Western Knights SC 2
Gosnells City FC 0
Written by Daniel Bodycoat
In Round 19 of the All Flags State League Division 1 competition, Western Knights faced Gosnells City SC. The Knights did come away with the win although it was not as emphatic as their previous encounter.
The opening of the game was relatively even with both sides struggling to test the goalkeepers of the respective teams.
Halfway through the first half, Gosnells had their best chance of the game but a brilliant reflex save by Sam Hutchings prevented the Knights form falling behind.
Western Knights had an opportunity to take the lead as Jamie Ricks slipped the ball to Paul Lloyd, past the defenders, but his shot was saved. The deflected ball rebounded to Ricks whose shot was also saved.
5 minutes before the end of the half, Steve Purton went on a dazzling run, dribbling straight through the entire Gosnells team. As he approached the box, he composed himself to slide the ball into the side netting.
Lloyd continued to find space and cause havoc on the wing throughout the second half. His first cross found Purton in the box but the header narrowly missed.
Immediately after that chance, Gosnells won a freekick. The curling shot missed all the players and Hutchings was forced to pull off a reflex save to prevent the equalizer and keep the clean sheet.
Western Knights were finally rewarded for their efforts down Lloyd’s wing when Ricks headed home the second goal of the game.
Whilst Gosnells did push to reduce the deficit, the lead was insurmountable and Western Knights finished the game with a comfortable 2-0 win. The victory was definitely needed after the disappointing loss in the previous round. With only a few games remaining before the end of the season, it will be interesting to see how high the Knights can climb up the ladder.