Perth Glory FC continued its unbeaten home form in the Foxtel National Youth League after a 3-0 win against Newcastle Jets at the Ashfield Sports Complex at the weekend.
Striker Joe Knowles was the hero scoring a brace, making it four goals in three games for the former ECU Joondalup marksmen, while Brandon O’Neill, who was a standout in the middle of the park, scored the other.
“It was a pleasing performance from start to finish,” Glory Coach John Gibson said.
“We controlled the tempo of the game and dominated possession but we still have a lot more improvement in the whole group.”
The coach was pleased with the number of chances the side created and also delighted with the clean sheet.
“We created some great chances but we need to be more clinical and capitalise and punish the opposition,” he said. “But for me the highlight of the performance was the clean sheet, and our pressure on the ball and our defending all over the park. “The group displayed a great attitude and work ethic, which saw the positive performance.”
Glory controlled the first half and was rewarded with the lead on 38 minutes. Knowles in-swinging corner was headed home by O’Neill at the back post. The team doubled its lead sixty seconds later. Jets keeper John Solari was caught in possession by the alert Knowles, who rolled the ball into an empty net, to send the Glory youngsters into the break 2-0.
Perth started the second half where it left off in the first and Knowles added a third two minutes in. BorBor Sam was sent clear by a superb through ball from O’Neill, and he was brought down in the area, and referee Nico Hoyle pointed straight to the spot. Knowles stepped up and scored to make it 3-0.
The day ended on a sour note when Mitchell Oxborrow was given a second yellow card on 76 minutes and was sent off but the Glory held on to their three goal lead to move into joint second on the table, level on points with Melbourne City and Western Sydney Wanderers.
The Glory hit the road this week, when it takes on Central Coast Mariners, on Saturday morning.
National Youth League – Week 3
Perth Glory 3 (O’Neill 38’, Knowles 39’ 47’)
Newcastle Jets 0
Sunday 2nd November 2014
Ashfield Sports Club
Referee: Nico Hoyle
Assistants: Josh Nixon and Tom Dowie
Fourth Official: Matthew Southern
Perth Glory Youth: GK Jack DUNCAN, 2 Matthew DAVIES, 3 Jacob COLLARD (c), 4 Jack IREDALE, 5 Riley WOODCOCK, 6 Mitchell OXBORROW, 8 Slobodan VULIN, 10 Cameron EDWARDS, 9 Joe KNOWLES, 11 Borbor SAM, 17 Brandon O’NEILL,
Subs : RGK Jordan FRANKEN, 14 Todd NORRIS, 15 Ali GHOLAMI, 16 Calvin WHITNEY
Newcastle Jets Youth : GK John SOLARI, 2 Nicholas COWBURN, 3 Reece PAPADIMITRIOS, 4 Sam GALLAWAY, 5 Benjamin HAY, 6 Steve WHYTE, 7 Michael FINLAYSON, 8 Michael KANTARVSKI, 9 Radovan PAVICEVIC, 10 Nicholas OLSEN, 11 Brandon LUNDY,
Subs: RGK Jesse COOK, 12 Mitch COOPER, 14 Roman HOFMANN, 15 Andrew PAWIAK
