Last season’s Golden Boot winner Pieter Jacobsz scored two goals to lead Armadale SC to a 2-1 win over Perth SC at Alfred Skeet Reserve on Saturday, inflicting the Azzurri’s first loss of the NPLM season.
Jacobsz was gifted his first but showed his quality with the winner four minutes from time by dinking the ball above the advancing Azzurri goalkeeper Mark Birighitti.
Perth SC striker Gordon Perkins continued his fine form this season, grabbing the equaliser in the 57th minute to make it seven goals in eight league games for the Azzurri number nine.
It was a scrappy affair at Alfred Skeet with the pitch’s poor surface making it difficult for two teams that usually like to play football.
The first chance did not occur until the 25th minute when a long free-kick from Armadale captain Luke Collins found its way to Joshua Willis who had his attempt saved brilliantly by Birighitti.
Then disaster struck for the Azzurri. Birighitti slipped inside the six-yard box with the ball at his feet after receiving a back pass from Luca Hirninger, gifting the open goal for the pressing Jacobsz in the 39th minute.
The Azzurri started the second half in a more positive fashion and were rewarded in the 56th minute. Abdul Osman played a free-kick quickly to David Ninkovich, whose shot from outside the penalty box could only be parried by Armadale goalkeeper Seb Medica into the path of Perkins who made no mistake from close range.
Armadale had the better of the very few second-half chances before Jacobz sealed the game in the 86th minute, finishing a counter attack in clinical fashion one-on-one with Birighitti after the Azzurri lost the ball in midfield.
Youngster Jamie McNelis had a golden opportunity to rescue a point in injury time when he was played through by Perkins, but his shot was high and wide of Medica’s goal.
Despite the result, Perth SC remain in fourth place on the NPLM ladder with 15 points, three points ahead of fifth-placed Armadale and five behind league leaders Bayswater City.
Perth SC take on Bayswater City in Round Nine of the league season at Dorrien Gardens on Friday night, a fixture which will also double as the first leg of this year’s Birighitti Cup. Kick-off is 7pm.