A hat-trick by attacker Ethan Banks led Perth SC to its seventh victory of the NPLM season with a 4-2 win over Armadale SC at Dorrien Gardens yesterday.
Banks scored late in the first half to equalise for the Azzurri and then completed his hat-trick late in the second after Gordon Perkins’ strike from the penalty spot.
It didn’t even look like there would be a game at Dorrien Gardens with the heavy downpours earlier in the morning forcing the U18s game to be cut short at half-time and postponement of the U23s match.
But an inspection by referee Stewart Beattie about an hour before kick-off got the tick of approval, with the Dorrien Gardens pitch holding up well other than a couple of small muddy patches in the centre circle and goal mouths.
Perth SC started the match like they would rather have stayed dry and warm in the changerooms with the visitors looking dangerous, particularly on the counter.
And that was exactly how they scored the opener in the 11th minute.
Perkins looked to be fouled from behind just outside the Azzurri’s attacking penalty box, but there was no whistle and the ball was quickly played forward and out to the left to Armadale’s talisman Pieter Jacobsz.
Jacobsz played the ball across the goal into the path of Joshua Willis, who fired past Azzurri keeper Mateusz Zaniewski.
Perth SC were struggling to get into the game and the equaliser came against the run of play in the 45th minute.
Azzurri defender Sammie Riak won the ball off Jacobsz in midfield, stormed forward and then played a penetrating ball to Perkins on the left side of the penalty box.
Perkins rounded Armadale’s keeper Seb Medica, before cutting the ball back to Jackson Morgan, who then found Banks inside the six-yard box for a simple tap in.
Armadale were once again the better side early in the second half, pinning the Azzurri back for the first 15 minutes.
But it was Perkins who broke the game open in the 69th minute when his pace on the turn caused the Armadale defence all sorts of trouble and he was brought down inside the box by Luke Collins.
Perkins cooly converted the spot kick against Medica to give the Azzurri the lead.
Banks was superb for the Azzurri’s third in the 75th minute. He won the ball from an Armadale corner just outside his defensive penalty box, before playing down the left wing to Jamie McNelis.
McNelis drove to the touchline and cut the ball back to the penalty spot, where a marauding Banks finished a great goal with aplomb.
Banks’ third in the 89th minute was even better.
A great long diagonal ball from left back Sean O’Connor found Perkins out wide on the right. He cut the ball back once again for Banks who fired home from outside the box with a superb strike.
Hamish Van Dieken got one back for Armadale from a corner in injury time, but it was a much needed morale boost and three points for the Azzurri.
Perth SC remain in sixth spot on the NPLM ladder with 27 points. The boys are back at Dorrien Gardens next Saturday afternoon against third-placed Perth Glory.