From Football West
Report by Andrew Ellis

Perth SC issued a statement of intent with a dominant 6-0 win over an out of sorts Western Knights at BGC Stadium on Friday night.

For Perth, a Night Series semi-final matchup with giant-killers Ashfield looms. For Knights, some serious soul searching will be required or they could be in for a long season.

Perth got off to the perfect start. In the sixth minute Rob SciaScia exploited the space behind Ethan Levitt and whipped in a dangerous cross. Onoforo's effort deflected in off the unfortunate Stuart Ferguson.

It went from bad to worse for the Knights just two minutes later when Antonio Naglieri sent a delightful free kick over the wall and into the bottom left corner.

The Knights looked to have given themselves a lifeline in the 18th minute when Johny Mirco volleyed home Ivan Skorich's teasing cross. Unfortunately for the visitors he was flagged offside. Their woes would deepen a minute later when Ivan Zuvela had to be substituted after receiving a blow to the head following a tangle with Josh Wilkins.

Onoforo hit the bar for Perth while Knights were again unlucky not to pull one back when Stuart Montgomery's corner was cleared off the line.

They would be made to rue that missed opportunity when SciaScia, who was giving the Knights defense a torrid time, slipped Onoforo on the edge of the box. The Perth captain had time to measure his shot and send it past the despairing Frazer Siddall.

In the closing stages of the first half SciaScia showed great persistence to win the ball back in midfield. From the ensuing counter-attack SciaScia whipped the ball to the back post to the waiting Onoforo. Four nil.

Knights came out in the second half determined to reduce the deficit, but couldn't find any kind of rhythm.

Instead it was Perth that added to their lead in the 52nd, with Andreas Oliveira twisting and turning on the edge of the box before curling a right-footed effort past substitute keeper Nathan Cipriano.

In the 59th minute Knights thought they'd reduced the deficit when Callum Roberts burst through and slipped the ball past Luke Martino. He was given offside. It looked a tight decision.

In the 72nd minute SciaScia was replaced by ex-Balcatta man Daniel Niederberger. Any relief the Knights, and Levitt in particular, felt at seeing the back of SciaScia was short lived. Five minutes after coming on as a substitute Niederberger made it six, blasting home from an acute angle when most would've been expecting a cut back.

Both Niederberger and Onoforo had great chances to add to the Knights' misery. Perhaps it was mercy. Perhaps it was just wayward finishing. Either way, Perth fully deserved their six goal win and gave Ashfield a lot to think about ahead of their meeting at 6PR Stadium next week.

From Football West
Report by Sophie Hawkins

Perth SC ran their way into the next round of the Night Series competition with an emphatic 4-1 win over Wanneroo City at BGC Stadium on Sunday Night.

The reigning State League champions made the most of their ample opportunities to outscore Wanneroo in a lively game which saw both teams start with an attacking frame of mind.

Perth mounted their attack on goals with a shot on the turn from Dom De Felice in the 3rd minute which just went over the goals.

Perth's passing in front of goals early was impressive and Wanneroo found it difficult to penetrate their own half in the first ten minutes of the game.

Heartbeats raced in the 14th minute when a kick from Perth keeper Luke Martino on the edge of the box was struck awkwardly straight to a Wanneroo player, but the mistake was mopped up by the Perth defenders and an embarrassing consequence was averted.

Perth's first goal came in the form of David Onoforo who coolly slotted the ball past the keeper in the 22nd minute after a nice pass from Matt Izzo.

Wanneroo answered with a shot from Sahar Konomanyi cleared off the line by Perth's Antonio Naglieri.

A penalty shout was denied when Guy McDonald was brought down in the box but referee John Taran saw nothing in it.

Another shot in the 28th minute from Naglieri forced a diving save from Wanneroo's keeper Brynn Hindley but the resulting corner was cleared well by Wanneroo's Lewis Hall.

Both teams started off the second half well with hard running and enthusiasm, but Wanneroo's wayward passing out of midfield was costing them.

A sloppy clearance from Wanneroo's Garin Collins in the 48th minute gave Perth another shot, which fortunately for Wanneroo, went over the goals.

A slight lull in energy in the half was lifted in the 64th minute when Onoforo netted his second goal. After a free kick for Wanneroo was mistakenly hit straight to a one of their defenders, Perth made the most of the error with a good pass from Rob Sciascia to Onoforo who tucked the ball away.

Wanneroo's goal in the 71st minute came from a penalty awarded to Guy McDonald who was dragged down in the box after beating a man on the edge of the box. The resulting kick from McDonald was taken confidently and smashed down the middle to score.

A lucky nutmeg in the 76th minute from Perth's Damal on right wing gave Perth their third goal, after the pass was met by Josh Wilkins who delivered a great turn and finish and netted his first past a falling Hindley.

A goalmouth scramble in Wanneroo's box saw five blocked shots which Wanneroo were unfortunate to go capitalise on but the real damage was a defending blunder by Konomanyi in the 85th minute who gave up possession to the dangerous Onoforo. Onoforo passed to the impressive Naglieri who struck a 30yard thunderbolt which was mishandled into goals by the Wanneroo keeper and cemented Perth's well-deserved win.

