The Subway Joeys bounced back from a first-up defeat to blitz the Solomon Islands Under-19 team 4-1 in Honiara on Sunday.
In the second match of Australia U17s three-game PacificAus Sports Football Tour following an opening loss to the Solomons, the Subway Joeys emphatically dispatched of hosts the Solomon Islands thanks to a two-goal haul from Perth Glory prospect Max Naylor in front of 11,000 fans.
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There were 10 changes made by head coach Brad Maloney, with Jai Ajanovic (Central Coast Mariners), Charlie Parkin (Brisbane Roar), Zane Stevenson (Sydney FC), Marco Santangelo (Sydney FC), Alex Bolton (Perth Glory), Rhys Williams (Brisbane Roar), Nickolas Alfaro (Sydney FC), Logan Samsbrook, Isaiah Boston (Melbourne City), Samuel Stanway and Naylor in the starting XI.
After Sydney FC youngster Stevenson broke the deadlock in the 13th minute, Naylor – described as one of the “standout” performers for Glory’s U18 side this year – doubled the lead three minutes later.
Naylor entered the three-game tour with 11 goals for the Glory, having scored four goals in Perth’s two matches before his international commitments.
Samuel Stanway made it 3-0 nine minutes prior to the interval before Taylor bagged his second of the match approaching the hour mark in a move described as “the best team goal of the tournament”.
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“The boys learned a lot from the first game, that’s what we’ve came here for: to learn from these matches playing against older players,” said head coach Brad Maloney.
“We’ve had three or four 15-year-olds playing against 20-year-olds in these games, and even the 16-year-olds have found it quite physical, the learning experience has been fantastic.
“These matches give us the opportunity to try new players, to try players in different positions, and to see different combinations.
“It’s great to see the younger ones coming in and being able to play and contribute to the team and see how they fit in with the with the older group. These matches provide a huge learning curve for the boys.
“From the first game, we learned to retain possession a bit better, minimise our errors particularly in defence, and minimise the opposition’s chances on goal. I thought the boys really tidied that up tonight.”
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