Armadale moves up the ladder

Armadale moves up the ladder

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Armadale had a come from behind victory on Saturday. Photograph - Peter Simcox.
Armadale had a come from behind victory on Saturday. Photograph - Peter Simcox.

Armadale moved off the bottom of the National Premier League WA table for the first time since round 14 last season after a stirring 4-2 win against a 10-man Perth Glory at Inglewood stadium.

The home side raced to a two-goal lead after 16 minutes thanks to a brace from striker Nikola Talimdzioski.

But the game changed when former Armadale defender Nathan Costello was sent off for the home side just after the half hour mark.

Danny Hodgson bagged a brace and the unfortunate Talimdzioski scored his third, but in the wrong net. The points were made safe eight minutes from time when substitute Jackson Bealey added the fourth.

The home side made a perfect start and was ahead in the opening minute.

Tom King burst down the left and pulled the ball back from the byline to Talimdzioski, whose first time shot crashed off the bar and bounced down on the line, but assistant referee Liviu Katona flagged that the ball was over the line.

Armadale went in search of a reply immediately and Hodgson was sent through one-on-one with Glory keeper Jordan Franken, who stood tall to deny him.

But on the quarter hour mark the Glory doubled their advantage.

Slobodan Vulin slid a perfectly weighted through ball to Talimdzioski and the striker held off his marker and finished clinically past Dylan Wilson.

The game then took a massive twist when referee Steven Gregory sent off Costello.

A long ball over the top sent Hodgson racing clear, Costello got back with a last ditch tackle, but Gregory believed he didn’t get the ball and showed him a straight red card.

Things went from bad to worse for the home side, as from the resulting free kick, Hodgson curled the ball up and over the wall and into the net via the post.

Then in the shadows of half time Armadale leveled.
Dejan Spaseski brought down Hodgson and Gregory pointed straight to the spot, before Hodgson picked himself up and fired low past Franken.

But there was still time for Armadale to take the lead.

A corner from the right by Mitch Castrilli deflected off the unfortunate Talimdzioski into the net, to send them into the break 3-2 ahead.

Both sides had chances early in the second half as Wilson pushed substitute Stefan Valentini’s shot around the post, before Darren Francis’ shot from the edge of the box flashed over the top.

The Glory were defending well and hitting on the counter attack, with Valentino a constant threat, but Armadale looked more likely to score, and Alex Castiello headed over the top on the hour.

Armadale had the perfect opportunity to wrap up the points on 80 minutes when Faustino Machochi was brought down in the area by Spaseski and they were rewarded another penalty.

Hodgson stepped up, but his spot kick was superbly saved by Franken low to his right.
But from the resulting corner they did put the game to bed.

Castiello’s header was superbly tipped on to the bar by Franken but the Glory couldn’t clear their lines and Bealey fired home the rebound from five metres.

Report by Peter Simcox