Balcatta into Baysie showdown

Report by Aisling Lawless

Balcatta progressed to the NPL WA preliminary final after conceding an own goal and scoring a penalty in the dramatic closing stages of their 3-1 win over Sorrento at Grindleford Reserve.

Ramon Falzon’s side will take on Bayswater next weekend to determine who will meet Perth SC in the Grand Final. Perth shocked Bayswater on Saturday with a 5-0 win that has ensured WA soccer’s big day will be held at Dorrien Gardens.

Balcatta led all game thanks to goals either side of half-time from Gustavo Catarcione but conceded in the 92nd minute before captain Adam Tong sealed the win with a penalty a minute later.

Defeat ended Sorrento’s season.

Falzon is now confident his side can beat Bayswater after a performance he labeled the best of their season.

“We’ve worked hard all year to play the way we did today and it was a solid 90 minutes of good football,” he said.

“But it will be a much different Bayswater when we face them. I’ve never seen them beaten that badly. They seemed a bit off the pace and burned out but I think they’ll get up again for next week.”

Sorrento had a free kick in the 10th minute but Scott Bulloch’s free header went beyond the post in an indication of things to come for the visitors.

The Gulls had their chances but could not manage to hit the target. Reece Vittiglia’s shot from 25m zipped past the left post in the 26th minute and Bulloch also narrowly missed just before half-time.

The home side looked most dangerous and Benny Kouakou came nail-bitingly close to scoring in the 20th minute when he had a free shot right in front of goal but Curtis Aspden kept it out.

Catarcione was clinical in front of goal and coolly slotted the ball past Aspden on the half hour mark.

It took him less than 10 minutes after the break to double the lead. Alex Caniglia made a great run into the box and passed to Catarcione, who knocked it into the back of the net with precision.

It was looking increasingly difficult for Sorrento to stage a comeback and tensions were raised as time went on.

Substitute Jason Mirco added some vigor down the right wing and in the 70th minute Vittiglia forced Balcatta keeper Clint Davies into his first save of the game.

The Gulls gave themselves brief hope in the 92nd minute after Mirco delivered a great ball into the box, which appeared to have been diverted into the net by Brodie Martin but was recorded by the official as an own goal.

But it was too little too late for the visitors as a minute later Danny Cain gave away a penalty and Tong confidently put the ball away.

Sorrento technical director Steve Neville said the team had made too many defensive errors this season.

“We’ve given bad goals away all season and that’s cost us today,” he said. “While we’ve been playing well the last few weeks we didn’t really cause them any problems and never got going.

“But we’ve had some good performances this season and we’ll look to improve defensively for next year.”

Balcatta 3 (Gustavo CATARCIONE 30’, 54’, Adam Tong pen 90+3)
Sorrento 1 (OG 90+2)
Sunday, 31st August 2014

Grindleford Reserve, Balcatta

Attendance: approx. 500
Kick-off: 2.30pm

Referee: Josh Mannella
Assistant Referees: Michael Jasinski, Josh Nixon, Trent Flesken

Balcatta: 1. Clint DAVIES, 3. Kieron STALLARD, 5. Adam TONG (c), 7. James SAMMUT, (20. Lawrence SHURUMA
83’), 10. Kris GATE, 19. Gustavo CATARCIONE, (9. Carlo COELHO 88’), 14. Benny KOUAKOU, 16. Alex CANIGLIA, (6. Luke RANDAZZO 80’), 17. Kieran COLWELL, 18. Marc de FRANCESCH, 20. Patrick QUINN.
Substitutes not used: 4. Alex SULESKI, 21. Damien STANOEVSKI.
Yellow Cards: Patrick QUINN 10’, Kieran COLWELL 63’, Kris GATE 81’.
Red Cards: Nil

Sorrento: 1. Curtis ASPDEN, 4. Shaun KILKELLY, 6. Daryl PLATTEN, 7. James MORGAN, (8. Brodie MARTIN 71’), 9. Todd HARNWELL, 11. Scott BULLOCH, 13. Steve MCDONALD, 14. Chris REID
16. Niccolo SABATINA, (2. Danny CAIN 59’), 17. Reece VITTIGLIA , 22. Ryan PEARSON, (10. Jason MIRCO 59’).
Substitutes not used: 60. James MORGAN (rgk), 44. Zack EDWARDS.
Yellow Cards:  Todd HARNWELL 64’,
Red Cards: Nil




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