Boland brace as Olympic move in on leaders RedStar

Olympic Kingsway closed the gap on leaders Perth RedStar to three points after a 4-1 win away at Sorrento FC in Round 11 of the New Balance NPL WA Men’s competition.

It was a first league win in charge of the Green Machine for Richard Garcia as two Liam Boland goals helped Kingsway keep tabs with the title race.

Sorrento slipped to eighth after a third loss in a row but remain well clear of the relegation places thanks to a four-game win streak earlier in the campaign.

The Gulls had a good chance to go in front as Clay Gibbs saw a free-kick headed over by Ryan McLaughlin.

Kingsway then built some momentum. Bryce Bafford flashed an effort across the face of goal, and Reegan Mimnaugh saw an effort pushed behind. They eventually took the lead on 38 minutes when Mimnaugh was brought down by ex-Kingsway midfielder Will Richards and Liam Boland converted the penalty.

Aryn Williams’ excellent glancing header from Mitch Oxborrow’s corner doubled the lead early in the second half, before Oxborrow capped a lovely team move with a third on 64 minutes.

Gibbs pulled one back after a mistake from Adrian Sinagra in the visitors' goal. But Olympic had the final say when Boland beat Gulls keeper Ben Ratajczak to a bouncing ball to nod into a vacant net.

Bayswater City are a point behind Kingsway as Luke Palmateer’s late goal gave the defending champions a 2-1 win at Stirling Macedonia.

The hosts led just before the break when Pacifique Dufitimukiza poked through for Alex Tanevski to shoot past keeper Lewis Italiano. But Stirling were unable to build on their advantage and ultimately ended the weekend three points off the top four places after a third successive loss.

A second yellow card for leading scorer Callum McKenzie did not help their cause and Bayswater were thenawarded a penalty 15 minutes from time when Danny Douglas fouled Borbor Sam in the box.

Declan Hughes emphatically scored from 12 yards to tie it up, before Palmateer swept home in stoppage time against his old club after being teed up by Jackson Stephens.

Both Kingsway and Baysie were able to make an indent into RedStar’s lead because Callum Salmon’s side saw their five-game winning run end in a 1-1 draw with Perth Azzurri.

Perth made a positive start and had three good chances in the opening six minutes to go ahead. But against the run of play, the leaders went in front as Jack Baker ran onto a long ball and forced a save from Liam Driscoll with Gordon Smith first to the rebound.

The Azzurri levelled after a handball in the box from Sonny O’Shea led to Sean O’Connor scoring the resulting penalty against his former side.

That made it 1-1 at half-time and that was how it stayed despite David Ninkovich curling just wide for Azzurri, while Driscoll made saves from RedStar's Liam Murray and Jacob Evans.

It was a creditable point for Perth which kept them just outside of the top four on goal difference. That last finals spot is occupied by Western Knights despite a goalless draw at Balcatta Etna.

After Balcatta had twice struck the woodwork, Sam Barry had two good chances in the final quarter to give Knights all three points. The winger volleyed wide from a long ball, before hitting the inside of the post.

Moments later, Edward Wilcock’s effort was turned around the post by visiting keeper Robert Sinclair as it ended all square at Home Group Stadium.

Balcatta stay second bottom and five points from safety, while bottom side Armadale also drew after twice giving up a lead in a 2-2 draw with Dianella White Eagles.

Will Hayes collected Leigh Griffiths’ pass and kept his cool to slot John Baird’s side into a 20th-minute lead.

Army led at the break, but Dianella equalised 30 seconds after the restart as Asher Nelson nodded in after Ben Hinshelwood helped on Miguel Restrepo’s cross.

Griffiths beat the offside trap to finish Abraham Mathet’s pass for 2-1, only for Dianella to level once more with Daniel Zivkovic rattling across the goalkeeper after being played in by Restrepo.

Finally, Fremantle City edged Perth Glory 4-3 at Hilton Park as both sides remain in the bottom half but clear of relegation trouble.

Chad Nilson’s smart snapshot from the edge of the area and Josh Risdon’s flick-on from Charlie Chechlacz’s free-kick had Freo two up after half-an-hour.

But Shaun Mutyavaviri looped Santi Flores’ cross up and in, before cleverly lifting over Luke Radonich from Louis Sollitt’s through ball to make it 2-2 at the interval.

Iljas Ahmedov’s header from Nick Ambrogio’s cross restored the home side’s lead. But again Glory pegged them back as a goalmouth scramble eventually broke for Ollie Evans to hammer home from just inside the box.

Nilson won it with 10 minutes remaining, though, when heading in Chechlacz’s corner for his eighth of the season, which ultimately gave Freo their first league win since March.