Report by Peter Simcox

Photo by Peter Simcox

Balcatta bounced back from Saturday’s loss to Cockburn City to hand undermanned ECU Joondalup another heavy defeat on Wednesday night.

Goran Stajic’s side ran out 4-1 winners at ECU Football Stadium to make it 10 goals conceded in two home games for the Jacks.

Balcatta dominated for large periods of the game and led at the break with Nick Challot on target. The home side, who were missing five starters, levelled early in the second half with a stunning strike from Lukas De Lima.

But a quick-fire double from Adriano Jelenovic put the visitors back in control and skipper Calum O’Connell wrapped up the points with a fourth.

Stajic said it was a well-deserved victory.

“We have a young squad and it was good to get back to winning ways and I’m very pleased how the lads played tonight,” he said.
 
“We’re trying to build a character within the squad and after they scored early in the second half the game could have gone either way. But it was nice to see the boys lift and take it to ECU, who by the way are a very good team.”
 
Jelenovic, who is enjoying his time at Balcatta after joining from Western Knights, said the whole team performed well in the win.
 
“We took our chances tonight and worked hard on the coach’s game plan and we’re happy to come away with three points,” he said.
 
“They are dangerous going forward and I think the coach’s plan worked and we stopped the service to their forwards.”
 
ECU coach Dale McCulloch said things had to change after another lacklustre performance on the back of a 6-1 drubbing by Forrestfield, and he refused to blame injuries and suspension.
 
“The performance tonight wasn’t good enough, simple as that,” he said. “We scored a goal early in the second half and it put us back in the game, but we then gave away two sloppy goals, so we’ve got to get back to the drawing board and work on a plan for Saturday against Perth.”
 
Yet it was the home side who opened the brighter. After only two minutes Gordon Smith played a one-two with Daryl Nicol, and raced into goal, but a great last-ditch tackle from Hayden Stevens saved the day.
 
Moments later Cian Hirrell played in Nicol, who raced in on goal, but Kyle McDonald made an important save to deny the league's top scorer.
 
Balcatta then started to take control, with Jonathan Corness giving them drive in the middle of the park while Challot and Jelenovic were a constant threat.
 
And on the half-hour their pressure was rewarded with the opener. O’Connell’s ball into the box found Challot, whose first effort was blocked by ECU keeper Johnny Perkins but the striker fired home the rebound.
 
Both sides had further chances to score. First Smith played in Tommy Amphlett, who rounded the keeper but Balcatta defender Tom Pellizzari got back to block his goalbound shot. Moments later Challot’s shot on the run was saved low by Perkins.
 
It was a great start for the hosts after the break and they were level four minutes in. A long ball from Perkins wasn’t dealt with by the Balcatta defence and De Lima finished superbly from the edge of the box.
 
But their celebrations were short-lived as three minutes later Balcatta regained the lead. A quick break found Challot on the left, who eased past his marker and crossed to the back post and Jelenovic made no mistake from close range.
 
It was 3-1 moments later after ECU turned the ball over in the middle of the park and Jelenovic made them pay, curling home from the edge of the box.
 
Balcatta went close to another on 65 minutes. Again ECU lost possession in the middle of the ground and Lawrence Shuruma’s long-range shot crashed off the crossbar and away to safety.
 
But on 77 minutes they deservedly added a fourth. Shubham Mokala’s free-kick picked out O’Connell, who lost his marker and headed home powerfully.
 
ECU Joondalup 1 (De Lima 49min)
Balcatta 4 (Challot 31, Jelenovic 52, 54, O’Connell 77)
Wednesday May 2
Kick-off: 7pm
ECU Football Stadium
Referee: Josh Mannella
Assistant referees: Frank Laval, Amit Hosany

ECU Joondalup: GK Johnny PERKINS, 2 Cian HIRRELL, 3 Ciaran SALINGER, 7 Cameron MURRAY (5 Liam FYFE 81), 8 Josh WHITMORE, 9 Daryl NICOL (C), 10 Gordon SMITH, 12 Ryan MCDARBY, 13 Tommy AMPHLETT (11 Andy HIGGINS 54), 16 Lukas DE LIMA (15 Paddy DOYLE 62), 18 Declan HUGHES
Substitutes not used: RGK Jack NUNN, 4 Tom HOUGH
Yellow cards: Hirrell 19 Salinger 37, Perkins 54, McDarby 76
Red cards: Nil

Balcatta: GK Kyle MCDONALD, 2 Joseph MARINO, 3 Hayden STEVENS, 4 Calum O’CONNELL, 5 TOM PELLIZZARI, 8 Carmelo GIUFFRE, 10 Jonathan CORNESS, 15 Adriano JELENOVIC, 19 Nick CHALLOT (7 Mathew MCROBERTS 65), 20 Shubham MOKALA (17 Dougal KINDNESS 87), 23 Lawrence SHURUMA (6 Kris GATE 72)
Substitues not  used: RGK Domenico SAVOLDELLI, 14 Tom LOGAN
Yellow cards: Nil
Red cards: Nil