A Eugene Dadi goal has given the Perth Glory National Youth League team its first win of the season with a deserved 1-0 victory over the Newcastle Jets at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Friday night.
The Glory were always going to be a tough proposition with regular first team players Dadi and Amaral in their line-up and it was the duo’s experience that proved the difference in the Round 3 fixture.
Amaral brought a sense of calm to the midfield while Dadi’s presence in front of goal was invaluable as he grabbed the match-winner with a header in the 19th minute of the match.
The game started at a frantic pace with both sides pushing quick passes and stretching the play from one end of the field to the other, but it was the home side that had the best of the early chances.
Jets’ striker Mirjan Pavlovic slid his shot wide after finding himself in space down the right flank while Newcastle winger James Virgili was denied by a great smothering save from Perth goalkeeper Alex Pearson after Damian Brosque had put Virgile one-on-one with the keeper via a deft chip pass.
It was the visitors who eventually drew first blood in the 19th minute when Dadi leaped high to meet a cross from Reece Vittiglia on the right flank. Newcastle keeper Robbie Kolak was caught in two minds as he hesitated in coming forward and he could do nothing as Dadi’s header looped over him into the corner of the net.
The Jets went close to levelling the scores just after the half-hour mark when Virgili sprinted onto a good through ball inside the Glory penalty area but he squirted his shot over the crossbar.
Down the other end, Perth midfielder David Price got around an advancing Newcastle ‘keeper only to push his shot wide from an acute angle before Brosque, who looked dangerous for the Jets, sent a long-range effort over the crossbar to end the first half action.
Perth went on the attack from the opening of the second 45 with Dadi and the fleet-footed Ludovic Boi causing the Newcastle defence plenty of problems.
Glory midfielder Glem Trifiro should have buried a golden chance from 10-yards when he ran onto a short pass from Boi but he spooned his shot over the crossbar.
Perth continued to dominate possession and territory in the second stanza and should have doubled its advantage with Boi, Mario Marcinko and livewire substitute Million Butshire all being denied by scrambling defence from the Jets.
Newcastle ended the match with 10-players after goalkeeper Robbie Kolak was involved in a clash with Glory midfielder David Price in the 79th minute.
But the major positive for the home side was that regular first team starter Jobe Wheelhouse got through 80 minutes in his comeback match after a long injury lay-off.
Newcastle Jets Youth Team 0
Perth Glory Youth Team 1 (Dadi 19)
