An Alex Salmon brace has propelled Inglewood United to a thrilling 3-2 win over inner city rivals Perth SC on a cold and wet afternoon at Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium. Salmon took his season tally to twenty-two goals before Hamza Hina’s composed finish secured Inglewood a seventh successive win and stretched their unbeaten league run to thirteen games.
“It was a great performance today,” coach Andy Keogh said. “We caused a few problems for ourselves in the last few minutes, but we should have finished them off earlier. Today was just another game for us. It was about enjoying the top of the table clash and the ball zipping around, which makes our game quicker and helps us.”
Inglewood settled the better and with just 6 minutes gone Chok Dau forced a fine save out of Francis Soale. But there was nothing the Perth custodian could do twelve minutes later when, following a foul on Brian Woodall, Salmon swung a dead ball past the defensive wall and into the bottom corner.
Salmon looked set to double his team’s lead by slicing through the visiting defence before being denied a shot by Harley Orr’s last gasp challenge. It wasn’t until the closing stages of the half that Perth came to life, Gustavo Catarcione firing across the face of goal and a long-range attempt by Orr brought a sharp response from Alex Dunn.
The second half was minutes old when Rocco Pizzata was issued his marching orders for bringing down Hina, and from the penalty spot Salmon fired beyond the ‘keeper’s reach. Woodall and Salmon had chances to put a third goal on the board either side of Paul Zimarino’s volley from 16-metres which Dunn brilliantly turned away.
Catarcione put Perth back in the game on 66 minutes by beating a square defence and stroking past the advancing Dunn. It took just four minutes for Inglewood to respond, Salmon centring from wide on the left to Hina who expertly tamed the ball before lashing across Soale to restore his team’s two-goal advantage.
Referee Adam Fielding handed Perth a second lifeline by awarding a penalty, converted by Nicco Sabatini, following a clash between Catarcione and John Migas. A frantic final few minutes had chances at both ends of the park, Salmon hitting the upright and Dunn twice preventing Catarcione from gaining Perth a point.
Keogh, who has not tasted defeat in his nine games as Inglewood coach, praised the attitude of his players. “It’s been great. The lads have really taken to the way I want to play and conduct myself,” he said. “Full credit to the players. We have a great hard-working bunch and some really bright young stars coming through.”
Match stats
Inglewood United 3 (Alex Salmon 18, 48, Hamza Hina 70)
Perth SC 2 (Gustavo Catarcione 66, Nicco Sabatini 86)
Inglewood United: Alex Dunn, John Migas, David Cyrus, Adam Tong (Scott Blackmore 50), Jason Colli, Matthew Ntoumenopoulos, Jason Barrera (Brian Farrell 81), Chok Dau, Brian Woodall (Ashley Rosindale 69), Hamza Hina, Alex Salmon
Perth SC: Francis Soale, Alex Silla (Paul Zimarino 50), Rocco Pizzata, Tom King, Jordan De Leo, Nicco Sabatini, Lewis Milne, Harley Orr, Frank Furfaro, Aleks Jovic, Gustavo Catarcione
Bookings: Pizzata (18), Orr (44), Hina (54), Cyrus (62), Migas (72),
Dismissals: Pizzata (48)
