Goals from Giordano Colli and Bryce Bafford helped the PGFC Academy First Team round off the regular NPL WA season in style as they downed Inglewood United 2-1 at 1620 Capital Stadium.
Colli put the hosts in front from the penalty spot after just three minutes, with Bafford then making it 2-0 midway through the second half and although Alessandro Circati’s late own-goal set up a tense finale, Glory held firm to secure a deserved and impressive victory.
Richard Garcia’s side now turn their attentions to the bottom-six finals series and will do so in confident mood having produced one of their most fluent performances of the season against an Inglewood side that would have secured a top-six finish with a win.
Glory got off to the best possible start when United skipper Scott Blackmore needlessly handled Joseph Forde’s cross from the right and Colli calmly sent Alex Dunn the wrong way with the resulting penalty.
To their credit, Inglewood responded well to that early setback and would have levelled things up in the 12th minute had Sam Reilly not produced a fine block to foil Robert Petkov in a one-on-one situation.
After the frenetic start, the chances dried up somewhat as both sides battled for ascendancy in midfield, although Charlie Leech did go close to making it 2-0, drawing a sprawling save from Dunn having been picked out by the lively Bafford.
Steve Sokol found the side-netting with the visitors’ first chance of the second half, but the next goalscoring opportunity fell the way of Bafford at the other end and he made no mistake.
Substitute Chris Donnell was the architect of the goal, showing great tenacity to retain possession in midfield and then threading an inch-perfect through-ball into the path of Bafford who raced clear of the United defence, calmly rounded the ‘keeper and side-footed into the empty net.
Inglewood did manage to reduce the arrears five minutes from time, a misunderstanding between Reilly and Circati resulting in the latter heading into his own net from just inside the box, but Glory were not to be denied their fourth win of the season.
In the day’s other games, meanwhile, the Under-18s and Under-20s both secured thrilling 5-3 wins.
Those results secured top spot for the Under-18s and a second-place finish for the Under-20s, so many congratulations to everyone involved!
Check the club’s social media platforms in the coming days for the Finals Series fixtures.
Match Details
Perth Glory 2 (Colli (pen) 3′, Bafford 70′) Inglewood United 1 (Circati o.g. 85′)
Half-time: 1-0
Referee: Julian Serra
Perth Glory: 1.Sam REILLY (GK), 2.Mason TATAFU, 5.Alessandro CIRCATI, 6.Aiki TSUKAMOTO, 7.Joseph FORDE, 8.Lewis TUCKER (15.Chris DONNELL 66′), 9.Bryce BAFFORD, 10.Giordano COLLI (C), 11.Charlie LEECH (16.Aidan EDWARDS 80′), 17.Nick WALSH (13.Albert FULLARD 56′), 18.Aidan COYNE
Substitutes not used: 20.Kade WHITE (GK), 22.Hristijan JANKULOSKI
Yellow Cards: Fullard
Red Cards: None
Inglewood United: 1.Alex DUNN (GK), 2.Alex ISHIDA-LIVINGS, 4.Scott BLACKMORE (C), 5.Thiak KUEL, 6.Adam FALCONE (15.Will NICHOLSON 54′), 10.Anthony BAFOBUSHA, 13.Jordan ALLEN-RANA (11.Abdul SESAY 51′), 14.Steven SOKOL, 16.Jamie MURPHY, 19.Brodie LANGAN, 23.Robert PETKOV
Substitutes not used: 12.Brendan ITALIANO, 21.Josiah GODFREY
Yellow Cards: Blackmore, Bafobusha
Red Cards: None
(pic courtesy of Tom McCarthy)
#OneGlory
