Australind continues to be the only team that the Dunsborough Towners have failed to beat in their Premier League football history following their 5-1 loss to that side at the Dunsborough Playing Fields on Sunday.
The Towners’ hopes of achieving that target were slim to start with, given that they have yet to take a point from any encounter this year and that the last time the two met Australind provided a 11-0 football lesson.
The Towners had their moments and they struck the first blow, with captain midfielder Stuart Gidley scoring with a free kick from the edge of the penalty area in the 15th minute.
It could have been more but for the brilliance of the Australind goalkeeper, who made a miraculous double save to Kaden Heathcote in the eighth minute.
But in reality Australind were superior in almost every department, and the general consensus was that they were the best team Dunsborough have faced in 2012.
The Towners were chasing shadows for much of the game with Carlo Chiellini, a South West Phoenix player, orchestrating proceedings with calm assurance from midfield.
It was Chiellini who equalised with a superb free kick in the 25th minute and two minutes was later given plenty of space to provide Australind the lead with a powerful finish.
The Towners defence has improved considerably in recent weeks, with new faces in the lineup such as James Greene and Rod Macallister, and the surprise return of veteran Tony Plumb as a substitute for his first game of the season adding experience to the side.
Moving Amigos Restaurant/Palmers Wine player of the match Cedri Lloyd, from defence to the midfield, gave the Towners more punch going forward.
But their inability to contain tall defender Gareth Harker as he floated into attack at set pieces proved decisive, scoring with headers in the 33rd, 60th and 70th minutes and hitting the bar in injury time in similar fashion.
The Towners cause was not helped with the loss through injury of in-form Gidley and fullback David Condri, who was taken to hospital for stitches to a deep eye cut.
Tas’s Bakery Player of the Year Award: Cedri Lloyd three votes, Brent Hillyard two votes and James Greene one vote.
Premier League ladder: Busselton - 14 games, 32 points (+15), Bunbury United - 14 games, 29 points (+16), Australind - 14 games, 28 points (+42), Hay Park United - 13 games, 25 points (+14), Dynamos - 13 games, 19 points (+12), Dalyellup - 13 games, 13 points (-14), Geographe Bay - 14 games, 10 points (-27), Dunsborough - 13 games, 0 points (-58).