UWA Nedlands FC returned to the winner’s circle with a hard fought 3-1 victory over Dianella White Eagles SC in their round 17 encounter in State League Division One on the weekend.
Dianella came into the encounter needing a win to climb out of the relegation zone, while UWA was looking to put last week’s miserable performance behind it.
UWA had goalkeeper Ranjeet Sekhon to thank for keeping scores level as he produced a few fine saves .
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READ NOWUWA reacted strongly and found the lead on the half hour mark.
Strong work in the midfield from Marc Zagami gave Alex Kretowicz a sniff of goal, and that was all the striker needed to outmuscle Dianella’s centre backs and poke the ball goal-ward from close range to give UWA a 1-0 lead.
Dianella pushed to equalise before the break but met strong resistance in the form of Joshua Marocchi and Marco Warmt-Murray, who ensured UWA headed into half time with the advantage.
Dianella came out revitalised in the second period and was unlucky not to find itself on level terms when Joshua Tumoe’s shot from the edge of the area was fired at goal but Sekhon was equal to the task and produced a fine save low to his right to keep UWA in the lead.
Despite the best efforts of the UWA defence, led by the experienced Marocchi, Dianella was able to strike level on the hour mark.
Danger man Tumoe gathered the ball on the left wing and waltzed his way through four defenders before cutting in and firing his shot past Sekhon to make it 1-1.
After being off the pace for much of the second half, UWA coach Michael Janssen looked to Lloyd Prout and Geordie Papathanassiou to make the difference, and their introduction had an instant impact with UWA finding its feet .
It was not long before the boys in green got itself back in front and it was through a familiar source.
Kretowicz was yet again the quickest to react to a dangerous ball into the box from super sub Lloyd Prout.
Kretowicz was able to find himself enough space to pull the trigger and left Gharsallah with no chance as his effort found the bottom corner.
UWA made sure of the result with 10 minutes to go.
A break down the left wing from Mordecai Appiah resulted in a dangerous ball into the box, where, substitute Geordie Papathanassiou superbly brought the ball down and found enough space to smash the ball into the roof of the netting from the edge of the area and seal the 3 points for UWA.