From Football West
Report by Peter Simcox

A goal three minutes from time by Perth SC defender Craig Simpson has given the home side a hard fought 4-3 win against Division One's Dianella White Eagles in the Group F Night Series game at BGC Stadium on Saturday evening.

Dianella striker Andrew Kiir scored twice in the first half to give them a 2-1 lead at the break, with Josh Pereira scoring for the home side. David Onoforo netted twice for Perth in the second half, and it looked like they would go on and win comfortably, but Spiro Nenadic levelled, before Simpson popped up to win late on.

It was an even opening to the game, but on 22 minutes Dianella stunned their host when they hit the front. Perth defender Shaun Kilkelly lost possession, and Kiir picked the ball up on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed an unstoppable shot that flew past keeper Luke Martino.

Perth hit back four minutes later, with another stunning strike. This time Pereira long-range strike beat Mathew Battigelli, and it was game on.

But sixty seconds later Dianella were back in front. Andreas Theodosiades found space down the left, his cross to the back post found Kiir, who fired home from eight-yards.

Both sides had chances before the break in an entertaining encounter. First on 32 minutes Rob Sciascia's cross from the left was headed against the bar by Andreas Oliveira, and the striker's follow up shot was saved by Battigelli.

Then four minutes before the break Kiir had a golden chance for his hat-trick. The big striker, who is heading to the UK for trials later in the month, was sent clear and he rounded Martino but delayed his shot and the chance was gone.

In first half stoppage-time Battigelli saved superbly from another Pereira long-range shot to give his side the lead at the break.

Perth coach Gianfranco Circati rang the changes at the break bringing on Dom de Felice and Josh Wilkins to replace Kilkelly and Matt Danskin, and they began brightly. Sciascia was given far too much time and space on the right on 52 minutes, his cross picked out Onoforo who headed inches over the top.

Moments later Sciascia fed De Felice down the right channel, and his cross deflected off Bojan Radinovic and crashed off the post and behind.

Dianella hit back and Martino had to be alert to deny second half substitute Dhamon Kalamaris on 68 minutes, but two later Perth levelled. New midfielder James Isaia's free kick picked out Onoforo in the penalty area. The striker superbly chested the ball down to his advantage and fired home past Battigelli.

Then eight minutes later Perth hit the front. Sciascia's corner from the left was dropped under pressure by Battigelli, Onoforo's first shot hit the post but the striker made no mistake with the second firing low past a Dianella defender on the line.

It looked like Perth would go on and comfortably win the game, but Dianella had other ideas and Jamie Goodman's side were level again two minutes later. Nenadic wasn't picked up at the back post and his snap shot beat Martino, much to the delight of the Dianella faithful.

It looked like the points would be shared but with three minutes remaining Perth won it. Sciascia's corner again from the left wasn't dealt with by the Dianella defence and Simpson fired home from close-range to win the game for his side and continue its perfect start to the Night Series.

Simpson was happy to get the win. "We made it hard for ourselves in the end; we made two stupid mistakes and were punished, so we have to improve," said Simpson.

"We made a few changes at the break and I thought we played well second half and it's nice to score, and even better when it's the winner late in the game."

Matt Danskin ensured Perth SC made a winning start to their Night Series campaign by scoring the solitary goal in this evening’s 1-0 defeat of a spirited Olympic Kingsway outfit at Dorrien Gardens. Perth were rewarded for their attacking outlook when Danskin fired them in front midway through the first period, and although the side in blue dominated the remainder of the game there would be no addition to the scoreline due in part to Aaron Olow, who stood tall between the posts for Kingsway.

Although both sides created a number of early half chances it was Perth that looked the more likely to score. David Onoforo’s diving header was narrowly wide of the target after good work out wide by Adam Bachiller, who soon after was himself thwarted by goalkeeper Olow. Onoforo set-up Daniel Neiderberger for what seemed like a definite opener only for a Kingsway defender to clear off the line. Kingsway were similarly unlucky not to take the lead when the hosts failed to clear Elliot Rose’s cross and Lewis Flatt’s explosive drive from 25-metres cannoned off the junction of crossbar and post.

Onoforo was featuring prominently every time Perth pushed into their attacking third, ensuring there’d be not a moments rest for Kingsway’s rear guard. Onoforo manoeuvred his way around Olow and cut the ball back to Niederberger who was denied the game’s first goal by Jesse Higgins last ditch challenge. There would be no such luck on 24 minutes when over-lapping fullback Danskin kept his composure to rifle low past Olow in a one-on-one. Although eventful, there would be no addition to the scoreline before the interval due to a combination of rusty finishing, some desperate defending and an outstanding performance by Olow.

The second half was only five minutes old when Kingsway’s plight worsened with the red carding of Jamie Trandos, whose tackle was deemed to have robbed Neiderberger a goal scoring opportunity. The rest of the game followed much the same pattern as the first half with the bulk of the attack held by Perth and Kingsway playing on the counterattack. Olow ensured the final margin was not greater by brilliantly saving from Robert Scaiscia after a neat lead-up down the left. And in the closing moments substitute Adrian Caceres created space but was also unable to get the better of Olow.