Report by Tommy Doleman

Photo: Football West News

Five second half goals for Perth boosted their chances of a top two finish in an entertaining 5-2 win over Floreat Athena at Dorrien Gardens.

The visitors, who had only lost twice this season prior to this clash, took a deserved lead into the break as Lewis McMahon nodded home on the half hour.

But Perth found an extra gear after the break, and despite trailing for a second time after Steve Burton’s goal, Mark Pritchard and Frank Furfaro put them in a commanding position.

Dean Evans scored a fifth late on as Perth coach Taki Nicolaidis reflected on a more fluid performance after halftime.

“We worked harder in the second half, got the ball to feet and got the runners going forward,” he said.

“We were a bit wasteful in the midfield third going forward and tried to force things too much.

“But our shape was good, we fine-tuned a few things with pushing Mark (Pritchard) forward and getting Reece (Vittiglia) in behind more.”

Nicolaidis also emphasised the importance of keeping Perth’s season alive with a top two finish and a cup final still in sight.

“Had we lost today it (the league) would have been all over, but now three points behind and three games to go, we’ve got to win to keep the pressure on Floreat,” he said.

“We’ve still got a cup final to play at the end of the season and every player who comes to Perth wants to win trophies."

Perth’s best moment of the first half came on the quarter-hour mark as Clark Keltie’s drive tested Fraser Greenwood after an initial set piece from Evans hit the wall.

But Floreat settled better and should have led when Ludo Boi found McMahon, only for the former Sheffield Wednesday forward to shoot wide.

He would not be denied a second time, though, as Francis Soale’s punch went straight up in the air and landed on McMahon’s head for a 1-0 lead at the break.

Both keepers were busy at the start of the second half as Soale made amends by tipping over Bobby Wilson’s header before Greenwood palmed Vittiglia’s volley away.

Perth’s leveler arrived nine minutes into the second half when Andreas Theodosiades capitalised on a fumble from Greenwood to tap in and start a run of five goals in 16 minutes.

Burton poked past Soale two minutes later to restore Floreat’s lead, but the hosts equalised for a second time when Pritchard raced clear to slot past an onrushing Greenwood.

Momentum swung back to the hosts, who led when Furfaro cut in from the left and fired a pile-driver into the far corner, before Pritchard scored his second after good initial work from the former down the right.

Josh Wilkins then fed Evans with five minutes remaining to cap off a fine second half performance from Perth with a tidy finish.

Perth SC 5 (Theodosiades 54mins, Pritchard 59’, 70’, Furfaro 62’, Evans 85’)
Floreat Athena 2 (McMahon 30mins, Burton 56’)
Saturday August 15, 2015
Dorrien Gardens
Local kick-off: 3:00pm
Referee: Adam Fielding 

Perth SC: GK: Francis SOALE, 2. Joshua WILKINS, 3. David CYRUS, 4. Aleksander SUSNJAR, 5. Dean EVANS, 6. Clark KELTIE, 13. Rocco PIZZATA, 14. Mark PRITCHARD, 17. Reece VITTIGLIA, 19. Andreas THEODOSIADES (16. Nicholas AMBROGIO 70’), 21. Frank FURFARO (7. Matt MILENKOVIC 86’).
Substitutes not used: RGK: Alex DUNN, 9. Harley ORR, 11. Julian MADASCHI
Yellow Cards: Susnjar 29’
Red Cards: Nil 

Floreat Athena: GK: Fraser GREENWOOD, 2. Blair GOVAN, 3. Jack ALLEN, 4. Aryn WILLIAMS, 5. Bobby WILSON, 8. Robert GASPAR (6. Clayton ARNEZ 65’), 11. Dennis GALAN (17. Callum FRANSZ 79’), 12. Kris GATE (18. Phil ARNOLD 25’), 14. Ludovic BOI, 19. Steve BURTON, 20. Lewis MCMAHON.
Substitutes not used: RGK: Mitchell PAPPAS, 15. Andrew SCALDAFERRO
Yellow Cards: Wilson 14’
Red Cards: Nil