Report by Chris Caldwell

Photo courtesy of Fotoenzo

Mandurah City boss Doug Hesketh described watching his side come from behind on Sunday to beat Armadale 3-1 on penalties and book a first ever QBE NPL WA Night Series final berth as “a little bit special”.

Armadale took a deserved 50th minute lead at Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium through Jordan Pavett’s clinical strike, but they were unable to hold on and substitute Craig Tone hooked home the equaliser on 74 minutes to force the shoot-out.

Jack Eades, Sean Troupe and Matthew Stares all converted from the spot for City, while Armadale’s luck deserted them with Pavett successful before David Annall struck the bar, Dylan White’s effort was saved and Jake Sardelic blazed over to send Hesketh’s side into a maiden decider.

Having guided his men to promotion from the State League at the end of last term, the delighted City chief said he thought his team played a good brand of football from start to finish. “My goal was to try to get them up to the top league and to get to this final is something we’re going to enjoy,” he said.

“In my opinion the final will be our fourth pre-season friendly but it’s a little bit special. I just want to enjoy the moment. I’m just so pleased for the club and for the region. I’m just proud and privileged to get this opportunity.”

Armadale enjoyed the best of the first half and had they brought their shooting boots they could have been out of sight by the interval. However, Josh Tumoe (twice), Kyle King and David Annall all saw good chances go amiss.

At the end of the first half, Mandurah suffered a blow when Trent Wood was stretchered off after suffering a knee injury, which required a transfer to hospital via ambulance.

Armadale started the second half brightly with Sardelic stinging the fists of Eiffle and they deservedly took the lead thanks to Pavett’s stunning opener. The midfielder latched onto a Faustinho Machochi pass, after Annall’s clever step over, before firing home from 25 yards, in-off the keeper’s right post.

Pavett and King then both forced Eiffle into smart saves before Mandurah finally threatened the Armadale goal with Ryan Francis breaking forward and Tone firing wide.

Buoyed by that attacking foray, Hesketh’s men then capitalised on some sloppy play from Annall, who needlessly conceded a corner, from which Tone hooked home acrobatically.

The game burst into life in the closing stages with Tone almost completing the comeback on 88 minutes but his header lacked the pace to trouble Cragg, while on the counterattack, King nearly won it for Armadale, but his shot didn’t concern Eiffle, who was quickly out to deny Machochi a short time later.

“It’s time to go back to the training ground for a little shooting practice I think,” acknowledged Armadale coach, John O’Reilly. “There’s lots of positives to take, not just from this game, but from the last couple and it will be about fine-tuning going into the league season. I’m not too disheartened going forward, but I’m gutted about today. It would have been nice to have got to the final, but it wasn’t to be.”

Armadale 1 (Pavett 50)
Mandurah City 1 (Tone 74)
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Venue: Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium
Kick-off: 5:30pm
Referee: Steve Gregory
Assistants: Liviu Katona and Shane Skinner
Fourth Official: Matt Southern

Armadale: 23, Michael CRAGG; 2, Dylan WHITE; 3, Jake SARDELIC; 11, Dannie RICHMAN; 16, David ANNALL; 17, James ATKINS (4, Nathan SMITH, 79); 8, Jordan PAVETT; 12, Josh TUMOE (6, Faustinho MACHOCHI, 38); 9, Kyle KING; 15, Nathan COSTELLO (Cpt); 14, Tristan TAYLOR.
Substitutes not used: 1, Alec RADONICH; 5, Sam LOVELESS; 10, Milan OGNJENOVIC.
Yellow card: nil
Red cards: nil

Mandurah City: 1, Bradley EIFFLE; 2. Oliver MCGEE; 3. Jeffrey BRIGHT (Cpt); 4, Matthew STARES; 5, Mitchell FIRTH (15, Slade RULE, 71); 6, Oscar THOMPSON; 7, Jack EADES; 9, Ryan FRANCIS; 10, Sean TROUP; 11, Trent WOOD (12, Craig TONE, 46); 17, Oriol FERNANDEZ (16, Daniel DYSON, 61).
Substitutes not used: 12, Craig TONE; 14, Alex CLARKE; 20, Cyril SHARROCK.
Yellow cards: Francis, 57
Red cards: nil