Sorrento FC have sealed an immediate return to the NPL as State League Division One champions after two late goals gave them a 4-2 win over 10-man Mandurah City on Saturday.
The Round 18 victory, combined with defeat for Dianella White Eagles, ensured Steve McGarry’s side went 14 points clear of their closest rivals with four games remaining to confirm promotion to the top flight at the first attempt.
Mandurah, meanwhile, stay fourth in the standings despite the loss but remain vulnerable to play-off chasers Subiaco and UWA Nedlands below them.
It looked as though it was going to be a tough afternoon for the Dolphins when Charles Parry was shown a red card for a lunging challenge on Hamza Hina.
And they trailed at the interval when Dario Ramella’s cross from the left was chested up and headed in by skipper Dean Cummings on 38 minutes.
Mandurah hit back just before the hour mark when John Baird’s free-kick was glanced up and in by Harry Collins.
Cummings restored Sorrento’s advantage with his second of the afternoon from six yards after good work down the right from Keegan Chambers.
But once again the visitors responded and were five minutes away from an important point when Leigh Griffiths cushioned a pass down for Craig Barker who took a touch and fired in for 2-2.
Two stoppage time goals would win it for the Gulls, though.
Luke Salmon’s cross was cleared as far as Andrew Maranta who struck home for the lead on 93 minutes. Cummings then completed a third league hat-trick of the season with a late spot kick, which saw him move to 22 goals this term and seven ahead of next-best Andy Keogh.
That kickstarted the celebrations as news filtered in from around the grounds that Subiaco had beaten second-placed Dianella 1-0 at Rosalie Park.
The only goal of the game arrived 14 minutes from time as Moustafa Mohamed wriggled away from two defenders before finishing past the goalkeeper.
It was a win which made it four games undefeated for the hosts who moved up to fifth and just one point behind Mandurah in the race for a play-off spot.
Another team in the promotion picture are Murdoch University Melville who firmed up their position in the top four with a 5-0 victory against Gosnells.
Adam Fields got the scoring under way on 11 minutes when crashing a volley low past the goalkeeper following a nice one-two with Josh Macri.
Declan Tanna’s excellent header from Brodie Langan’s cross made it 2-0 before the visitors were reduced to 10 men with Aden Hoddy shown a straight red card.
The home side capitalised with three further goals in the second period to hold a five point advantage on fifth place, whilst also moving within a game of Dianella above.
Kai Jones brought down Daniel Tait’s pass and finished in accomplished fashion to treble the lead, and a fourth was added when Tanna’s drive was deflected in off Ishmael Dawson.
A five star win was capped by Paul McCormack’s superb looping volley as Gosnells remain 10th and clear of safety for now, despite results elsewhere.
At the Croatian Sporting Complex, Gwelup Croatia kept their hopes of a top four finish alive as they registered a 4-0 win over Kingsley Westside.
Having scored a hat-trick last weekend against Dianella, Jeremie Mba took three minutes to get Gwelup up and going when dribbling into the box and curling superbly past Peter Stewart.
The hosts doubled their lead when Paul Grant converted Pierre Barilly’s free-kick, and they were in a commanding lead on 40 minutes after a piece of genius from James Harmer who hammered in an outstanding volley from 22 yards.
Gwelup added a fourth a minute after the restart when Barilly stepped past a couple of challenges and struck low into the corner from an acute angle. That was how it stayed as the home side move within five points of fourth, while Kingsley Westside stay ninth after a third straight loss.
Elsewhere, the bottom two sides both picked up wins to breathe hope into their respective fights to avoid relegation.
Rockingham started the day 12th but surprised play-off chasing UWA Nedlands as Albert Luwi scored twice in a 2-1 away win.
They led on seven minutes when Dylan Rogers clipped forward for Luwi to stay onside and roll across the keeper into the far corner.
UWA levelled before the break when Sam Ince’s cross eventually reached Oliver Lebihan, who arrived from midfield to poke in from close range.
But the winner came on 64 minutes for the visitors when a long clearance was raced onto by Luwi and the former Western Knights man burst clear to score at the second time of asking.
Despite the victory, Rockingham remain two points adrift at the bottom after Cockburn City completed a remarkable late comeback to win 5-4 in a thriller against Joondalup United.
Ben Wyeth swept home the opener after Sam McKearnan’s cross broke his way, but it was promptly all square when Thomas Maycock-Hansen released Harry Lewis who ran in and drove hard across the goalkeeper.
Jamie Gardiner’s stunning strike gave Joondalup their lead back and they extended it further just before half time with Jay Lang’s deflected free-kick making it 3-1 to Nick Jennings’ charges.
The Cockerels pulled one back early in the second half when Maycock-Hansen and Lewis combined again for the latter’s inch-perfect cross to find Angel Andres Rivera unmarked for a tap in.
It seemed United had done enough with 15 minutes left as Tyler Holden’s teasing cross was knocked in by James Oldroyd for a 4-2 lead.
But Ben Pike’s header from a Lewis Corner gave Cockburn a sniff with eight minutes left and it was Andres Rivera who proved to be the hero as two late goals sent the home fans crazy.
The Spanish striker hooked in a long throw from the right hand side on 88 minutes, before timing his run from a pass forward and shrugging off his marker to slot home the winning goal. That late intervention from Andres Rivera spared Cockburn from dropping to the foot of the table and now means they are six points from safety following Gosnells’ loss.
In Division Two, East Perth’s excellent form continued as a 6-0 win over Carramar Shamrock Rovers saw them move level on points with leaders Kalamunda City.
A first-half brace from Gavin Dillon had the promoted side two-up at the break with his hat-trick completed by the midway mark of the second period.
Cian Tuite and Ryan Murray got in on the act before Dillon completed a four-goal haul late on as Colm Costello’s side sit only goal difference off the summit.
That was thanks in part to a 2-2 draw between Kalamunda City and Joondalup City in the top-of-the-table clash at Iluka Sports Complex.
Harry Edwards’ opener was cancelled out by Samir Ramos to make it 1-1 at the break, but City led for a second time through Cameron Stratton on 68 minutes.
However, Farruh Mavlonov equalised again for the leaders with quarter-of-an-hour remaining, as Kalamunda drew for a fourth successive game while Joondalup drop to third but just two points off the pace.
Curtin University remain fourth and moved to within five points of top spot following a 3-0 win at mid-table Quinns.
Rowan Steed scored the opener on 19 minutes for the visitors with Nathan Smith’s penalty and Kieran Witt’s finish keeping Troy Reid’s team in the title picture.
Two points outside of the promotion play-off places are fifth-placed Forrestfield United who won 2-1 against Ashfield to make it back-to-back wins.
Austin Reynolds got the winner in the second period after goals from John Philippidis and Robert McDonald left it all square at the break.
Despite the defeat, Ashfield have a five-point cushion on the relegation places, although the foot of the table tightened up on Saturday with one point separating the bottom three.
Bottom side Wanneroo City survived a late scare to win 3-2 at Canning City despite taking a 3-0 lead through Sebastian Munoz, Montee Benjamin and an own goal.
Bill Orr and an own goal at the other end ensured a nervous finish, but Roos held on leave the bottom four sides separated by only three points.
They are still in the automatic relegation spot for now, though, after Swan United beat Balga 3-2 for their first win since early June.
Brennan Borzecki’s first half brace set the platform inside 15 minutes, but goals from Alessio Meschi and Albert Mombo pegged it back to 2-2 at the interval.
Liam Merrigan’s 71st minute effort proved to be the winner in a result that’s a big boost to Swan’s survival hopes and a blow for Balga’s promotion prospects.