Report by Aisling Lawless

Balcatta are all but resigned to missing out on the National Premier Leagues WA title despite a stoppage-time goal rescuing a point in a 1-1 draw against ECU Joondalup at Grindleford Reserve yesterday.

Balcatta went into the game trailing league leading Bayswater City by five points – a gap that blew out to seven points after Bayswater beat Stirling and Perth climbed to second with a win over Inglewood United.

With five games to play, Balcatta assistant Steve Zagami conceded Bayswater were unlikely to let slip their lead.

“It’s getable but they need to trip and we need to keep on winning,” Zagami said.

“We should have been more clinical with finishing and should have taken much more advantage of the first period, to possibly win the game.

“But we’ve had some changes in our personnel, which has probably influenced our game a little bit. But you can’t fault the endeavour of the guys who are playing.”

ECU Joondalup coach Dale McCulloch was bitterly disappointed to have let victory slip after David Foster’s 47th-minute goal was cancelled out by Balcatta captain Adam Tong two minutes into stoppage time.

Despite recent strong performances, ECU have failed to win any of their past four matches.

“It seems like I’m saying this every week now but we should have come away with the three points,” McCulloch said.

“We’ve had some tough luck these last few weeks but in the end there’s not much you can do about it.”

Both coaches were frustrated during the game and received cautions from the referee.

ECU started the game strongly but Balcatta should have gone ahead after 12 minutes when Benny Kouakou beat keeper Andy Banks in a one-on-one but the ball hit the side netting.

The home side struggled to convert their opportunities, Alex Caniglia coming closest four minutes into first-half stoppage time when his shot bounced off a post soon after Kouakou had been denied by Banks.

ECU’s chances were also limited and when captain Jon Higgins curled in a free-kick it eluded Dejan Spaseski.

But Joondalup were in front two minutes after the restart when Foster headed
past keeper Clint Davies, who had failed to clear the previous attempt.

Balcatta were almost level in the 77th minute but Kouakou’s shot was cleared off the line.

But the home side’s pressure paid off when Tong thumped the ball past Banks in the dying seconds of the game.

Balcatta FC 1 (Adam TONG 92’)
ECU Joondalup 1 (David FOSTER 47’)
Saturday 12 July, 2014

Grindleford Reserve, Balcatta

Kick-off: 3.00pm

Referee: 
T. Fleskens
Assistant referees: C. Irvine, A. Hosany
Crowd: 200 (approx)
 
Balcatta: 1. (gk) Clint DAVIES, 3. Alex SULESKI, 5. Adam TONG, 6. Luke RANDAZZO, (9. Carlo COELHO 56’), 8. David CYRUS, 10. Laurence SHURAMA, 13. Patrick SARA, (7. James SAMMUT 75’), 14. Benny KOUAKOU, 16. Alex CANIGLIA, 17. Kieran COLWELL, 20. Patrick QUINN

Substitutes not used: 12. Matt BROOK, 19. Ben MEREDITH, 21. Damien STANOESVSKI.
Yellow cards:  Kieran COLWELL 52’, Patrick QUINN 87’.
Red cards: Nil
 
ECU Joondalup: 1. (gk) Andy BANKS, 2. Ryan LOWRY, 3. Jon HIGGINS (c), 4. Charlie COMYN-PLATT, 5. Carl RODGERS, 7. Henry DURR, 8. Stuart MONTGOMERY, (14. William BISSETT 75’), 9. David FOSTER, (15. Ryan TOWNSEND 85’), 10. Andy HIGGINS, 11. Danny DIXON, 13. Tommy AMPHLETT, (12. Dejan SPASESKI 20’).

Substitutes not used: 16. Daniel HEPWORTH, 21. Jamie SERRA.

Yellow cards: Charlie COMYN-PLATT 28’, Carl RODGERS 43’, Stuart MONTGOMERY 62’
Red cards: Nil