Belt Up Regional Festival of Football: Sollitt strikes to give Glory late win

Louis Sollitt scored the winner eight minutes from time as Perth Glory prevailed 1-0 over title-chasing Bayswater City in the 2026 Belt Up Regional Festival of Football fixture in Albany.

The New Balance NPL WA Men's Round 10 clash played in the Greater Southern region was played in front of a healthy crowd, as Glory surged six points clear of the bottom two while breathing life into their top-four hopes.

It was a first half of few clear-cut chances at Retravision Stadium with Chris Jackson and Jackson Stephens looping headers over the bar.

The first major chance of the match came 10 minutes into the second period when substitute Oli La Galia turned onto the post with Brent Quick seeing two follow-up efforts blocked by Glory.

But the youngsters had their moments despite Bayswater’s barrage of balls into the box. Shaun Mutyavaviri led a counter-attack down the left which resulted in Anthony Didulica’s shot being saved by Lewis Italiano.

Back came Bayswater and Pat Loughrey then lifted over after linking up with Jackson as the game became stretched in the final quarter of an hour. But it was Sollitt who seized the moment for his side when arriving to volley home Tadi Kuzamba’s superb cross in the final 10 minutes.

Baysie's Borbor Sam was unable to turn the ball home at the back post and Jackson was denied by Ryan Warner as the reigning champions sought an equaliser. But Glory held on for their first clean sheet since Round 11 last year to claim back-to-back wins and their first Regional Cup victory since a win at the same venue against Sorrento FC in 2023.

Those dropped points meant Bayswater slipped a place to third, six points off leaders Perth RedStar, who beat Armadale 1-0 in Joondalup.

The only goal of the game was scored on 15 minutes by Gordon Smith from the penalty spot after a foul by Craig Barker.

That made it five wins in a row for RedStar, while Armadale dropped to the bottom of the league.

Five points behind RedStar in second are Olympic Kingsway, who were denied a win in Richard Garcia’s first game in charge after 10-man Fremantle City snatched a stoppage-time equaliser.

Olympic, who decided to part ways with Treble-winning coach David Tough earlier in the week, sprung into a sixth-minute lead at Hilton Park when Liam Boland nodded in from close range after Aryn Williams flashed Ollie Annis’ free- kick across goal.

The hosts were given a chance to level from the penalty spot when Williams bundled into Nilson in the box and Charlie Chechlacz dispatched from 12 yards.

Kingsway were back on top on the half-hour mark when Joe Hobson picked out the bottom corner, and their chances of winning this one were boosted when John Chalmers was shown a red card on 82 minutes for a tackle on Reegan Mimnaugh.

Despite being a man down, Freo pushed on and Chechlacz struck the bar with a free-kick. And they were not to be denied as Nilson was left unmarked at the back post to head in Nick Ambrogio’s cross from the byline.

Fremantle have drawn half their matches in the league this season and are five points clear of the bottom two, while Kingsway move up a place into second but fall further behind leaders RedStar.

Western Knights are back in the top four after coming from behind to beat Striling Macedonia 2-1 in the fifth-versus fourth fixture at Nash Field.

Callum McKenzie’s drive from long range put Stirling ahead on 22 minutes, with the striker now sitting top of the Golden Boot race with nine goals.

Knights were back on terms by half-time when Jesse Lazzaro scored at the second time of asking after seeing his initial effort hit the post.

The winner came early in the second half when Leo Stolikas’ shot was blocked into the path of Jack Sprigg, who rifled past Liam Hattersley from just inside the area.

Back-to-back defeats have seen Stirling drop to sixth, overtaken by Perth Azzurri who claimed a late 2-1 win away at Sorrento.

Kenny Lowe’s side led on 15 minutes when Sean O’Connor lifted forward for Gordon Perkins to head home his sixth goal of the season.

The Gulls levelled midway through the second period thanks to a rasping, rising strike from Rene Kisesa, who bagged his first goal for the club having arrived from Balcatta.

But there was late drama in the third minute of added time as Jamie McNelis headed on a long ball from O’Çonnor and Perkins arriving to poke home the decisive goal. Perth’s win puts them in fifth and out of the top four on goal difference only, with Sorrento three points further back in seventh.

Finally, Balcatta Etna moved off the bottom of the league after defeating Dianella White Eagles 3-2 for a first away win of the season.

Ben Hinshelwood opened the scoring against his former side with a header from Sasa Njegic’s cross four minutes before the break. But Charlie Betts slipped an effort through Peter Pilkadaris with the last kick of the first half to see the sides all square at 1-1.

Two goals in five second-half minutes set the platform for a first Balcatta success since Round Six. Jared Flavel raced clear to score his first goal in Etna colours, before Betts crashed in after good work again from Flavel.

Miguel Restrepo’s stoppage time response proved only to be a consolation as Dianella sit ninth and six points clear of second-from-bottom Balcatta.

• Football West would like to thank the WA Government for its support for the Belt Up Regional Festival of Football. We also recognise the Insurance Commission of Western Australia as the naming rights partner through its Belt Up road safety campaign.