Perth SC put in a disappointing performance at Dorrien Gardens yesterday to go down 3-1 to Sorrento FC in Round 15 of the NPLM competition.
Two early defensive lapses in each half gave Sorrento’s new recruit Franco Villa a brace while another set up Clay Gibbs for a goal of the year contender.
Azzurri skipper David Ninkovich got Perth SC’s goal via a penalty which brought the home side level in the 34th minute.
Sorrento struck in the third minute when Corey Sutherland beat Azzurri defender Federico Achilli on the left before crossing to find an unmarked Villa in the box who poked past Mateusz Zaniewski for the perfect start for the visitors.
Sutherland then tested Zaniewski from range in the 11th minute, with the big Polish keeper pushing the shot over the bar for a corner. Sorrento defender Scott Robertson should have doubled the visitors’ advantage from the resulting corner, when he headed wide from close range.
Sorrento seemed content to sit back and protect the one goal advantage and Perth SC started to dictate the terms of the game and pressure the Sorrento goal.
Abdul Osman blazed wide in the 20th minute after Sean O’Connor brought down Jamie McNelis’ cross and then Ethan Banks shot high on the turn five minutes later after some good play from new recruit Jackson Morgan and Ninkovich on the left.
Josh Cala headed over the bar in the 28th minute after Jackson Morgan’s cross was initially headed on by McNelis and Banks pulled a shot wide two minutes later after Morgan had won the ball in the final third.
The Azzurri were finally rewarded for their pressure moments later. Osman’s cross from the right was headed onto the bar by Morgan at the far post before Sammie Riak’s attempted tap in on the rebound was handled by Sorrento’s Robertson on the goal line. Ninkovich converted the resulting penalty to make it 1-1 after 34 minutes.
But all of the Azzurri’s good work was thrown away four minutes later. Gibbs intercepted a stray pass from Achilli at the back and launched a long range rocket into the top left corner, leaving Zaniewski no chance, to restore Sorrento’s lead going into the break.
The visitors then went 3-1 up in the 46th minute when Shay Natalotto headed on Gibbs’ corner at the near post for the once again unmarked Villa to sneak in at the far post and tap in for his second.
Content with the two-goal lead, Sorrento shut up shop and defended resolutely and with great structure, smothering and frustrating the Azzurri for the rest of the contest.
Perth SC huffed and puffed, dominating possession, but lacked fluency and failed to gain any momentum to drag themselves back in the game as they had done in the first half. A couple of late strikes from Banks and O’Connor failed to hit the target as the match ended in a disappointing home loss.
The Azzurri remain in fifth position on the ladder with 21 points, but have fallen another point behind fourth placed Perth RedStar (25 points) after their draw with Olympic Kingsway yesterday.
Perth SC travel to bottom-placed Floreat Athena next Saturday for the second leg of the City of Vincent Cup. Kick off is 3pm.