In the Sunday afternoon sunshine we have produced another solid performance to beat bottom side Canning City 4-2. Khaled Salhah got Curtin off to a great start with a perfectly struck long range strike beating the Canning keeper who was well out of his goal. Salhah made it two in the 20th minute and was looking in fine form. He had the ball in the net thinking he had a first half hatrick after being played through by Daniel Young but was denied by an offside flag.

The half time team talks must have been drastically different as Canning came roaring out second half and had one back within 30 seconds of the restart. Eight minutes later it was 2-2 as Canning’s captain won a back post header from a corner. The famous “Curtin we need to lift” was roared from the aging lungs of centre back Mark Donnely and lift we did.

Captain Antony Russo broke free from midfield with a driving run and the ball broke lose to Dilip Thapa, much like last week he produced a swerving thunderbolt smashing the inside of the Canning post from 25 yards and Young sided footed home the rebound to make it 3-2.

From there the pressure built as Salhah had a chance at his hatrick from a free kick, not his best effort low flying aircraft were more at risk that the Canning net. The Nepalese Messi, Thapa, showed him how moments later. His free kick from the corner of the box flew in with pace, players running across the line of the ball, the setting sun blinding the keeper and the swerve of the ball beat everyone, 4-2 Curtin.

At 4-2 Mick Philp began to ring the changes withdrawing the tiring Russo and Goal scorer Young. Curtin were looking comfortable until the last 10 minutes, with all three subs used, substitute Alex Herreau strained his hamstring, noticeably hobling he stayed on but Curtin were effectively playing with 10. Fatigue was setting in on a thirty degree day, spaces were starting to appear, but we held on for the win to send Curtin into 4th place.

photograph – courtesy of Canning Examiner