Petkov impresses as Floreat run continues
Report by Samuel Hays
Floreat Athena got their season off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory over Perth Glory at E&D Litis Stadium on Saturday night.
The result made it 10 NPL games without defeat for Athena, who also went through their successful Night Series campaign without losing.
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Goals to Jonathon Stynes and Robert Petkov either side of a strike from Gomo Dukuly ensured Floreat kept the winning feeling alive, despite a red card to skipper Dean Evans.
Phillip Arnold and Jesse Fuller both hit the woodwork for Floreat which looked to be the only action of a quiet first half.
But just before the break Evans was given his marching orders following a deliberate handball to prevent a Glory free-kick going past the wall.
The first goal didn’t take long to come in the second half when in the 50th minute Petkov chipped a cross to the back post for Stynes to head home from close range against his former club.
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However 12 minutes later Glory fired back. Dukuly came off the bench and made an immediate impact as he found space on the left and put a ball across the face of goal which somehow eluded everyone before finding the back of the net.
But Floreat were improving as the game went on and they won it in the 72nd minute with a classy finish from Petkov as he slid the ball under the onrushing Jackson Lee.
Star man: Robert Petkov (Floreat Athena)
Floreat Athena 2 (Stynes 50, Petkov 72)
Perth Glory 1 (Dukuly 62)
Saturday, March 16, 2019
E&D Litis Stadium
Kick-off: 7pm
Referee: Matthew Southern
Assistant referees: Andre Ferreira and Liviu Katona
Floreat Athena: 17. Dean Evans, 11. Dennis Galan, 1. Jason Saldaris, 6. Jesse Fuller, 8. Jonathon Stynes, 2. Marco Santalucia, 19. Nicholas Ambrogio (33. Jack Andrews 84), 18, Phillip Arnold (13. George Festa 90), 9. Robert Petkov, 16. Ryan Malton (3. Tristan Colli 74), 5. Thomas Jebb
Substitutes not used: 23. Jordan Barbas, Jacob Stubberfield
Yellow cards: Evans 45, Galan 78, Petkov 80
Red cards: Evans 45+2
Perth Glory: 1. Jackson Lee, 10. Aiden Edwards (15. Gomo Dukuly 61), 5. Daniel Walsh, 7. Ethan Brooks, 8. Henry Hore, 6. Jack Leech, 3. Walter Scott (14. Jaiden Selden 73), 2. Zayd Farah, 11. Daniel Stynes, 4. Jacob Muir, 9. Gabriel Popovic (12. Nicholas Speca 55)
Substitutes not used: 13. Kristian Popovic, 16. Nick Walsh
Yellow cards: Farah 28, Stynes 45+3, Leech 52
Red cards: Nil
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