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Status: Friendly
Date: 21 August 2012
Venue: Intiga Stadium, Perth, Western Australia
Western Australia: Alex Dunn, Jason Gavin (Jack Clisby 46), Jon Higgins (Patrick Quinn 46), Ryan Clarke, Francisco Jorquera (David Foster 46), Gustavo Catarcione (Ashley Rosindale 46), John Kearney (Adam Bachiller 46), Steve Turnbull, Mark Pritchard, Reece Vittiglia (Ludovic Boi 46), Storm Roux (Spencer Harris 46)
Perth Glory: Danny Vukovic (Jordan Franken 79), Bas Van Den Brink, Billy Mehmet (Steven McGarry 64), Dean Heffernan (Steve Pantelidis 46), Shane Smeltz (Ndumba Makeche 64), Liam Miller (Matthew Davies 76), Brandon O’Neill (Adrian Zahra 46), Jess Makarounas (Nick Ward 69), Josh Risdon, Scott Jamieson, Michael Thwaite
Bookings: None
Dismissals: None
Referee: Mathew Cheeseman
Western Australia has gone down 3-0 to Perth Glory in wet and blustery conditions at Intiga Stadium in Inglewood. First half goal from Shane Smeltz and Jesse Makarounas set the A-League side on their way with substitute Ndumba Makeche sealing the win after the turnaround. State coach Kenny Lowe had no issue with his teams’ performance against a Glory side which started at full steam. “They came out of the block well, but once we started to cope with the intensity and started to keep the ball we brought ourselves into the game,” Lowe commented. “We finished the first half well and I was really pleased with the second half.”
A big crowd was on hand to see Dean Heffernan get off the first shot which brought a low save from State custodian Alex Dunn. It took Smeltz only 9 minutes to find the back of the net, the New Zealand international volleying in at the back post from a deep cross by Heffernan. The margin was doubled seven minutes when Scott Jamieson’s delivery into the 18-yard box was finished low into Dunn’s net by Makarounas. The State team didn’t return fire until midway through the half, Ryan Clarke finding Francisco Jorquera but the attacker lifted high of the target.
But for the most part it was Glory who were dictating terms. Billy Mehmet headed wide from a Smeltz cross on the half hour and soon after Josh Risdon’s explosive drive whistled narrowly the wrong side of the post. Half-time was only a few minutes away when Liam Miller played down the right to Risdon whose centring ball was headed wide by Smeltz from 7-metres. The State team were struggling in the final third but on 42 minutes they almost found a way through via Jorquera who played a one-two with Gustavo Catarcione only for his shot from 15-metres to drift past the target.
The interval saw Lowe make a rash of changes to his line-up with seven new faces entering the action at the re-start. Two of those substitutes, Ludovic Boi and Ashley Rosendale, combined for the first opening of the second half in which the latter’s headed was tipped by over an alert Danny Vukovic. The State team went close again on 56 minutes, Mark Pritchard’s incisive pass releasing David Foster to go one-on-one with Vukovic who breathed a sigh of relief when the striker’s shot flashed over his crossbar. In an attempt to stem the flow Glory boss Ian Ferguson looked to his bench before making a trio of changes which had the desired effect.
A poor clearance by Dunn put under pressure Patrick Quinn, the defender being dispossessed by Ndumba Makeche who streamed inside the area before applying a clinical finish low past Dunn with 72 minutes on the clock. To their credit the State team refused to drop their heads and continued to push in search of goals. With twelve minutes to go Rosendale brought a smart save from Vukovic and with the final whistle nearing Glory’s substitute ‘keeper Jordan Franken raced off his line to snuff out an opening for Boi after he’d latched onto a delightful pass by Pritchard.
Status: Friendly
Date: 19 September 2012
Venue: Intiga Stadium, Perth, Western Australia
Western Australia: Curtis Aspden (Alex Dunn 75), Ryan Pearson (Daniel Micevski 46), Storm Rouz, Jack Clisby (Mark Pritchard 46), Adam Bachiller, Steve Turnbull, Reece Vittiglia, Francisco Jorquera (Ashley Rosindale 72), Gustavo Catarcione (David Foster 57), Gustavo Giron-Marulanda (David Micevski 72), Ryan Clarke (Greg Sharland 57)
Perth Glory: Danny Vukovic, Bas Van Den Brink (Steve Pantelidis 80), Billy Mehmet, Jacob Burns (Nick Ward 68), Liam Miller (Brandon O’Neill 80), Adrian Zahra (Jess Makarounas 68), Travis Dodd (Ndumba Makeche 80), Steven McGarry, Josh Risdon, Scott Jamieson (Dean Heffernan 46), Michael Thwaite
Bookings: None
Dismissals: None
Referee: Trent Fleskens
The State team have gone down 1-0 to Perth Glory in this evening’s second meeting between the sides at Intiga Stadium. A goal after only a couple of minutes by Travis Dodd was enough to earn Glory victory over a well-organised West Australian team. “I thought we did really well tonight,” State goalkeeper Curtis Aspden commented. “Obviously it was a sloppy start conceding the goal but after that we matched them in most areas and kept our shape. Kenny (Lowe) has done a great job with us, we blended well and could have nicked a goal late.”
Following a minutes silence in honour of former State coach Ron Tindall, who passed away days earlier, the game burst immediately into life. Glory pushed straight into attack with Scott Jamieson cutting in from left and past Ryan Pearson before crossing for Dodd to volley in from 6-metres. A quick response was needed by the State team and four minutes later Ryan Clarke played in Gustavo Catarcione whose shot from 8-metres was pushed away by Danny Vukovic. But for the most part it was the A-League side that was in control. Adrian Zahra snapped just wide then Billy Mehmet brought a low save from Aspden.
On the half hour Gustavo Giron-Marulanda threatened the level the game with a curling free-kick which Vukovic was equal to. Glory fashioned three good chances to extend their lead in the shadows of half-time but were unable to find a way through. Steven McGarry header was smartly kept out of the net by Aspden who, soon after, reacted well to save Michael Thwaite’s flick after Bas Van Den Brink nodded across the face of goal. The final action of the half saw Dodd weave his way between a trio of defender before being foiled by Storm Roux’s perfectly timed tackle as he was about to pull the trigger.
The second half followed a now familiar pattern. Glory captain Jacob Burns found the gloves of Aspden from distance, McGarry curled just wide and Nick Ward was also denied by the ‘keeper soon after coming off the bench. State substitute Mark Pritchard and David Micevski were making their mark in the middle of the field and with ten minutes left the latter’s shot was well saved by Vukovic. The game was in stoppage time when the State mounted one last surge, Pritchard playing Greg Sharland down the left with David Foster nodding the attackers cross wide at the far post.
State coach Kenny Lowe was delighted with his players’ efforts. “I thought the lads were outstanding tonight, they worked ever so hard. We played some good football and I thought the players were a little more switched on tonight,” he said. “The lads have got to understand the A-League is a really good level. In the last game when we had the ball we turned it over very quickly, and when we went expansive they did us on transition. We spoke before the game about keeping the ball and it worked for us tonight, I thought we did really well.”
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This page was last updated on the 20th September 2012