Adam Zimarino claimed a hat-trick and Charlie Leech and debutant Joshua Anasmo also found the net as the PGFC Academy downed Cockburn City 5-3 to claim their first victory of the 2021 NPL WA campaign in spectacular style.
Leech got the scoring underway in the seventh minute with a neat finish and moments later, Zimarino fired home his first of the night to make it 2-0.
Jesse Lazzaro’s penalty briefly halted Glory’s progress, but they swiftly regained the initiative as Zimarino’s solo effort and Anasmo’s tap-in made it 4-1 at the break.
Riley Woodcock’s deflected effort then reduced the arrears before Zimarino completed his hat-trick with an angled finish ten minutes from time, rendering Anthony Skorich’s late header nothing more than a consolation for the visitors.
Glory came absolutely flying out of the blocks, with Zimarino and Anasmo both going close ahead of Leech’s opener which owed much to a defence-splitting pass from Riley Warland.
Leech was then denied a second two minutes later when his shot was blocked, but the predatory Zimarino pounced to force home the loose ball through a crowded box.
As the drama continued, Jacob Muir was adjudged to have nudged former Glory defender Riley Woodcock in the box, allowing Lazzaro to convert from the spot.
But any thoughts of a City comeback were quickly quashed as Zimarino capped his powerful run to the edge of the box by clipping the ball past Luke Radonich and skipper Giordano Colli then capitalised upon a defensive error to set up Anasmo for number four.
There was a brief lull in the goalscoring early in the second half before a deflection took Woodcock’s left-foot shot past Cameron Cook in the Glory goal to make it 4-2.
Ruben Zadkovich’s side duly restored their three-goal advantage when Zimarino’s quick feet secured the striker the time to thump an angled strike into the bottom corner and a thrilling clash was rounded off by when ex-Glory forward Skorich headed a third for City.
In the day’s other games, the Under-20s continued their unbeaten start to the campaign with a resounding 6-0 win, while the Under-18s also claimed three points courtesy of a 3-0 victory.
All three sides return to NPL WA action on Saturday (17th April) away at Gwelup Croatia, 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 (Leech 7′, Zimarino 10′, 40′, 81′, Anasmo 44′) Cockburn City 3 (Lazzaro (pen) 33′, Woodcock 78′, Skorich 87′)
Half-time: 4-1
Referee: Joshua Nixon
Crazy Domains Stadium at Hartfield Park
Perth Glory: 20.Cameron COOK (GK), 2.Nick SULLIVAN (15.Lewis TUCKER 71′), 3.Jacob MUIR, 4.Aidan COYNE, 5.Riley WARLAND, 6.Chris DONNELL, 7.Joseph FORDE, 8.Charlie LEECH, 9.Joshua ANASMO (17.Bryce BAFFORD 67′), 10.Giordano COLLI (c), 11.Adam ZIMARINO (12.Matthew GEORGE 82′)
Substitutes not used: 1.Sam REILLY (gk), 13.Will FORMSTON, 15.Lewis TUCKER,
Yellow Cards: Sullivan, Cook
Red Cards: None
Cockburn City: 1.Luke RADONICH, 3.Daniel DOLS (15.Daniel SANTICH 46′), 4.Euan GRANT (c) (25.Breckan BAKER 46′), 5.Julian TELES, 8.Cameron EDWARDS, 11.Harry O’BRIEN, 12.Sebastian DE SILVA, 16.Ali GHOLAMI (9.Anthony SKORICH 74′), 21.Jesse LAZZARO (17.Fanuel DAWIT 67′), 22.Daniel ROBINSON, 23.Riley WOODCOCK
Substitutes not used: 40.Benjamin RADONICH
Yellow Cards: Grant, Gholami, Robinson
Red Cards: None
#OneGlory
(pic courtesy of Tom McCarthy)
