Armadale surprise high-flyers Cockburn City

Football West Round 11 Review

Four goals in of six minutes earned Armadale a surprise 4-2 victory over highly-flying Cockburn City at Alfred Skeet Oval. Cockburn went ahead with just 8 minutes gone on the clock through young gun Mark Aleksic.

It looked as though the visitors would rack up a cricket score when John Mirco doubled the lead after 15 minutes. But to their credit Armadale were able to stem the flow while carving out several good opportunities of their own at the other end.

Armadale emerged for the second half fired up by the words of coach Peter Murphy and turned the game in a stunning six minute period. Sasa Kilibarda headed in the hosts opening goal just four minutes after the restart. Within a minute the match was back on level terms as teenager James Isaia pushed the ball past goalkeeper Alan Dunlop to score his second goal in as many weeks.

Armadale were quickly on the attack again and Christian Alvarez threaded a pass to Peter Taylor who made no mistake in giving the home supporters more reason to celebrate. In the 55th minute Kilibarda gained possession in the centre of the park and embarked on a run towards goal which took him past Liam Lilly and drew Dunlop off his line before tucking into the net.

All this left Cockburn shell-shocked and although they worked hard to get back in the game they were unable to unlock a home defence which continually turned away it's opponents attacking drives. Armadale, promoted at the end of last season as First Division champion, are all but assured of a place in the top flight beyond the current year.

The lead seesawed between Bayswater City and E.C.U. Joondalup before the latter hit top gear to run out victors by 5-3 at Frank Drago Reserve. Only four minutes had gone by when Scott Bushby combined with Garin Collins who sent a tantalising cross into the area and Tom Jones' flying header hit the back of the net.

It was 2-0 in the 15th minute Dale McCulloch making no mistake with the spot-kick. Bayswater lifted and two minutes from the break got back in the game with Andy O'Neill finding the target. The second half began with Bayswater in devastating form and were back on level terms through Bobby Klenkoski. A few minutes later the hosts had the lead courtesy of a vicious free-kick from O'Neill that gave Peter Stewart absolutely no chance.

The visitors leveled shortly after Porter sprayed a pass out to Ashworth who raced past three defenders down the left before delivering the ball to the feet of Oliver Hilton who volleyed home. It was 4-3 to ECU when Porter found Ryan Newhill who angled his shot across the oncoming 'keeper and inside the far post. The points were made safe with ten minutes remaining when Porter and Ashworth again combining before the latter's cross was lashed into the roof of the net by Hilton.

Floreat Athena registered their third successive win with a 3-0 defeat of Fremantle City at Ken Allen Reserve. It was always going to be a tough afternoon for a young port side who were minus the services of their two most experienced players in Dale Wingell and Craig Surtees.

Although the first half ended without score, the visiting side enjoyed the better of possession thanks largely to the non-stop efforts of central pair Bajo Savic and John Mills. But after the break Floreat upped their workrate and the deadlock was finally broken after 50 minutes when Craig Simpson rose above all in a crowded penalty area to power a header under the crossbar from a corner.

After several near misses Mikulic gave Floreat some breathing space by superbly turning his marker and firing past goalkeeper Phil Straker to double the visitors lead. Coci was making sure there was no rest for the Fremantle defence and he came close to adding the sides third with a thunderous shot that came off the underside of the crossbar before being hacked to safety.

Fremantle's best chance of the afternoon came soon after when Andrew Pomfret hit the bar with a header before the danger was cleared. However, the final say would be had by Coci who, with two minutes to go, found the back of the net via a flying header from Bachiller's cross.

Sorrento gained maximum points from their top of the table clash with Perth S.C. by a 2-0 score line at Percy Doyle Reserve. It was quiet opening to the game in which both teams tentatively felt each other out. But it was the home side who opened the scoring and breathed life into the game, Glen Thomas latched on to a cross played behind the Perth defence and slotting past Gareth Deeg after 36 minutes.

Perth hit back almost immediately as David Onoforo's long-range strike went narrowly high, then Andreas Oliviera tested the reflexes of Neil Young. Sorrento were full of running upon the restart and went close on doubling their lead several occasions. Thomas volleyed when high under pressure from close-range, and Steve McDonald's back post header flashed narrowly wide of the upright.

The momentum swung back in Perth's favour but despite goalbound strikes by Onoforo, Oliveira and Matt Danskin they were unable to beat Young. As the game drew to a close Jared Love hesitated a moment too long with only Deeg to beat and Michael Icanovski blocked his shot. The points were made safe two minutes into stoppage time when Deeg was judged to have fouled McDonald while contesting a high ball, and the big striker dusted himself off before making no mistake from the spot much to the joy of the home supporters.

Swan I.C. were left humbled by Inglewood United who ran out 5-2 winners from their clash at the Swan Italian Club. The home team began brightly and after 5 minutes gained a penalty, Miki Vujacic’s spot kick was brilliantly kept out by Oliver Taseski. Buoyed by the left off, Inglewood began to get on top as Shaun Kilkelly and Jason Colli went close in quick succession.

The visitors made the most of their pressure in the 23rd minute when Rory Mouttet and Andre Sarpe combined for Darren Broxton to hit a low drive beyond Cory Hugo's reach from the top of the 18-yard box. Swan were denied an equaliser shortly after when David Foster's shot from 8-metres was somehow cleared off the line by Kilkelly. But parity was restored in the 31st minute through a long ball by Scott Campbell that Foster flicked on to Shepheard who shot powerfully under the advancing goalkeeper.

Within three minutes Inglewood were back in the lead, this time via Louis Parkinson who headed in unopposed from a Sarpe free-kick. A long clearance by Taseski in the 40th minute picked out Sarpe who slipped his marker and poked the ball between the 'keeper's legs for Inglewood third. And just two minutes later Danny Kovacevic was allowed to advance on goal and skid the ball into the net from 20-metres to further widen the gap.

Swans came out with all guns ablaze for the second half as Campbell tested Taseski. Shepheard bagged his second after 63 minutes after Campbell won possession in midfield and laid the ball into the path of the tall striker who netted from an angle. The Swans were enjoying their best period of the afternoon but couldn't find another way through as evidenced by Danyal Bennett's header which came back off the bar.

The final goal came with four minutes to go when Parkinson delivered a superb cross to Albert Osei-Tutu whose header flashed pat Hugo.

Stirling Lions returned home from Nash Field with a hard-earned share of the points after holding Western Knights to a scoreless draw. It didn't take long for the games first opportunity to present itself with Andrija Jukic striking the crossbar with an effort from wide on the left.

The only other chance of a generally lacklustre half was Lions custodian Aleksandar Vrteski produce a fine save to deny Paul Cooke after he met a cross from Seb Trim. It wasn't until midway through the second half that the game sparked into life with some good chances created by both teams.

The Lions got creative in the 68th minute when a curling shot from the left by Steve Bozinovski had Tommi Tomch at full stretch in tipping the ball away. With ten minutes to go the visitors squandered a golden opportunity to go ahead when, after some good work by Mark Donnelly and Peter Dunn, Aaron McKee squeezed the ball wide of the post in a one-on-one with the 'keeper.

The Knights were far from finished and in the 85th minute were awarded a free-kick which Jukic drilled narrowly over the crossbar from 22-metres. But the Lions hung on for a valuable point to move themselves of the bottom of the table.

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