Olympic Kingsway missed an opportunity to win the Men’s State League Division One title as they threw away a three-goal lead at Kingsway Reserve to lose 5-3 to Fremantle City.
A rapid-fire start saw the hosts pour on three goals inside the first 14 minutes. Asher Nelson netted a brace and Keylun Pollard added his fifth of the campaign.
At that stage, Western Knights were being held by Forrestfield United and the title was bound for Kingsway. But City had other ideas and James Harmer’s third goal of 2020 gave the visitors hope of a comeback.
Incredibly, that is exactly what happened as Fremantle scored four goals in the space of 17 second-half minutes.
Matty Sparrow and Riley Van Dieken had levelled by the 69th minute. Harmer then struck his second of the afternoon to give the visitors the lead, before Noah Cavanaugh’s goal put the exclamation mark on a staggering turnaround.
The result ended Kingsway’s unbeaten run at six games as Fremantle kept their finals hopes alive. Yet Kingsway remain in pole position to win the league after Western Knights required a 92nd minute equaliser to draw 2-2 at Forrestfield.
Knights must now beat Joondalup United and hope Kingsway drop points at home to Mandurah City in the final round if they are to convert their early season dominance into league honours.
They went behind at Hartfield Park on Saturday as Jordan Lyall scored for the first time this season. Dean Hurley levelled just before the hour mark, only for Rhys Loxley to restore the hosts’ lead.
Hurley’s seventh of the season in stoppage time earned Knights a draw to move them within two points of Kingsway.
Mandurah leapfrogged Forrestfield into the final cup spot after coming from behind to beat Joondalup United 2-1.
Jamie Gardiner gave the visitors the lead as they aimed to record a second win over Mandurah in 2020, but Harry Collins equalised later in the first half.
United were winless in five going into the fixture and that run would continue thanks to Joseph O’Brien’s goal in the 90th minute.
As for Mandurah, there is even a possibility they could steal the title. If they beat Kingsway by four or more goals and Western Knights fail to defeat Joondalup, then the Dolphins will be crowned champions.
Quinns FC require only a point to claim the Division One finals spot for finishing top of the bottom six after they defeated Stirling Lions 3-0 at Gumblossom Reserve].
The hosts have now won three of their four games since the split and are yet to concede a goal.
They were off to a flyer on Saturday when Jamie Stewart scored his fourth in three games.
The Lions put up a good fight in hope of closing the gap on the leaders but were undone by goals in the final 15 minutes from Matthew Corrigan and Samuel Rawlings.
Stirling’s hopes of finishing top of their pool are not over just yet though, as they still have a game in hand following a postponement of their clash with Subiaco earlier in the season.
UWA Nedlands missed an opportunity to put the pressure on Quinns as they were held 1-1 by Subiaco.
The hosts can still make the post-season finals but they need to win at Quinns and overturn a goal difference of six.
Both goals were scored in the second half as Nathan Smith’s first goal of 2020 was cancelled out for UWA by Bryce Conway.
Elsewhere, Swan United and Ashfield SC played out a 2-2 draw in a clash between two sides out of finals contention.
Ashfield struck first at the Swan Italian Club as top scorer Sakou Sylla netted his ninth of the campaign, before Freeman Nyatsambo doubled the lead after just 10 minutes.
Both sides would remain winless in the second phase after the hosts pegged back the deficit in their final home game of the season with goals from James Shamim and John Monterosso.
In Division Two, Carramar Shamrock Rovers celebrated the first year of their merger by winning the league title following a 4-1 victory over Dianella White Eagles.
It was a blistering start by Rovers at Grandis Park and by the 12th minute Ger Fitzgerald had scored twice for the hosts, who had also missed a penalty.
But White Eagles at that point still had outside hopes of contending for the title and pulled one back through Stephen Musonda.
Gerry McEwan’s side were able to breathe a little more easily though when Wayne Guest scored a dipping half-volley 18 minutes from time, before Patrick Morrison scored in a second consecutive game late on to seal matters.
At the final whistle news filtered through of Gosnells City scoring a late equaliser against Wanneroo City, which sparked Rovers’ title celebrations.
Gosnells in fact came from behind three times to rescue a 3-3 draw at Walter Padbury Reserve.
Jayden Licastro’s first of the season got things under way after seven minutes but Wade Farmer’s second goal of the second phase tied it up.
Charles Breen restored the visitors’ advantage but both he and Gosnells’ Scott Pereira received second yellow cards after the restart in separate incidents, as both sides ended the game with 10 men.
Connor Lynch put the Roos up for a third time having scored shortly after Darren Francis’ leveller for 2-2, but there would be a late twist in the tale as Jordan Parfitt’s equaliser gave Gosnells a first point of the second phase and crushed Wanneroo’s league hopes.
Elsewhere, first phase winners Murdoch University Melville kept their finals hopes alive as they defeated Joondalup City 2-0.
Declan Tanna struck the opener midway through the second half before Benjamin Howe made the points safe with five minutes left on the clock.
Both teams are one point behind third place White Eagles going into the final weekend of season as a place in the top three remains up for grabs.
In the lower half of Division Two, Morley Windmills took charge of the one available finals spot spot as they leapfrogged Kelmscott Roos thanks to a 1-0 win at Wotton Reserve.
The hosts are a point clear of Canning City going into the final round of the season and know three points away at bottom side Balga will extend their season.
It was Scott Wrightson’s eighth goal of the season which proved decisive as Windmills won a third game in four, while Kelmscott finished with nine men after red cards to Morteza Ali Doust and Phillip Park.
Third place Kelmscott can still make the finals if Morley drop points and they defeat Canning at home next weekend, after City slipped up at home to Curtin University.
Emmanuel Langoya scored for a fourth straight game to cancel out Joshua Selman’s opener, but Canning were unable to find a winner and they handed the advantage to Morley.
The afternoon’s final game saw Kingsley Westside win for the first time in the second phase as Ryan Williams’ first-half brace helped them to a 3-1 defeat of Balga.
Jake Verini pulled one back after the break but Ramiro Vilar sealed the points later in the half with neither team able to qualify for the finals.
Filed Under: Men's State League