Report by Peter Simcox

Photo by Peter Simcox

Inglewood United are fourth in the NPL WA after making it back-to-back wins for the first time this season following their 2-0 defeat of an undermanned ECU Joondalup at Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium on Saturday.

Although the Jacks went into the game without a number of first team players, it was a tight first half with clear-cut chances few and far between. The best fell to Brian Farrell on 43 minutes when his glancing header from a Hamza Hina cross was saved low by Johnny Perkins.

The second half started with a bang and Ollie Annis’ free-kick crashed off the post for the visitors, before Perkins got down well to save Dau’s snap shot moments later.

The game had a scoreless draw written all over it until, on 67 minutes, the hosts found the opener. Second-half substitute Steve Sokol was brought down by ECU defender Ewen Fawcett and referee Julian Serra pointed straight to the spot. Dau stepped up and sent Perkins the wrong way to give Inglewood the lead.

ECU pressed looking for the equaliser but they failed to trouble the home side superbly led by skipper David Cyrus and Mark Barnett. Their best chance fell to Bayley Brown-Montgomery, but the striker couldn’t keep his header at the back post down.

ECU keeper Perkins then produced a great save to deny Dau a second, as the game went from end-to-end. But it was the hosts who scored the decisive second goal two minutes from time, Vujacic’s curling free-kick beating the wall and Perkins at his near post to seal the points.    
 
Star player: Mark Barnett (Inglewood United)
 
Inglewood United 2 (Dau pen 67min, Vujacic 89’)
ECU Joondalup 0

Saturday, May 4, 2019
Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium
Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Julian Serra
Assistant referees: Stewart Beattie, Vetrivel Ravichandar

Inglewood United: GK Alex DUNN, 2 Alex ISHIDA-LIVINGS, 3 David CYRUS, 4 Scott BLACKMORE, 5 Samuel RIAK, 7 Hamza HINA (6 MIKI VUJACIC 71’), 9 Chok DAU, 10 Anthony BAFOBUSHA, 15 Brian FARRELL (14 Steve SOKOL 52’), 16 Jamie MURPHY, 17 Mark BARNETT
Substitutes not used: RGK Josiah GODFREY, 12 Brendan ITALIANO, 23 Zdenek BEZDEK
Yellow cards: Barnett 61’, Dau 78’
Red cards: Nil

ECU Joondalup: GK Johnny PERKINS, 3 Ronald RIXER, 4 Henry DURR, 5 Shane CASSIDY, 6 Ollie ANNIS, 7 Lukas DE LIMA (17 Ben HINSHELWOOD 69’), 8 Kian MCGUIGAN (12 Harry EDWARDS 89’), 9 Bayley BROWN-MONTGOMERY, 11 Jakub SKLENAR, 15 Tom HOUGH (2 Nicholas KOFLER 77’), 16 Ewen FAWCETT
Substitutes not used: RGK George JACKSON, 6 Luke RHODES
Yellow cards: Perkins 17’, Cassidy 90’
Red cards: Nil