Olympic Kingsway came out on top in the Men’s State League Division One headline game, winning 1-0 at Western Knights to take pole position in the title race.
The visitors went in to the clash on a run of four wins from five games and a 100% record in the second phase of the competition. And that run continued thanks to Ajak Riak’s decisive strike on 18 minutes which also avenged their Night Series final loss to the same opponents.
The former Bayswater youngster’s 11th goal of the season means Kingsway have the title destiny in their own hands going into their final two games. Four points from home matches against Fremantle City and Mandurah City will do the trick.
Knights, who were kept scoreless for only the second time in 2020, finish with games away to Forrestfield United and at home to Joondalup United.
Forrestfield missed the chance to join Western Knights on six points from three games as they were held 1-1 by Joondalup at Hartfield Park.
The visitors were on a run of just one win in five entering the clash, but got off to a good start when Jamie Gibson scored after seven minutes.
Hosts Forrestfield broke a run of four games without a win in midweek, but they were unable to go back-to-back even though Rhys Loxley’s penalty with 16 minutes remaining drew them level.
The upper tier’s final game saw Mandurah City boost their Top Four Cup hopes with a 3-1 win over Fremantle City.
John Baird’s sixth goal of the campaign inside 10 minutes got Mandurah off to a fine start before Taylor Carter’s second half brace all but secured the points.
Fremantle pulled one back through leading scorer Riley Van Dieken with 15 minutes to play but remain without a win in the second phase, while Mandurah broke a four-game losing run to close to within a point of third-placed Forrestfield.
Quinns FC look to have put their mid-season slump behind them as a 3-0 win at Ashfield moved them top of the lower tier.
A run of one win in five damaged the northerners’ season late in the first phase. But they have hit back in style and goals from Jamie Stewart and Richard Howles put them in the ascendency before half-time against Ashfield.
Former Joondalup United and Balcatta forward Alex Wild added a third midway through the second period as Quinns, who are yet to concede a goal since the split, moved to seven points.
Stirling Lions are just a point behind and with a game in hand after they beat UWA Nedlands 1-0 at Macedonia Park. Lukas De Lima scored the only goal on 13 minutes.
Subiaco and Swan United shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Rosalie Park which helped neither team’s Top Four Cup hopes.
The visitors finished bottom after the first phase of competition but took the lead on 38 minutes through a Ben Johns own goal.
A third win of 2020 would not eventuate though as Chris Marshall scored the game’s second own goal to make it 1-1.
Division One, bottom six results
In Division Two, Wanneroo City boosted their hopes of catching top six leaders Carramar Shamrock Rovers in the title race as they recorded a crushing 7-2 win over Murdoch University Melville.
City ended the first phase of the competition with four straight losses and narrowly held on to their top six spot on the final day. But two goals from Flynn Nolan and one from Joshua Chivell gave them a 3-0 lead inside 15 minutes. Oriol Fernandez pulled one back after 19 minutes but Chivell scored again before the break.
MUM FC finished top after the first phase but have had a wretched run since the split, even though they made it 4-2 through Kai Jones with 22 minutes left.
The Roos surged clear late on, though, as James Burns moved one goal behind team mate Nolan with his 10th and 11th strikes of the season before Shakeel Alexander wrapped up the 7-2 win.
Carramar remain the team to catch after they recorded a 2-0 win over Gosnells City to maintain their 100% start to the second phase.
Like most games on Saturday, the clash at Grandis Park was ruined by the wind. But Rovers did enough to take the points thanks to Patrick Morrison’s first-half opener and Kieran Harrison’s direct free-kick.
Shamrock, who have a three-point buffer at the top, can clinch the Division Two title this Saturday if they defeat Dianella White Eagles and Wanneroo fail to win at Gosnells.
Dianella Joondalup City drew 0-0 in a clash between the two likely remaining Top Four Cup hopefuls.
Dianella have only lost once in their last seven games, but consecutive goalless draws means they lost ground on the leaders.
In the lower half of the split, Kelmscott Roos, Canning City and Morley Windmills are separated by just one point as the race for the final Top Four Cup spot looks set to go down to the wire.
Kelmscott were reduced to 10 men early in the second half on Saturday, but Arthur Gaye’s brace gave them a 3-2 win over Curtin University and ensured they remain top on goal difference with two games to play.
A second win in four days helped Canning keep pace with the Roos as they registered a 5-2 home win over Balga, while Morley Windmills trail the pair by a solitary point following Scott Wrightson’s hat-trick in a 4-2 win against Kingsley Westside.
Division Two, bottom six results
Filed Under: Men's State League