Sokol jolt for Jacks
Report by Peter Simcox
Photo by Peter Simcox
A stunning long-range strike from midfielder Steve Sokol gave Inglewood United a 1-1 draw against ECU Joondalup in Saturday’s NPL WA game at the ECU Football Stadium.
The home side had led through Tom Hough’s strike on the hour but Sokol effort levelled things and kept Inglewood in the top four and ECU in the thick of relegation fight.
With just three matches remaining, the Jacks sit third bottom and just a point above basement outfit Stirling. They will be happy only one club goes down.
It was the visitors who dominated early and David Cyrus headed wide, but it was ECU who had the best early chance with Bayley Brown-Montgomery’s shot well saved by Alex Dunn.
Inglewood's Antony Bafobusha then burst into the penalty area but his shot was well saved by Johnny Perkins, before Brown-Montgomery flick was kept out by Dunn low down.
Inglewood were in again early in the second half, but Perkins got down to deny Jamie Murphy. But on 57 minutes the hosts should have taken the lead.
After great work in the middle of the park by Josh Whitmore, he sent Joe Knowles in on goal but his shot crashed off the crossbar.
Five minutes later the home side did find the opener. Andy Higgins’ free kick was nodded down by Brown-Montgomery and Hough powered the ball home.
Inglewood pressed looking for the equaliser and it arrived 14 minutes later. A long ball from Cyrus was only cleared as far as Sokol 20 yards out and his shot flew past Perkins, giving the ECU keeper no chance.
Both sides looked for the winner late and the best chance fell to the home side on 87 minutes, Knowles sending second half substitute Ben Hinshelwood in on goal but Dunn stood tall to deny the young striker.
Star player: Josh Whitmore (ECU Joondalup)
ECU Joondalup 1 (Hough 62min)
Inglewood United 1 (Sokol 76)
Saturday, August 10, 2019
ECU Football Stadium
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Referee: Michal Jasinski
Assistant referees: Matthew Southern, Lawson Rimmer
ECU Joondalup: GK Johnny PERKINS, 3 Nicholas KOEFLER, 4 Henry DURR, 7 Joe KNOWLES, 8 Josh WHITMORE, 9 Bayley BROWN-MONTGOMERY (16 Ben HINSHELWOOD 78), 10 Andy HIGGINS, 11 Lukas DE LIMA (6 Luke RHODES 51), 12 Billy QUINNCROFT, 14 Ewan FAWCETT, 15 Tom HOUGH
Substitutes not used: RGK George JACKSON, 2 Ryan MCDARBY, 5 Callum SPEED
Yellow cards: Whitmore 90+3
Red cards: Nil
Inglewood United: GK Alex DUNN, 2 Alex ISHIDA-LIVINGS, 3 David CYRUS, 4 Scott BLACKMORE, 5 Sam RIAK, 8 Jason BARRERA (6 Miki VUJACIC 83), 9 Chok DAU (23 Brian WOODALL 68), 10 ANTHONY BAFOBUSHA, 11 Harry Evans (15 Brian FARRELL 74), 14 Steve SOKOL, 16 Jamie MURPHY
Substitutes not used: RGK Josiah GODFREY, 17 Mark BARNETT
Yellow cards: Nil
Red cards: Nil
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