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Status: Friendly
Date: 5 July 2011
Venue: Dorrien Gardens, Perth, Western Australia
Western Australia: Oliver Taseski (Andy Banks 46), Michael Pugliese, Jarrad Smith (Trent Kay 46), David Annall (George Tchami 68), Bobby Wilson, James Morgan (Matt Barlow 59), Andy Brown (Jason Mirco 63), Jon Higgins (Cormac Dawson 54), Greg Sharland, Stephen Burton, Mark Pritchard
Perth Glory: Danny Vukovic (Neil Young 46), Josh Mitchell (Alex Caniglia 46), Bas Van Den Brink (Evan Berger 46), Blamo Qua Qua, Shane Smeltz (Adam Taggart 46), Liam Miller (Reece Vittiglia 40), Scott Neville (Sam Mitchinson 46), Travis Dodd (Sam Fisk 46) Steven McGarry (Stephen Walmsley 46), Todd Howarth (Josh Risdon 46), Mile Sterjovski (Tommy Amphlett 46)
Bookings: Dawson (76), Annall (78)
Dismissals: None
Referee: David Costello
Western Australia suffered their biggest loss in more than two decades when humiliated 9-4 by an experimental Perth Glory outfit this evening at Dorrien Gardens. The game was evenly poised at the break with Glory holding a three-two lead courtesy of a Travis Dodd double another by Steven McGarry. However, the State side capitulated after the break to what was effectively the Glory Youth team with Reece Vittiglia and Adam Taggart netting two apiece as Josh Risdon and Tommy Amphlett also got on the scoreboard.
A sensational long-range half-volley by Mark Pritchard was the pick of the State teams’ goals, the others coming via James Morgan, Matt Barlow and Trent Kay. “If you told me before the game that we would score four goals against the Glory, you’d think that would mean we won,” State coach Robbie Dunn said. “I’m really proud of the boys, they’ve trained together for two and a half hours so it was a lot of ask of them.” It was Western Australia’s heaviest defeat since being humbled 6-0 by the visiting Netherlands Amateurs in 1988.
A crowd of 1,589 were treated to a free flowing first half in which Glory opened their account after 19 minutes, Dodd strolling through to nonchalantly slot past a badly exposed goalkeeper. Five minutes later McGarry crashed in goal number two from 8-metres to punish more sloppy defending. Morgan pulled a goal back on the half hour with a crisp finish after Danny Vukovic spilled a bouncing shot by Greg Sharland. Half-time was knocking when Oliver Taseski got a glove on Mile Sterjovski’s angled strike but was helpless as Dodd knocked in the loose ball.
Ian Ferguson made nine changes to his line-up during the break and when Glory returned to the park only five members of the senior squad were present. It took the youngsters only eleven minutes to stamp their authority with Risdon’s swerving shot from 14-metres giving second half ‘keeper Andy Banks no chance. Only another minute had passed before Vittiglia showed great composure in turning Trent Kay and chipping delicately over Banks from the top of the 18-yard box.
Goals continued to flow for Glory with Taggart chesting down long a long ball and walking to the top of the box where his scuffed shot-wrong footed the ‘keeper. Pritchard returned fire in the 63rd minute with speculative half-volley from close to the halfway line that lobbed into the top corner of Neil Young’s net. Barlow further reduced the gap, and gave the State team hope of a late revival, by firing in from an acute angle after Young had come off his line and smothered at the feet of Matt Barlow.
Amphlett left two opponents in his wake before delivering a low ball which Vittiglia rammed in from a couple of metres after 79 minutes. Soon after Young completely miss-read the flight of a Jason Mirco free-kick that Kay stooped to head in. Amphlett was the provider of Glory’s eighth goal, centring from the right for Taggart to convert at close-range. The game was in stoppage time when Amphlett cleverly stepped over the ball and brilliantly clipping past the advancing ‘keeper to complete the route.
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This page was last updated on the 8th July 2011