A revamped Armadale have started the new season on the right foot, defeating eastern corridor rivals Gosnells City 4-2 at Alfred Skeet Oval. Alan Darlington proved lively up front with two goals while fellow new signings Allan Claxton and David Caine also got on the scoresheet. “The first 20 minutes we played really well then we started to get a bit too comfortable having too many touches on the ball and doing things we don’t want to do,” said Reds coach Lee Bamber. “Second half we warned the boys that they would come out and put us under pressure which they did and we didn’t deal with it for 15 minutes. Then when we finally got it sorted we settled down and were comfortable again.”

It only took Armadale 4 minutes to open up the visiting defence, Ravi Kuppusamy’s shot was saved by Adriano D’Alo who was helpless as the onrushing Claxton sent the loose ball over the line. That lead was doubled on 16 minutes when Gosnells were caught napping at a speculative long ball which Kuppusamy gathered and squared for Darlington to tuck in. Gosnells found themselves three goals down six minutes later, Caine applying a clinical finish after getting on the end of Kuppusamy’s neat flick. Paul Harvey was presented a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit but failed to connect with an inswinging cross from the right. Darlington had the ball in the net again just before the interval but celebrations were cut short by an offside flag.

Gosnells got themselves back into the contest son after the restart, Ian Maguire running at the defence from near the halfway line before finishing expertly past Cyril Sharrock. Armadale’s lead would have been further deduced had Jamie Burns kept his composure instead of blazing high, while Paul Harvey failed to make anything of a couple of chances in the space of 30 seconds. Those misses were punished when Darlington swooped in at the far post to smash in Armadale’s fourth after Blake Adams parried shot fell kindly for the striker. Gosnells found their elusive second goal in the 83rd minute, Harvey lofting the ball into the path of Darren Gamble who lifted over Sharrock and into the net.