time saving Daniel Stynes’ shot on the run, as the Glory dominated.
But on 24 minutes, and against the run of play, ECU hit the front. A poor clearance went straight to Smith on the right of the penalty area.
The Scottish striker then picked out Amphlett at the top of the box, and the former Glory midfielder fired low past Jordon Thurtell.
Moments later Thurtell had to be alert to deny ECU a second, getting back to punch Shane Pickering’s flick off the line.
Glory deservedly levelled on 29 minutes. A surging run down the left by Knowles saw him race into the penalty area, and his low cross wasn’t dealt with as McDougall fired home from close-range.
Then four minutes later the Glory were ahead. Great work on the right by Kosta Petratos ended with a cross into the box, before former ECU striker Brown-Montgomery hammered the ball home from close-range to send them into the break with the lead.
The Glory almost added a third after the break, as a defensive splitting pass from Stynes sent McDougall in on goal, but Greenwood stood tall to save.
The visitors started to take control and Daryl Nicol’s volley flashed over as they pushed for the equaliser, before their pressure was rewarded on 86 minutes.
Steven McGarry won possession and fed Keylun Pollard down the left channel, before the youngster's first touch took him into the box and he finished clinically low past Thurtell.
It was a thrilling end to the game with both sides having good chances to win it.
Perth Glory 2 (McDougall 29mins, Brown-Montgomery 33)
ECU Joondalup 2 (Amphlett 24mins, K. Pollard 86)
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Ashfield Arena
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Referee: Steven Gregory
Assistant Referees: Tom Glavovic, Peter Kaiser
Then four minutes later the Glory were ahead. Great work on the right by Kosta Petratos ended with a cross into the box, before former ECU striker Brown-Montgomery hammered the ball home from close-range to send them into the break with the lead.
The Glory almost added a third after the break, as a defensive splitting pass from Stynes sent McDougall in on goal, but Greenwood stood tall to save.
The visitors started to take control and Daryl Nicol’s volley flashed over as they pushed for the equaliser, before their pressure was rewarded on 86 minutes.
Steven McGarry won possession and fed Keylun Pollard down the left channel, before the youngster's first touch took him into the box and he finished clinically low past Thurtell.
It was a thrilling end to the game with both sides having good chances to win it.
Perth Glory 2 (McDougall 29mins, Brown-Montgomery 33)
ECU Joondalup 2 (Amphlett 24mins, K. Pollard 86)
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Ashfield Arena
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Referee: Steven Gregory
Assistant Referees: Tom Glavovic, Peter Kaiser
Perth Glory: GK Jordan THURTELL, 2 Sam RIAK (12 Michael MCDOUGALL 11), 4 Jack IREDALE, 5 Cam MURRAY, 6 Jack LEECH, 7 Bayley BROWN-MONTGOMERY (13 Gomo DUKULY 77), 8 Brandon WILSON, 9 Joe KNOWLES, 10 Daniel STYNES (C), 11 Kosta PETRATOS, 14 Callum TIMMINS
Substitutes not used: GK Kyle MCDONALD, 15 Abias BUKURU
Yellow Cards: Iredale 38
ECU Joondalup: GK Fraser GREENWOOD, 3 Ross MILLARD, 4 Shane PICKERING (2 Ben JOHNS 70), 5 Logan MCISAAC, 7 Kevin MOON, 9 Daryl NICOL, 10 Gordon SMITH, 11 Sam POLLARD (12 Keylun POLLARD 61), 13 Tommy AMPHLETT, 14 Steven MCGARRY, 18 Cian HIRRELL (15 James OWEN 80)
Substitutes not used: RGK Todd HOYLE, 8 Declan HUGHES
Yellow Cards: McGarry 44, Amphlett 80, Millard 77
Last Modified on 11/05/2017 19:29
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