Ali Nazary netted the winner 20 minutes from time as the NPL All Stars XI came from behind to defeat the State League All Stars Xi 2-1 in the Football West Bushfire Charity Match.
The Armadale winger collected Luke Salmon’s pass inside the area before striking across Johnny Perkins into the far corner of the net.
It proved the decisive moment in the second game of an entertaining double-header at Perth SC’s Dorrien Gardens after Trent Ostler’s first-half spot-kick had cancelled out Jayden Drummond’s opener.
Hundreds of supporters turned out on a mild Perth summer evening to support the event, with proceeds to be donated to Rural Aid as part of the Football For Fire-Affected Farmers, Their Families And Communities initiative.
All 12 NPL clubs provided at least one player for the fixture, with the State team drawing their players from 11 clubs across Saturday’s lower tiers, and it led to an entertaining contest in front of a healthy summer crowd.
Football West Technical Manager Cris Ola took charge of the NPL side while Development Officer Garry Church was coach of the State League team.
The State League side started well, perhaps with a point to prove against their NPL opponents, as Richard Howles lifted a good chance over the bar before Josh Kotio’s goal was ruled out for handball.
They did not have to wait long for the opener to arrive though, as Kingsley Westside’s Drummond whipped into the top corner after 12 minutes to finish a flowing move down the left.
That woke up the NPL All Stars as new Bayswater City signing Riley Warland headed wide before Paul Zimarino was denied by a fine save from James Bosdet.
Forrestfield’s Rhys Loxley stung the palms of Perkins from distance in an end-to-end first half, but minutes later the State League side conceded a penalty which Ostler stepped up and dispatched after a stuttering step on approach.
Ostler, one of two Perth Glory players in the NPL All Stars line-up along with keeper Jackson Lee, stepped up to the penalty spot again four minutes later but this time Quinns FC keeper Bosdet guessed correctly to keep the scores level.
The sides went into the break level despite a late NPL chance when Zimarino, on his home ground, made a yard for himself but blasted over from inside the penalty area.
Clear-cut chances were less frequent in the second half, with substitute Julian Teles glancing the best of the early moments wide from Jakub Prajza’s free-kick.
A trio of replacements then combined for the eventual winner as Sam Riak won the ball in midfield, slipped in Salmon who in turn fed Nazary for a clinical finish at the ground he called home in 2018.
Drummond fired over after driving into the area as the State League All Stars rallied late on to try and conjure up an equaliser.
And their best chance fell to Western Knights playmaker Andrija Jukic in the final minutes, but he shot straight at Lee as the top tier team came out on top.
Earlier in the day the Gold Fields State Amateur Team defeated an Amateur Select XI 5-0.
Hamersely’s Cosmino Figlimeni opened the scoring on five minutes but it was after the break the State side ran away with the game.
Stephen Geoghegan (Wembley Downs) made it 2-0 five minutes into the second half, before late goals from Liam Hunt (Quinns FC), Lee Bates (Kwinana United) and Wayne Carter (Quinns FC).
Football West Bushfire Charity Match
NPL All Stars XI 2 (Ostler 26min pen, Nazary 71′)
State League All Stars XI 1 (Drummond 12′)
Saturday January 18, 2020
Dorrien Gardens
Kick-off: 7:00pm
Referee: David Bruce
Assistant referees: Arvin Shanmuganathan, Harry Bolan
FIRST HALF
NPL All Stars: GK: Johnny PERKINS, 2. Ali NAZARY (14. Alex ISHIDA-LIVINGS 38′), 3. Blair GOVAN, 4. Riley WARLAND, 5. Jesse Lazzaro (12. Sam MITCHINSON 38′), 6. Joel SANDERSON, 7. Michael DOMFEH, 8. Jesse FULLER, 9. Paul ZIMARINO, 10. Jakub PRAJZA, 11. Trent OSTLER.
State League All Stars: GK: James BOSDET, 2. Andrew CARTWRIGHT, 4. Harry CLISBY, 6. Josh KOTIO, 7. Zdenek BEZDEK, 8. Andrija JUKIC, 10. Richard HOWLES, 11. Rhys LOXLEY, 14. Liam PEACOCK, 17. Jayden DRUMMOND, 18. Oscar THOMPSON.
SECOND HALF
NPL All Stars: GK: Jackson LEE, 10. Jakub PRAJZA (5. Jesse LAZZARO 65′), 11. Trent OSTLER (2. Ali NAZARY 55′), 12. Sam MITCHINSON, 13. Lydon HODGKISS, 14. Alex ISHIDA-LIVINGS, 15. Robert DEL BORELLO, 16. Luke SALMON, 17. Sam RIAK, 18. Julian TELES, 19. Shane CASSIDY.
State League All Stars: GK: James BOSDET, 2. Andrew CARTWRIGHT, 4. Harry CLISBY (10. Richard HOWLES 72′), 8. Andrija JUKIC, 9. James OLDROYD, 11. Rhys LOXLEY (19. Slobodan VULIN 54′, Jayden DRUMMOND 83′), 12. Kade FEARNALL (7. Zdenek BEZDEK 83′), 14. Liam PEACOCK, 16. Michael DEBELLIS (11. Rhys Loxley 83′), 17. Jayden DRUMMOND (5. Antony RUSSO 54′, Josh KOTIO 83′), 18. Oscar THOMPSON.
Yellow cards: Warland 24′
Red cards: Nil
Filed Under: Men's State League