Forrestfield United continued their 100% start to the State League Division Two season on Saturday on an emotional afternoon at Hartfield Park.
Forrestfield wore pink jerseys for their clash against Carramar Shamrock Rovers in tribute to Scarlett Oliver, the young daughter of first-team coach Paul Oliver who passed away recently. Spectators were encouraged to come in something pink and a minute’s silence was held before kick-off, while funds were raised throughout the afternoon for the Kids Cancer Support Group.
Rovers, whose players sported pink ribbons, led on 22 minutes when a long free-kick went over the home defence and was lifted into the back of the net by Phil O’Callaghan.
Forrestfield equalised when Josh Gardner struck brilliantly from long-range, and the home side led at the interval when Alec Robinson volleyed home following Austin Reynolds’ long throw.
Both sides hit the post and home goalkeeper Charlie Bayliss saved O’Callaghan’s second half penalty. That proved costly for the visitors as Forrestfield secured the points when they were awarded a spot-kick of their own which was dispatched by Sherwin Tucker.
Darryl Platten’s side are five wins from five games and remain in second spot on goal difference behind Joondalup City, who scored a last-minute winner to defeat Quinns FC 4-3.
Quinns’ Liam Hunt cancelled out an early Callum Stocks strike before Mason Gallagher had the leaders in front once more.
But Magai Deng struck twice in the final 15 minutes of the first half, and at that point it seemed as though Guy McDonald’s side were set to drop points for the first time this season.
Two substitutes turned it around though as Harry Edwards and Sam Rawlings both bagged second-half goals to complete the comeback.
Kalamunda City are third, six points behind the leading pair, after a first-half double from Farruh Mavlonov gave them a 2-0 win at Balga.
Kalamunda leapfrogged East Perth, who dropped to fourth after suffering a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Swan United.
Jake Fritchley scored in both halves with Nicholas Burmej, Amro Atta and Jordan Lyall adding the others for Swan, who made it back-to-back wins after three losses to start the season. Ryan McCready’s consolation at least saw him join Stocks at the top of the Golden Boot race with seven goals.
Curtin University made it three wins in a row to sit fifth thanks to a 5-0 win over Canning City, where Simone Sichel and Rowan Steed both netted a brace apiece.
Meanwhile, bottom club Wanneroo City let slip a two-goal lead as they were denied a first win of the season by a 96th-minute equaliser at Ashfield. First-half strikes from Aleks Lazov and Ben Wantee had City on top only for Ashfield to hit back through Jared Flavel and Ravi Raj Singh.
SEE SQUADI FOR STATE LEAGUE RESULTS, FIXTURES & TABLE
The weekend’s eye-catching result came in Division One at Percy Doyle Reserve as Dean Cummings scored four times in Sorrento FC’s 9-2 thrashing of Rockingham City.
The Gulls took eight minutes to go in front when their high press yielded the reward of a Keegan Chambers finish from close range.
Two goals in four minutes from skipper Cummings had Sorrento in a strong position just past the half-hour, before a mistake from visiting goalkeeper Alec Radonich allowed Scott Robertson to score his first of the season.
Rockingham pulled one back before the break courtesy of a deflected Cory McNelis strike, but the Sorrento goals kept coming in the second half.
Cummings drifted forward without being tracked to drive in a fifth on 63 minutes, before the Scot brilliantly lobbed home to complete a quartet of goals for the second week running.
Another error allowed Clay Gibbs to sneak in and roll into a vacant net for 7-1, before the visitors pulled another back almost immediately with a nicely taken consolation scored by Shane Boyle.
Jaxon Temata joined the party with his first league goal for the Gulls and the best was saved for last as Jake Nicholson capped a wonderful team move in stoppage time.
The win puts Sorrento second and two points behind leaders Dianella White Eagles, who are also unbeaten following a 2-1 victory at Gwelup Croatia.
Angel Andres Diaz squared for Andy Keogh to slot in from six yards midway through the first half, before Keogh was involved soon after when his header from Paul Zimarino’s free-kick eventually broke the way of Ryan Hogan, who could not miss from the goal line for 2-0.
Gwelup made the final 10 minutes interesting when Jeremie Mba’s brilliant assist fed Pierre Barilly who ran in to score. But no equaliser arrived for the home side who remain in mid-table.
Subiaco and Murdoch University Melville are third and fourth respectively following a 2-2 draw at Besteam Stadium.
Undefeated Subi led on 16 minutes thanks to Jonty Pearson’s left-footed drive with the lead doubled by Phil Arnold’s penalty moments later.
Murdoch pulled one back before the interval through Adam Fields and they earned a point in the final 10 minutes when Feisal Zaw stood up a cross for Declan Tanna to head home.
UWA Nedlands are three points off the promotion play-off places in fifth after they defeated Kingsley Westside 2-1 to win for the first time in four.
The hosts were 2-0 up at the break led thanks to goals from Sebastian Hooshangian and Pascal Sedgwick, but a red card for Joe Roscoe early in the second period meant UWA needed to see out the game with 10 men.
Aston Montgomery’s cross-shot deceived the home defence to get one back for the away side, but it was not enough for Kingsley who are 11th after a third defeat on the bounce.
Mandurah City are a point behind UWA in sixth after a 2-1 win over Joondalup United made it back-to-back league wins.
Shaun Mukwevho scrambled home Craig Barker’s pass across goal before Brian Patterson’s thumping header from John Baird’s corner gave the Dolphins two quick second half goals.
They held on to take the three points despite Ben Campbell’s late goal in stoppage time when the Dolphins failed to clear their lines.
Finally, Cockburn City got their first points on the board with a 1-0 win over Gosnells City.
Harry O’Brien’s penalty before the break after Frankie Kinnen was fouled decided matters. The Cockerels stay bottom but are now only three points off seventh-placed Gwelup.