Craig Laird's SAASL Sunday Premier Division Round 7 Report

[Gabon]

Match of the Day

ELIZABETH Downs are now raging Championship favourites after dismantling Salisbury Florina 10-0 at Underdown Park.

The Maroons travelled to Florina looking to build on six wins out of six while the 3rd placed Florina were looking to maintain their 100% home record.

Florina were behind on two minutes when Luke Lawley cut in from the left hand side before finding striker Matt Watson who took his chance in style.

The visitors doubled their lead through a Scott Lindsay header and on 15 minutes Watson struck again when he slotted the ball below the Florina keeper.

After the break it was one way traffic with Watson bagging four goals while Lindsay and Allotey both claiming hat tricks.

The pick of the goals being a cracking curled shot from Allotey which went across the keeper and nestled in the top far corner.

Downs coach Alan Mottram “Our boys were up for the challenge today. The intensity was high and some of our play was of a really good standard.”

PARAFIELD Gardens remain five points behind Elizabeth Downs after a 3-2 win over Southern Knights at Southern Knights Oval.

After a 0-0 stalemate in the opening half Gardens took the lead through Oathman Fazilahmed who slotted his chance coolly and Gardens went 2-0 up when Alban Martini scored the goal of the match with a 25 yard shot.

Knights halved the deficit soon after before a Fazilahmed cross was fired home by Aaron Westervelt and while Knights scored again to make it 3-2, they couldn’t deny Gardens a fifth successive win.

BRAHMA Lodge has ended a two game losing run with a comfortable 6-2 win over Elizabeth Vale at Cockburn Green.

Lodge opened the scoring in the 1st minute when Matthew Bekirovski fired his shot home.

Lewis Vallelonga soon doubled Lodge’s lead before Jarred Foster headed home a Jay Crescenzi cross and a Peter McDermott header from close range rounded out a dominant 1st half display by the champions.

The 2nd half was a tighter affair with Mark Burbridge and James Greaves scoring for the visitors while Foster scored another two to claim his hat trick for Lodge.

Vale coach Tim Crawford “We didn’t show up 1st half. We showed we can compete in the 2nd half but you can’t give teams like Brahma a four goal start.”

INGLE Farm have come from behind to defeat Salisbury Inter 2-1 at Walkleys Oval.

Inter had the best chance of the opening half when some fine build up play finished with Marcus Marchioro whose shot was denied by the cross bar as the teams went to the break at 0-0.

The visitors took the lead on the hour when Matt Centrone cut the ball back from the left hand side before Chris Fleming flicked the ball home from close range.

Farm drew level soon after when a free kick was cleared into the path of Matt Cox who fired his shot into the top corner from 20 yards.

With eight minutes remaining Farm grabbed the winner when an Alla Mobedi free kick to the back post was brilliantly headed home by Cox to the delight of the Farm faithful.

Farm coach Paul Simpson “We played really well last week so it was great to see the boys get rewarded for their efforts today.”

Inter coach Steve Cook “We had enough chances to get something from the game but to be honest we were below par today.”

PARA Hills East made it three wins from their last four with a comfortable 4-1 win over the struggling Modbury Vista at Para Hills Oval.

Easties got off to the perfect start when on five minutes Tom Humphreys strode through the Vista defence before tucking the ball away.

East doubled their lead early in the 2nd half when Jack Wagener converted from the penalty spot.

The game was all but over when a Daniel Pearce header found the net and Jake McCabe made it 4-0 when he fired the ball home from the edge of the box.

Vista grabbed a late goal through Robbie Williams but it couldn’t dampen the spirits of East coach Ryan Basteble “We have been creating chances in all our games so it’s great to see our boys now taking those. I think the team are starting to believe they belong in this league.”