The PGFC Academy First Team chalked up their third successive NPL WA victory on Wednesday evening by downing Rockingham City 5-1 at 1620 Capital Stadium.
Richard Garcia’s side did most of the damage in the opening 40 minutes, with Giordano Colli, Nick Walsh and Chris Donnell (2) all finding the net to establish a 4-0 lead at the break.
Dylan Rogers did pull one back for City on the hour-mark, but Glory had the last word when Josh Rawlins rifled home his side’s fifth five minutes from time.
For the third week in a row, it was Colli who got the youngsters off to a flying start, finishing from close-range in the eighth minute after Bryce Bafford’s initial shot had been parried by Bradley Stout in the Rockingham goal.
Stout had earlier produced a fine, fingertip save to prevent Colli’s cross from creeping into the top corner and the visitors survived another scare when Aiki Tsukamoto’s thunderous 30m effort crashed back out off the underside of the crossbar.
Glory’s sustained pressure eventually told again in the 20th minute, however, as the overlapping Walsh swept home their second goal and 2-0 became 3-0 moments later when Donnell curled his shot into the net from the left side of the box.
The midfielder then struck again, this time with a dipping, 25m strike which looped over the stranded Stout and with Bafford and Rawlins also going close, Glory were unfortunate not to have led by an even more commanding margin at the break.
To their credit, Rockingham refused to throw in the towel and duly pulled one back when Rogers capped a rapid breakaway with a composed finish, but the southern suburbs side never looked capable of forcing their way back into the contest and conceded another right at the death when Rawlins capped a lively display by forcing his way into the box and firing into the net.
Next up for the three senior Academy teams is an away trip to Bayswater City on Saturday, with the Under-18s getting things underway at 11am, followed by the Under-20s at 1pm and the First Team at 3pm.
Match Details
Perth Glory 5 (Colli 9′, Walsh 21′, Donnell 26′, 39′, Rawlins 85′) Rockingham City 1 (Rogers 60′)
Half-time: 4-0
Referee: Tom Glavovic
Perth Glory: 1.Sam REILLY (GK), 2.Mason TATAFU (13.Manolo VENERACION 46′), 5.Alessandro CIRCATI, 6.Aiki TSUKAMOTO (7.Jayden LEADER 60′), 8.Chris DONNELL, 9.Bryce BAFFORD (16.Charlie LEECH 60′), 10.Giordano COLLI (18.Aiden EDWARDS 46′), 11.Joseph FORDE, 15.Aiden COYNE, 17.Nick WALSH, 22.Josh RAWLINS
Substitutes not used: 20.Kade WHITE (GK)
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Rockingham City: 21.Bradely STOUT (GK), 3.Joseph MOSS, 4.Nathan NG, 5.Alan CHRISTIE, 6.Blake SOKOLOWSKI, 8.Dylan ROGERS, 10.Luke COLLINS, 13.Lydon HODGKISS, 15.Declan COLLINS, 16.Alex GRAYSON, 19.Michael FARMER
Substitutes: 2.Harry BOLAN, 7.Jacob FORSYTH, 14.Evan LUDGATE
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
(picture courtesy of Tom McCarthy)
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