Coach Michael Garcia was at a loss to explain Inglewood United’s 5-1 capitulation to Cockburn City on the opening day of the new National Premier Leagues season. Substitute John Thornley netted Inglewood’s first goal of the campaign but it meant little courtesy of Rory Patterson four goals haul for the away side.

“It was hugely disappointing,” Garcia said post-game. “We’re definitely going to have to sit down and watch the game again, reassess our line-up and the players within the group. If we need to make some changes this early on, we might have to.”

Cockburn raced to a commanding two-goal lead inside the quarter-hour with Patterson twice putting the ball past goalkeeper Aleks Vrteski. Patterson added two more goal in the second half, bookending between Conor Kavanagh’s finish, before Thornley grabbed a consolation goal in the final minute of regulation time.

Match stats

Inglewood United 1 (Thornley 90)
Cockburn City 5 (Paterson 11, 14, 56, 75, Kavanagh 65)

Inglewood United: Aleks Vrteski, Jason Colli, Jovo Pavlovic, Rikki Smith (John Thornley 69), Scott Witschge, Ryan Clarke (Jarrod McNally 80), Scott Blackmore, Greg Sharland (David Micevski 46), Andrija Jukic, David Sesay, Kenny Keogh
Cockburn City: Curtis Aspen, Harry O’Brien, Euen Grant, Eamon McNelis, Devon Gibson (Blake Adams 69), Feisal Zaw (Craig Tone 66), Alan Carroll, Jonathan Corness, Friday Zico, Rory Patterson (Liam Murray 76), Conor Kavanagh
Bookings: Blackmore (71), Witschge (81)
Dismissals: Nil