Western Knights SC 0
Shamrock Rovers Perth SC 2
Written by Daniel Bodycoat
In Round 15 of the All Flags State League Competition, Western Knights versed Shamrock Rovers. The game was bitterly disappointing for the Knights team. They hoped to build on the momentum from their last game but instead they failed to create any pressure on the league leaders.
10 minutes of the game transpired before Craig Riley was needed to clear the ball off of the goal line and save an early embarrassment for Western Knights.
Both teams severely struggled to control the possession in the opening stages.
A Knights defender tried to dribble out of defence but just before he released the ball he was tackled, exposing the defence. It was straightforward from there for the Shamrock striker to score the opening goal of the game.
Just before the referee blew the whistle for the conclusion of the first half, Shamrock were rewarded a freekick. The forward stepped up and smashed his shot into the roof of the net, thereby extending the lead to 2 goals.
The final challenge of the first half lead to a Western Knights player receiving his second yellow card of the game. The decision would force the Knights to close the deficit with only 10 men.
The second half was relatively anticlimactic. Both sides found chances few and far between.
Western Knights would use all their substitutions to attempt to turn the game around. These players made a valuable impact but not a decisive impact.
One of Western Knights best chances came when Paul Lloyd found space deep on the wing and his cross found Johny Mirco’s head, but it flew just wide.
The game would have given Western Knights a chance to close the gap between themselves and Shamrock Rovers on the ladder but it was not the case on this occasion. The team will regroup and come back stronger next week.