Report by Peter Simcox

A penalty five minutes from time from Floreat Athena striker Jamie Eames has given interim coach Glenn Grostate a winning start in the National Premier Leagues WA, with a 1-0 win against Subiaco at E&D Litis Stadium. 

It’s been a difficult few weeks on and off the pitch for Athena, but Grostate was delighted to get the points and hopes it will kick start their season.

“I’m really proud of the players today,” he said.

“The players have stuck together and put in a battling performance for me today and I couldn’t be happier.

“We’ve had many decisions go against us in close games this season, so today we got one to go for us.

“We knew it would be a tight game, and it was, but the win is fantastic for the club and it’s only up from here.”

Subiaco defender Laurence Gaughan was left distraught after the game after referee Alex Azcurra adjudged him to have handled the ball in the box.

“It was never a penalty...the ball came over and I slipped into the ball and it hit my arm,” he said.

“It was a shame because I thought we were the better team on the day, and created the better chances, but we’ve got to learn to take our chances and we will start to get the rewards.”

The visitors opened brightly and went close the opener after only three minutes. Alex Randell found Jordan Rhodes, whose shot from the edge of the penalty area was superbly saved by Tom Dixon.

Rhodes was a real handful for the Floreat defence and his shot from 12 yards flashed wide of the post on the quarter hour.

Both sides had late chances to take the lead into the break. First on 43 minutes, Gaughan’s shot was deflected goalwards, and Guy McDonald’s flick was saved on the line by Dixon.

Then in stoppage time Aryn Williams’ corner from the right was met by Bobby Wilson, his header from six yards was superbly saved by Subiaco keeper Sam Stone.

Like the first half, Subiaco began well and went close in the opening minutes following the restart. Rhodes’ pass slid in Matt Akehurst, but his shot from the angle went into the side netting. 

Moments later Mark Walsh’s header back to the keeper was short and Akehurst nipped in. He rounded the keeper but the angle was tight and he failed to find the target.

It was becoming an arm wrestle, with sides desperate for the points. Wilson sent Govan in on goal on 78 minutes, but Stone was out bravely to save at the defender’s feet. It looked like being one of those days for both clubs, but that all changed on 85 minutes.

Eames raced clear down the left, and he crossed into the penalty area looking for a teammate but Gaughan, under pressure from Ludovic Boi, slipped and fell on the ball. To his, and the rest of the Subiaco players’ disbelief, the referee pointed to the spot. Eames kept his nerve and fired past Stone to give Floreat the lead.

Subiaco pressed late looking for the equaliser. Rhodes fired wide when well-placed and Gaughan saw his header in stoppage time saved by Dixon, and at the final whistle it was Floreat celebrating their second win of the season.

Floreat Athena 1 (Eames 85’)
Subiaco 0
Saturday 12th April 2014
Venue – E&D Litis Stadium
Referee - Alex Azcurra
Assistants - Michal Jasinski and Rory Jackson

Floreat Athena - GK Tom DIXON, 2 Blair GOVAN, 6 Aryn WILLIAMS, 9 Bobby WILSON, 10 Jamie EAMES, 11 Zdenek BEZXDEK (3 Jack ALLEN 62’), 13 Cameron YORKE 14 Ludovic BOI, 16 Ashley CORKER, 17 Callum FRANSZ, 33 Mark WALSH

Subs not used – RGK Trystan AHERNS,  12 Kyle DOUGLAS, 15 Victor FENEHIA, 19 Yves MWILA
Yellow cards – Corker 16’

Subiaco – GK Sam STONE, 2 Nathan DIAZ (5 George TCHAMI 76’), 3 Rowdy YATES, 4 Alex RANDELL, 6 Brad McDONALD, 8 Jordan RHODES, 10 Guy McDONALD,  11 Matt AKEHURST (9 Ian McMURRAY 82’), 12 Mitch STEINBERG, 13 Jonas DORLING (7 Ger FITZGERALD 66’), 15 Laurence GAUGHAN

Subs not used – RGK Henry DAVIES
Yellow cards – Steinberg 6’, Gaughan 57’, Fitzgerald 78’