Floreat Athena and UWA Nedlands both continued their respective title pushes with wins in Round 14 of State League Division One.
The pair remain seven points clear of the rest at the top of the league with Athena ahead on goal difference following a 2-0 win over Inglewood United.
The loss for Glen Grostate’s team in a repeat of this season’s Night Series final ended a five-game unbeaten run and left them four points off the promotion play-off spots.
Floreat’s opener came on 22 minutes when they won the ball high up the pitch with Harry Lewis’ cross eventually turned into his own net by Ciaran Salinger.
Salinger almost made amends when heading straight at Devon Lindemann after Gavin Byars stood a ball up to the back post. But the defender’s afternoon went from bad to worse when he received a second yellow card after a collision with Tom Wassholm on 71 minutes.
Soon after, Athena sealed the result to ensure back-to-back wins when Jordan Langley’s drive from outside the box flew past Jordan Barbas despite the goalkeeper getting a glove to it.
UWA, meanwhile, are six games unbeaten after a 2-1 win over Cockburn City.
Following a goalless first half, Joe McInnes brilliantly brought down Lewis Nohar’s free-kick from the right before volleying home from just inside the box on 47 minutes.
Luka Caceres levelled for Cockburn after Rory McGrath did well to keep the ball alive on the byline. But McInnes won it with his 20th goal of the season eight minutes from time when his header was adjudged to have crossed the line.
Mandurah City are third and lead the chasing pack after winning 3-1 against Kingsley Westside at Poolmart Stadium.
Kingsley led early on when Sam Willis’ header from Jonny Hulme’s corner looped up and in off the underside of the bar.
The Dolphins went into half-time on level terms when Joe O’Brien clinically finished a nicely weighted through ball from Sam Lovell.
Two defensive mistakes in the final 22 minutes decided it for the hosts as Kristers Zaluzinskis and Charlie Breen both charged down clearances out of defence to score into vacant nets.
The defeat meant Kingsley Westside dropped out of the inter-divisional play-off places with Joondalup City replacing them following a 4-1 win at Subiaco.
Reece Kral slotted in City’s first on eight minutes after latching onto a risky pass across the face of goal. But Subi squared the ledger before the quarter-hour mark when Ethan Johnson’s drive squeezed past Joe Smith into the bottom corner.
An Ethan Johnson own goal from Harry Edwards’ cross saw Joondalup City restore their lead, and they had a two-goal cushion at half time courtesy of Liam Peacock’s neat volley from Taiga Kobayashi’s corner.
Louis Hadfield crossed for Kral to add a fourth with 10 minutes remaining as City returned to winning ways and gave themselves a three-point buffer to fifth-placed Kingsley.
Subiaco remain in the relegation play-off spot and five points from safety after Gwelup Croatia edged further clear by drawing 0-0 with bottom side Curtin University, who trail Subi only on goals scored.
Finally, Quinns pushed into mid-table after coming from behind to beat Murdoch University Melville 3-1.
Liam Armstrong’s low cross was tucked away at the back post by Seagh Harris to have Marc Anthony’s side up at half-time.
Quinns were level when Ben Johns went down in the area under pressure from Armstrong with Jack Mahon scoring the resulting spot kick on 64 minutes.
Chad Samuels ran onto a long ball and went on a mazy run before putting the home side in front, before winning the game-sealing penalty which was again converted by Mahon eight minutes from the end.
In Division Two, leaders Rockingham City won the top-of-the-table clash against Wembley Downs 2-1 to move four points clear.
Toby Robertson had given Luke Thompson’s side a lead late in the first half, but Tom Kinnane and Michael Foley both scored from the penalty spot in the final 18 minutes to turn the game around.
Carramar Shamrock Rovers moved up to second spot after a 2-1 win against bottom side Canning City. Ravi Raj Singh’s opener was cancelled out in the second half by Brian Mashingaidze, but Jack Reilly’s winner on 66 minutes decided the contest.
Ashfield are third after a 2-1 win over East Perth at Hudson Park.
Kian Durant and Deng Dut got the goals for the visitors either side of a Kaelyn Thompson’s equaliser. East Perth finished the game with nine men after Chris Smith and Niall Murray were dismissed in the second half in a game which saw their promotion hopes dented.
Fifth-placed Forrestfield United move to within a point of fourth-placed Wembley Downs after coming from behind to win 3-1 at Morley Windmills.
Sam Marta had Morley up at the break, but Noah Appleby scored twice and Sam Platten got the other in the space of 14 second half minutes to make it back-to-back wins.
Kalamunda City are also in the promotion mix after a 2-1 win over North Beach. Ali Reza Akbarzadeh and Facundo Pino netted for the home side, and they held firm despite Sam Richardson getting one back in the second half.
Balga are also in with a shot to reach the play-offs after a 4-0 win over Gosnells City gave them a fourth win in a row.
Alen Patarov scored twice with Jose Zuniga and Bleron Mamudi getting the other goals to push Balga to within a game of the top four. Gosnells remain a point clear of the relegation zone after a weekend which saw the bottom five sides all lose.
