Report by Tommy Doleman

Michael Domfeh believes Perth can build on their momentum of just one loss in 11 games. Photo by FotoEnzo

The chase continues for Perth SC on Saturday as they look to rein in NPLWA – Men’s leaders Floreat Athena.

Will Gordon’s goal gave the Azzurri a 1-0 win over Athena last Saturday, a win which cut the gap to four points with eight matches to play. There is now the possibility of a genuine title race, when just two weeks ago Floreat sat 10 points clear.

Perth head to Bayswater City this weekend having lost only one of their past 11 matches, and striker Michael Domfeh believes that could be an important factor.

“Football’s a game of momentum and we have to keep that going because things can change very quickly. We have to persevere and stick to our guns and know we have a job to do this weekend and that’s to win,” he said.

“We knew last week was one of those games that could have been a turning point, where if we didn’t win it would have been a struggle to reach top spot. We had to win to have a chance of winning the league and that’s exactly what we did.

“We started slowly but in the key moments I think we lifted and did what we had to do.”

It has been a different challenge for Ramon Falzon’s team in 2021 with adaptability a real key to their mid-season surge.

Injuries to experienced trio Gustavo Catarcione, Niccolo Sabatini and skipper Jordan De Leo, as well as several others, have meant a number of the young brigade getting the chance to step in, such as Federico Achilli, Will Gordon and Lachlan Byrd.

A potential blow to Perth’s ambition was the departure to Victoria of close-season recruit Cameron Teece, who finished as the league’s second highest scorer in 2020 while with Sorrento. This has meant Domfeh has largely filled the centre forward spot alone.

“It’s been good to have that responsibility if I’m honest, but it’s a shame because me and Teece were starting to play well and I think we would have scored a lot of goals together,” Domfeh said.

“I learn a lot from watching other strikers and from Cam, who’s a fantastic player with how he comes to the ball and offers himself to the attack outside of just scoring goals.

“It’s something I’ve worked hard to add to my game, even if I haven’t scored as many goals as I’d want, in terms of developing and providing support to the midfield.

“Overall, it’s one of those situations where I’ve had the opportunity to step up and prove myself as the main striker at Perth and I’ve enjoyed the challenge.”

Domfeh has scored big goals in important games, won trophies with Perth and claimed the NPLWA Golden Boot in 2019.

“I’m pretty hard on myself, so for me I always want to do more and continue to be better,” he said.

“I think I’ve fallen into that trap in the past where I’ve over-trained at a hard intensity, so that consistent approach, focusing on doing a few things gradually will help over time, even if the results aren’t immediate.

“As a striker, it’s a psychological thing where you’re often judged on goals and I’ve learned a lot which is all part of the journey, in terms of mixing up my game and trying to be unpredictable until that joy does come.

“A lot of it is mental in terms of putting systems in place to help you feel confident, because I believe how you feel internally reflects externally. But I love the pressure because it makes life way more exciting.”

Saturday’s opponents Bayswater also lost a key striker to Victoria early in the season when Ndumba Makeche headed east. However, Makeche’s was a short-lived experience and he is now back at Frank Drago Reserve.

“This game against Bayswater is always a big one. Ndumba has come back as well, so we’re expecting a good test at the weekend,” Domfeh said.

As well as chasing three points for themselves, Perth will have one eye on Floreat’s visit to Inglewood United. Floreat have suffered back-to-back losses and face an Inglewood team in the hunt for a Top Four Cup spot.

ECU Joondalup and Sorrento have both been in and around the top four for most of the season, but both head into the game off the back of defeats to in-form Armadale.

John O’Reilly’s side seek a third straight win when they take on Rockingham City, who play their first game since Goran Stajic’s departure with Lee Taylor stepping up from the assistant coaching role to take charge.

Perth Glory in fifth travel to Cockburn at Dalmatinac Park, while Gwelup will aim to end a run of three straight draws against Balcatta who are winless in three.

Fixtures (3pm unless stated)

Armadale v Rockingham City

Bayswater City v Perth SC

Cockburn City v Perth Glory

ECU Joondalup v Sorrento

Gwelup Croatia v Balcatta

Inglewood United v Floreat Athena