The PGFC Academy First Team maintained their 100% start to the new NPL WA season as they downed Armadale SC 4-3 in a thrilling clash at Lark Hill on Saturday.
Fresh from scoring a stoppage-time winner in his side’s Round One win over Balcatta Etna, Corey Sutherland gave Glory the lead inside the opening ten minutes with a fine individual effort.
Home ‘keeper Robert Cook then produced a superb save to tip a Tim Berger effort onto the bar, before James Overy doubled Glory’s lead when he clipped home a Daniel Bennie cross.
When Sutherland earned and then converted a penalty to make it 3-0, Glory looked to be cruising to victory, but Armadale refused to throw in the towel and Peter Jacobsz gave them hope by pulling one back just before the break.
Having made a strong start to the second half, John Walmsley’s side again looked to have made the points safe when Royie Rahamim finished at the second attempt having seen his original shot parried by Yousri Gharsallah.
Once more, however, Armadale battled their way back, reducing the deficit via Daniel Robinson’s sharp finish and then seeing their hopes further boosted after Glory’s James Overy picked up a second yellow card.
Robinson duly hit the woodwork before Jacobsz grabbed his second goal of the game to cut Glory’s lead to a single goal.
That prompted a frantic finale in which the home defence were forced to dig deep to hang onto their lead and the drama continued deep into stoppage-time when Angel Andres Jnr thought he had found the equaliser, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
Line-Ups:
Perth Glory: GK Robert COOK, 3.Danny DOUGLAS, 4.Andriano LEBIB, 6.Laat MATHIANG, 7.James OVERY, 8.Corey SUTHERLAND, 9.Royie RAHAMIM, 10.Matthew GEORGE, 11.Daniel BENNIE, 18.Aiki TSUKAMOTO, 20.Lucas COOK
Armadale SC: GK Yousri GHARSALLAH, 2.Lachlan COLLINS, 4.Nathan COSTELLO, 5.Conor WALSH, 6.Ethan LEVITT 7.Amir AJAN, 8.Daniel ROBINSON, 9.Tim BERGER, 10.Chris JACKSON, 17.Peter JACOBSZ, 20.Emerson ALEXIS
The day’s other games saw the Academy Under-18s and Under-20s both maintain their own 100% starts to the season with emphatic victories.
The 18s ran out 14-1 winners, with Flored, Sollitt, De Abreu and Bolton all grabbing a brace, while Kuzamba, Despotovski, Bonelli and Barry shared the goals as the 20s got home 4-0.
All three teams return to NPL WA action this coming Saturday (1st April) when they visit Frank Drago Reserve to take on Bayswater City (U18s at 11am, U20s at 1pm, First Team at 3pm).
#ONEGlory
