Bryce Bafford scored twice as the PGFC Academy First Team secured an impressive 3-1 victory over ECU Joondalup in Saturday’s NPL WA clash at 1620 Capital Stadium.
The first of Bafford’s goals arrived just before the break, with the livewire forward also having a hand in Charlie Leech’s close-range effort which doubled Glory’s lead shortly after the restart.
Any notion of an ECU fightback was then dispelled when Bafford slotted home his second of the afternoon on 64 minutes, rendering Ben Hinshelwood’s stoppage-time effort nothing more than a consolation for the visitors.
Following an impeccably-observed minute’s silence to mark the tragic passing of prominent WA football figure Rod Banjac, Glory were out of the blocks quickly, with Bafford, Leech and Giordano Colli all going close to giving them an early lead.
Johnny Perkins then did well did to keep out an angled strike from Josh Rawlins, but the ECU ‘keeper was helpless to prevent the hosts from hitting the front in the 43rd minute, Bafford turning neatly just inside the box before opening his body up and calmly stroking the ball into the far corner.
1-0 became 2-0 seven minutes into the second half, Bafford releasing substitute Aidan Edwards down the right whose low cross was bundled home at the far post by the lurking Leech.
Leech then turned provider for Glory’s third, capitalising upon some hesitant ECU defending before unselfishly squaring for Bafford who applied a simple finish.
Sam Reilly was eventually called into action to bat away Danny Hodgson’s free-kick as the visitors attempted to muster a late response, but it wasn’t until stoppage-time that they managed to find a way through an impressively resolute Glory defence, Hinshelwood bundling home a cross from fellow-substitute Dor Jok.
The victory, their second of the season, sees Richard Garcia’s side climb to third on the ladder ahead of next week’s trip to tenth-placed Bayswater City.
In the day’s other games, meanwhile, the Under-18s maintained their 100% record this term with a 2-0 win and the Under-20s also picked up three points courtesy of a 6-1 triumph.
Match Details
Perth Glory 3 (Bafford 43′, 64′ Leech 52′) ECU Joondalup 1 (Hinshelwood 90+1′)
Half-time: 1-0
Referee: Tom Glavovic
Perth Glory: GK Sam REILLY, 2. Mason TATFU, 5. Nick WALSH, 6. Lewis TUCKER (18. Fraser DUNLOP 69’), 7. Jack PAINTER-ANDREWS (16. Joseph FORDE 81’), 8 Jayden LEADER (17. Aidan EDWARDS 39’), 9. Bryce BAFFORD, 10. Giordano COLLI, 11. Charlie LEECH, 13. Alessandro CIRCATI, 22. Josh RAWLINS
Substitutes not used: RGK Kade WHITE, 15 Aiki TSUKAMOTO
Yellow Cards: Dunlop, Colli, Circati
Red Cards: None
ECU Joondalup: GK Johnny PERKINS, 2 Luke RHODES (8 Tom HOUGH 46’), 4 Riley WARLAND, 5 Ryan LOWRY, 6 Sami RIAK, 7 Danny HODGSON, 10 Andy HIGGINS, 11 Ethan BROOKS (14 Ben HINSHELWOOD 53’), 12 Callum TIMMINS, 13 Tommy AMPHLETT (6 Dor JOK 53’), 18 Luke BODNAR (9 Bayley BROWN-MONTGOMERY 76’)
Substitutes not used: RGK Joe POLLARD
Yellow Cards: Warland, Brooks, Timmins
Red Cards: None
(picture courtesy of Tom McCarthy)
#OneGlory
