Report by Paul J. Laverty

Ten-man Perth Glory edged closer towards safety and retained their place in the PS4 National Premier Leagues WA with a 2-1 victory over Floreat Athena in a fiery contest at Ashfield Arena.

For Floreat it was a loss which dented their title hopes and left boss Glenn Grostate, who was ordered from the touchline early in the second-half for dissent, furious at the outcome.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Grostate. “We played against seven Glory (A-League) players today, they put out a full-strength team. At the end of the day we were as good as them.”

In a tense affair it was Glory who started brighter with Floreat keeper Jason Saldaris making two super-stops early on, first from Jamal Reiners and then Daniel Stynes, to keep his side level.

But Saldaris was helpless in the 26th minute when Kosta Petratos hammered the ball through a crowd of bodies to open the scoring.

Shortly after, Glory’s Scott Robertson and Floreat’s Shaun Timmins were fortunate to escape with bookings when they squared up to each other following a feisty challenge on Reiners.

Floreat responded best after the skirmish as Jonathan Stynes escaped his marker to bring the ball down in the box and strike a fine half-volley to level the scores.

Three minutes before the break the home side restored their advantage after quick feet by Daniel Stynes on the left was followed up with a pinpoint pass through the Floreat rearguard, which found Ross Millard whose cool side-foot finish made it 2-1.

In the second half the pace quickened with tackles flying and tempers becoming frayed.

In the 69th minute Perth Glory’s game plan was turned upside down when Robertson was given a second booking for dissent.

However, with the onlooking Perth Glory head coach Kenny Lowe rallying the side from the stand, the Glory backline withstood a barrage of pressure. Nic Talimdzioski could have sealed it for them late-on when clean-through only to lob the ball tamely into the arms of Saldaris.

Floreat then had an injury time penalty claim judged to be outside the box which left their players and fans seething, and it was Glory who held on to claim a crucial three points.

Glory youth coach John Gibson was thrilled with the win, which was aided by the inclusion of a number of their more experienced players.

“I’m happy for the boys,” he said. “We’ve used over forty players this year born 1991 to 2001. Today shows how far we’ve come.”

Perth Glory 2 (Petratos 26min, Millard 42)
Floreat Athena 1 (Stynes 37)
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Ashfield Arena
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Stuart Muldoon
Assistant referees: Brendan Skinner, Max Hallas

Perth Glory: 1. Nicholas FEELY, 2. Aryn WILLIAMS, 3. Jack IREDALE, 4. Scott ROBERTSON, 5. Ross MILLARD, 6. Brandon WILSON, 7. Daniel STYNES, 8. Mitch OXBORROW (13. Dejan SPASESKI 80), 9. Kosta PETRATOS (14. Sam MCKEARNEN 65), 10. Jamal REINERS (12. Cal WHITNEY 56),  11. Nic TALIMDZIOSKI  
Substitutes not used: 15. Alex TANEVSKI, 20. Riley STEPHENSON (GK)
Yellow cards: Robertson
Red cards: Robertson (69min)

Floreat Athena: 1. Jason SALDARIS, 2. Shaun TIMMINS, 5. Bobby WILSON, 6. Clayton ARNEZ, 8. Jonathan STYNES, 10. Kris GATE (14. Ludovic BOI 46) 11. Dennis GALAN (12. Nathan SCULLY 73), 15. Christopher SALDARIS, 17. Dean EVANS, 18. Phillip ARNOLD, 33. Cameron YORKE (9. Robert GASPER 73)
Substitutes not used: 16. Kye DOUGLAS, 23. Jordan BARBAS (GK)
Yellow cards: Timmins, Saldaris, Wilson
Red cards: nil