Report by Aisling Lawless

Sorrento held Armadale at bay to leap into sixth position in the PS4 National Premier Leagues WA with a 1-0 win at Percy Doyle Reserve on Saturday.

Sean Canham scored the game’s lone goal in the 24th minute bringing their unbeaten run to four matches and keeping their hopes of contention for The West Australian Top Four Cup alive.

Sorrento coach Jamie Harnwell said even though a higher score margin would have been ideal, it was all about securing the three points.

“It was a little bit ugly towards the end but I thought we controlled most of the game, we just didn’t take enough chances,” he said.

“But fair credit to Armadale, they kept on going and made it difficult for us.”

Sorrento sit just three points behind fourth position and with a game in hand are in a strong position.

“It’s in our control, if we win every game we get into the top four, so that’s our aim,” Harnwell said.

“We shot ourselves in the foot a bit during the middle of the season so every game from here on in is a cup final.”

Armadale came close in the 20th minute when Anthony Skorich got a free header in the box from Nathan Smith’s cross but he misdirected it over the crossbar.

Just five minutes later Steven McDonald nodded Niccolo Sabatini’s cross onto Canham to head home with a dive.

After the break Tim Hill was given a free shot on goal following a poor clearance from keeper Alec Radonich, who redeemed himself with a low diving save.

Although Armadale had most of the ball in the early stages of the second half, Sorrento always looked more likely to snatch another.

Radonich was again called to duty in the 68th minute, this time preventing Alex Morgan’s shot after dribbling between defenders on the edge of the box.

In a chance for the Reds five minutes later substitute Jackson Bealey set up Ellis Healing but keeper James Morgan stretched onto his header.

Canham almost got his second in the 84th when Hill raced to the by-line and whipped in a deep cross that the striker controlled but could not convert.

The game was Armadale’s chance to move clear from relegation but weekend wins from both Subiaco and Perth Glory mean the battle is far from over.

Coach Paul Price said he thought a fair result would have been a draw but rued his sides missed chances.

“We couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net and huffed and puffed a little bit in the last fifteen minutes,” he said.

“I would say that today we were maybe not as sharp as we have been - if I could put that down to playing a mid-week game, I don’t know.”

They had spoken before the game about handling Canham in the air but Price said they failed to do that in the first half.

“The physicality of Sorrento is hard for us to counter as we don’t have the biggest of players.

“But I thought we competed well at times.”

Sorrento 1 (Canham 25min)
Armadale 0
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Percy Doyle Reserve
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: David Bruce
Assistant referees: Mark Mckane, Amit Hosany

Sorrento: 1. James MORGAN, 6. Dary PLATTEN (c), 7. Alex MORGAN, 9. Sean CANHAM, 11. Tim HILL (18. Jordan BROWN 86), 13. Steven MCDONALD, 14. Matthew SPARROW, 16. Niccolo SABATINI, 17. Reece VITTIGLIA (5. Billy QUINNCROFT 74), 20. Brad MCDONALD, 25. Joshua TUCKER.
Substitutes not used: 3. Daragh KAVANAGH, 28. Josh CASELLA, 60. Sam HERBISON (RGK).
Yellow cards: Hill 74
Red cards: nil

Armadale: GK Alec RADONICH, 2. Alex CASTIELLO, 3. Jake SARDELIC, 4. Jesse FULLER, 5. David ANNALL, 6. Michael DOMFEH (8. Ismael BANGURA 75), 9. Darren FRANCIS, 10. Anthony SKORICH (7. Danny HODGSON 83), 11. Ellis HEALING, 14. Dylan WHITE (13. Jackson BEALEY 61), 15. Nathan SMITH
Substitutes not used: 2. Dannie RICHMAN, RGK Michael CRAGGS,
Yellow cards: Domfeh 59
Red cards: Nil