Balcatta land damaging blow to Olympic title hopes as Floreat are relegated

A week after their Hahn Australia Cup heroics against Melbourne Victory, Olympic Kingsway were on the wrong end of a surprise result on Tuesday – and one that has likely ended their NPLM title defence.

 

The Green Machine were beaten 3-2 at second-bottom Balcatta Etna in their rescheduled Round 19 clash at Home Group Stadium.

 

The result leaves Olympic six points off league leaders Bayswater City with just three matches to play. It also means Floreat Athena have been relegated to State League Division One after they could only draw 2-2 at Sorrento FC.

 

A brilliant Jon Stynes free-kick - a repeat of his effort against Kingsway in the Australia Cup in June - and goals from Rostyn Griffiths and Matthew Tomassone had Balcatta 3-0 up at the break. Olympic hit back through Liam Boland and Ryan Lowry, but this time they were unable to pull off a rescue act.

 

Balcatta, in Terry Nicolaou’s first game as interim head coach, remain in the relegation play-off place but are now level on points with Fremantle City. The pair are 10 points clear of Floreat, who drop out of the top flight for the first time in over 40 years.

 

Franco Vila fired Sorrento ahead at Percy Doyle Reserve when he followed in after Neil Kilkenny's penalty had been saved. Moustafa Mohamed and Abraham Mathet turned matters in Floreat's favour with goals either side of the interval. But an equaliser from Clay Gibbs earned the Gulls a point and condemned Athena to the drop just three years after they won the NPLM title.

 

The other rescheduled Round 19 clash between Stirling Macedonia and Perth RedStar will take place next Tuesday night at Macedonia Park.