Report by Aidan Shaw

 

A late equaliser by Chris Saldaris has seen Floreat Athena shatter Inglewood United’s title hopes on the final day of the PS4NPLWA season.

Inglewood led for the majority of the match thanks to a classy Hamza Hina goal in the first half, and withstood constant attacking pressure throughout.

Saldaris’ headed effort in the 86th minute from a Dean Evans corner brought the scores to 1-1, and effectively handed the league title to his former side Bayswater.

Despite being the decisive goal of the league it wasn't enough to earn Floreat a place in the McInerney Ford Top Four Cup, and their season is now over.

“It felt good, but it is not the result we wanted,' Saldaris said.

"We’ve just got to fight back next year and see what happens."

Remaining pragmatic amongst an understandably devastated Inglewood camp, coach Andy Keogh reflected on the match and the season as a whole.

“Set pieces are what did us," he said.

"It’s been our Achilles heel this season. You get a delivery like that from Dean Evans, time and time again it’s going to hurt you, so that was our downfall.

“A league is a league for a reason, it’s 26 games and it doesn't get defined by one result on the last day, it gets defined by every game you’ve played that year.”

“Looking back, we’re not defined by a set piece, we’re defined by the silly points we dropped throughout the season.”

Floreat made it clear from the outset they wouldn’t make it easy for Inglewood, and dominated possession in the early stages.

Inglewood began to come into the match, and opened the scoring on the half hour mark when star striker Alex Salmon played a superb touch into the path of Hamza Hina.

Hina surged forward and beat his marker for pace, before rounding Jason Saldaris and firing home with his left foot from a tight angle.

 Despite conceding several set pieces, Inglewood prevented Floreat from registering a shot on target before half time.

Floreat came out of the blocks in the second half and threatened Inglewood’s goal on several occasions, before being awarded a penalty in the 65th minute.

Skipper Dean Evans stepped up and fired into the upright, drawing a roar of relief from the visiting support.

Inglewood continued to concede set piece after set piece, and it was from a late corner that their league hopes were shattered.

Evans’ pin point delivery found Chris Saldaris at the back post, and he headed home just as word came through that Bayswater City had beaten Stirling Lions.

Inglewood threw everything forward deep into stoppage time, but were ultimately left to endure anguish on the last day of the season for the second year running. 

 

Floreat Athena 1 (C Saldaris 86min)

Inglewood United 1 (Hina 30min)

Saturday, August 26, 2017

E&D Litis Stadium

Kick-off: 3:00pm

Referee: David Bruce

Assistant Referees: Nico Hoyle, Simon Hicks

Floreat Athena: GK Jason SALDARIS, 3. Clayton ARNEZ, 4. Andrew SCALDAFERRO (18. Phillip ARNOLD 60), 6. Jesse FULLER, 8. Jonathan STYNES, 12. Jackson MORGAN, 13. Zelfy NAZARY (11. Juma AWAKA 68), 14. Ludovic BOI, 15. Chris SALDARIS, 16. Edin NILAC, 17. Dean EVANS (c)

Substitutes not used: RGK Jordan BARBAS, 9. Declan HUDSON, 20. Joseph TWEATS

Yellow cards: Nilac 11, Morgan 66

Red cards: nil

Inglewood United: GK Alex DUNN, 2. Alex ISHIDA-LIVINGS, 3. David CYRUS (c), 4. Scott BLACKMORE, 7. Kenny KEOGH, 8. Jason BARRERA, 9. Alex SALMON, 10. Ashley ROSINDALE (19. Chok DAU 51), 15. Brian FARRELL, 16. Matthew NTOUMENOPOULOS (5. Adam TONG 81), 17. Hamza HINA (14. Feisal Zaw 78)

Substitutes not used: RGK Riley STEPHENSON, 18. Jason COLLI

Yellow cards: Cyrus 62, Ishida-Livings 65

Red cards: nil