Dunsborough 4 beat Dalyellup 1

The Dunsborough Towners took an important step to consolidate their place in the top four of the South West Premier league with a meritorious 4-1 victory over Dalyellup at Dalyellup on Sunday.

This year was always going to be tough for both Dunsborough and Dalyellup forced into the Premier league due to circumstances beyond their control.

As it is both have performed creditably against the odds forcing the more established clubs to struggle for a success and sometimes lower their colours.

The pattern of Sunday’s encounter was dictated by a strong wind blowing down the ground producing a match in which one side and then the other dominated territorial possession.

For the Towners it was panicky, frenetic start against a Dalyellup that took the initiative from the first whistle controlling the midfield and pressuring Dunsborough into hasty clearances.

In the second minute a speculative shot from Dalyellup’s midfield driving force captain Paul Turner forced an error from goalkeeper Josh Watt who let the ball slip through his hands fortunately to dribble over the bar for a corner.

Turner made no mistake in the 16th minute when he converted a penalty after Brent Hillyard had unaccountably pushed an opponent in the back deep in the penalty area.

Apart from that mistake Hillyard’s debut in the first team was full of merit and should have cemented his place for the rest of the season.

Dunsborough gradually settled and four minutes later equalised following a silky piece of football from the mesmerising Joe Pregelj ghosting past two defenders before releasing a high cross that was met by Stuart Gidley to head home.

For the rest of the half there fleeting chances to both sides, though generally the respective defences held sway.

It was the Towners turn to take advantage of the wind in the second-half and within four minutes they were in front when Richard Olsen met a Graeme Copeman pass, cleverly turned his man and calmly stroked neat ground shot inside the post.

Powerful midfielder Neil Muckles added to tally in the 72nd min with his first goal for the club with fierce low shot that flashed past goalkeeper Greg Soutar after Dalyellup’s defence elected to drop back rather than close Muckles down.

Olsen, having his best game of the season and picked as the “Chicken Treat Man of the Match”, accepted a high cross in the 84th minute, outjumped his marker and looped a header over the keeper to make the game safe for the Towners.

There were two dangerous moments for Dunsborough in the closing moments when Dalyellup’s attack broke through with certain goals beckoning only for Dion Schildmann’s speed and timely interceptions to deny the home side a lifeline.

“After a scrappy start playing against the wind and giving the ball away cheaply we stamped our authority on the game in the second-half and could have won by a bigger margin,” said coach Geoff Holt after the game.


Dunsborough line-up

Josh Watt, Cid Richards, Dion Schildmann, Brent Hillyard, Terry McBride, Joe Peachey, Neil Muckles, Stuart Gidley, Graeme Copeman, Joe Pregelj, Richard Olsen. Substitutes: Lukas Diwersy, Jake Smith, Clint Thompson, Mark Ferguson

Goalscorers: Richard Olsen 2, Neil Muckles, Stuart Gidley.

Chicken Treat Man of the Match: Richard Olsen.