Perth SC secured our first win on the road for the 2025 NPLM league season after a 3-0 win over Sorrento FC at Percy Doyle Reserve on Saturday.
Michael Scafetta’s brace and a late goal by Sam Riak continued the Azzurri’s unbeaten start to the campaign after four matches.
Scafetta got the Azzurri off to a flying start when he volleyed home the opener in the seventh minute after the Sorrento defence failed to deal with Josh Cala’s cross from the right.
Sorrento defender Scott Robertson had an excellent chance to equalise for the home side 10 minutes later but he failed to connect to Tim Hill’s cross at the far post.
That was Perth SC’s only real scare for the first half, with the Azzurri controlling most of the possession for long periods.
Then just after the half-hour mark, the Azzurri doubled our advantage with some “KennyBall”.
Goalkeeper Mark Birighitti played the ball to Luca Hirninger on the right side of the central defence, who drew a man, before playing wide to Cala on the right. Cala’s first time ball found the run of Gordon Perkins in the right channel, whose first time cross set up an easy tap in for Scafetta. A fantastic goal for the Azzurri executed perfectly from the training ground.
It could have been three just before the break when Perkins’ first time snapshot from Jamie McNelis’ cross from the right went wide of the post.
Down 2-0 at half-time, Sorrento piled on the pressure in the second half and had a number of half chances to get themselves back in the game.
However, the Azzurri weathered the storm and managed to pick up a third late in the game.
In the second minute of added time, Birighitti found substitute David Ninkovich in midfield, who played through an excellent pass to Ethan Banks to to put him one-on-one with Sorrento goalkeeper David Keenan.
Keenan saved Banks’ shot well with his right hand before Ninkovich intercepted Sorrento’s attempt to clear. Ninkovich drove right, rounded Keenan and laid the ball off to Riak to put the ball into the open net.
Perth SC now have 10 points from four matches to sit in thrid place on the NPLM ladder, two points behind league leaders Bayswater City.
League action takes a break next weekend and attention turns to the Australia Cup. Perth SC will host amateur side Perth AFC at Dorrien Gardens on Saturday at 3pm.