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Status: Friendly
Date: 9 July 2025
Venue: Sam Kerr Football Centre, Queens Park, Western Australia
Western Australia: GK Adrian Sinagra, 4 Aryn Williams, 6 Franc Gamiz Quer, 8 Sean McManus, 10 David Ninkovich, 11 Cameron Teece, 13 Declan Hughes, 17 Brent Quick, 19 Sam Pollard, 20 Sasa Njegic, 25 Theo Leeming – Bench: RGK Peter Pilkadaris, 2 Tyler Garner, 3 Jackson Stephens, 7 Jayden Gorman, 9 Daryl Nicol, 15 Joshua Samson, 21 Jon Corness, 22 Laat Mathiang, 23 Jeremie Mba, 26 Jack Hilaire
Persebaya Surabaya: GK Ernando Ari, 2 Arief Catur, 4 Dime Dimov, 5 Risto Mitrevic, 7 Francisco Rivera, 10 Bruno Moreira, 22 Paulo Gali Freitas, 55 Sadida Nugraha, 77Malik Risaldi, 88 Milos Raikovic, 91 Dejan Tumbas - Bench: RGK Andhika Ramadhani, RGK Muhammed Ilham-A-Arif, 8 Oktavianus Fernando, 9 Risky Dwi, 23 Kadek Raditya, 26 Dimas Wicaksono, 55 Sadida Nugraha, 66 Sheva Kardanu, 81 Ichsas Baihaqi
Referee: Niall GILLMOR
The WA State side have put in a strong performance against Indonesian Liga 1 side Persebaya Surabaya in their international friendly, but the visitors were too strong winning 2-0 in front of a big crowd at the Sam Kerr Football Centre on Wednesday evening. A close-range finish from Mexican Francisco Rivera and Rizky Dwi's deflected effort from distance in stoppage time gave the visitors the win in front of over 1,500 fans, with millions more watching live on TV in Indonesia.
WA captain Aryn Williams, who played for the Indonesian side, said it was a great night. "It was a great night to be involved with and I thought we performed really well, especially considering we have had only a few sessions together,” the defender said post-match. “Persebaya is a great club and we saw the quality of their team. But I thought we matched them. I have a great relationship with their supporters and it was nice to see them again. Hopefully we can do something like this again."
It was the visitors who started the brighter, and Rivera’s effort was blocked by Adrian Sinagra early. The impressive Rivera was in again on 19 minutes, finding a pocket of space in the box, his low shot well saved by the alert Olympic Kingsway keeper. WA settled and went close themselves two minutes later, Sam Pollard’s curling effort was saved low by Ernando Ari. Moments later a great run by David Ninkovich saw him reach the edge of the box, but the Perth SC midfielder shot straight at the Persebaya custodian.
It was the best spell of the game for Ian Ferguson’s side, and great work from Perth RedStar youngster Theo Leeming down the right ended with Ninkovich, who couldn’t keep his shot down. It was WA dictating terms and Sean McManus hit the side netting after Brent Quick’s cross. The game was a friendly but five minutes before the break Quick and Bruno Moreira had a push and shove after a tackle, but referee Niall Gilmore was quick to resolve the issue. The visitors went close late, after WA turned the ball over and Paulo Gali Freitas raced in on goal, but Williams got back with a great block, and at half time it was all-square.
WA were first to threaten after the break, Sasa Njegic feeding the overlapping McManus on the left, but his chip was too high. Ferguson made ten changes on 54 minutes, with only Brent Quick staying on the pitch, and he was handed the armband from Williams. But seven minutes later Persebaya found the opener. Rivera started the move sending Moreira down the left, his cross to the back post was knocked back by Freitas, and Rivera, who had continued his run into the box, fired home from close-range.
WA hit back, and three minutes later Jeremie Mba raced into the box down the left channel, his shot was well saved by substitute keeper Andhika Ramadhani. They were in again moments later, Laat Mathiang picked the pocket of Rivera on the edge of the box, and his powerful shot was palmed away by the alert Ramadhani. WA had strong penally shout turned down by Gilmore on 75 minutes, Arief Catur’s challenge on Mba, and it looked like the defender got the ball, but replays showed he never, the Gwelup Croatia striker was clipped on the heel, the visitors got away with one.
The big crowd was getting their monies worth, as WA pressed for the equaliser late. Ramadhani was out bravely to save at the feet of Mba on 78 minutes, and nine minutes later Mathiang curling free kick flashed just wide of the post. But in the third minutes of stoppage time Persebaya sealed the game with a second. Substitute Dwi picked the ball up in the middle of the park, and tried his luck from distance, the ball took a deflection off the unfortunate Joshua Samson, the ball looping over Peter Pilkadaris
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