Nick Ambrogio scored a brace against his former side Floreat Athena as Fremantle City twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw in Round 17 of the NPLWA – Men’s competition.
The point in Saturday’s bottom-of-the-table clash saw Freo move out of the drop zone on goal difference, while Floreat face an increasingly difficult task to avoid relegation to the second tier with an eight-point deficit to make up with five matches remaining.
NPLM RESULTS, FIXTURES & STANDINGS
Athena came out firing, knowing only a first win of the season would do, and led on 13 minutes when Hasan Asad pulled across the six-yard box for Bol Tong to slide home a nicely worked team move.
Freo had Luke Radonich to thank for the deficit only being one at half-time, with the goalkeeper pulling off several stops, including a fine double save from Ajang Yuot and Jim Simms.
The home side improved after the break and levelled midway through the second period with Riley Woodcock’s low cross helped on by Ambrogio at the near post.
Floreat were in front again moments later after Woodcock was penalised for handball and Noah Shamaki scored from the penalty spot. However, the league’s bottom side were unable to hold a lead again as Freo equalised with Sam Cook’s cross from the right turned in by Ambrogio.
Athena pushed the harder for a winner with Radonich saving brilliantly from Shamaki and claiming a late Simms header from the visitors’ final attack.
The draw moved Freo out of the bottom two at the expense of Balcatta Etna, who are now in the relegation play-off spot after losing 4-0 at home to Bayswater City.
The league leaders scored twice in quick succession to take control of the contest in the first half, with Cameron Teece scoring a sensational curler from range and Pat Loughrey striking in a free-kick which deceived home keeper Stefan Sotirovski.
Loughrey made it three on 73 minutes when linking up with Oli La Galia and finishing crisply into the back of the net. Jackson Stephens then ventured forward from defence to round out the scoring as Bayswater stay six points clear at the top and remain unbeaten this season.
Attention now turns to Friday night and a blockbuster match-up with defending champions Olympic Kingsway, who are second. The Green Machine tuned up for the top-of-the-table clash that they probably have to win with a 2-0 victory over out-of-form Armadale, whose top-four hopes have all but ended.
Kingsway were up and running after half an hour, with Armadale unable to clear their lines from a corner and Aryn Williams putting in during the goalmouth scramble.
The hosts made the result safe as 90 minutes ticked over when Tyler Garner was brought down in the box and Liam Boland converted from the penalty spot to net for the first time since rejoining Olympic.
Elsewhere, Daryl Nicol scored a stoppage-time winner for the second week in a row as Perth RedStar came from behind to defeat Perth SC in the fifth-versus-fourth clash at Dorrien Gardens.
The Azzurri went in front on 11 minutes when Jackson Morgan headed in Abdul Osman’s corner to bag his first goal since returning to the club. But they ultimately ended Round 17 three games outside of the top-four picture as RedStar came from behind yet again.
They levelled after the restart when Matty George slipped through for Sonny O’Shea to score at the second time of asking after initially being denied by Mateusz Zaniewski.
George then won a penalty in injury time, which was scored by Nicol for the striker’s 12th goal of the season. Callum Salmon’s side are now unbeaten in 10 games and have a six-point buffer on the chasing pack for the finals places. They also move level on points with third-placed Perth Glory, who suffered a shock 5-1 home defeat to Western Knights.
Glory took the lead in the opening 10 minutes when Max Naylor’s cross picked out Louis Sollitt, who slotted past Anthony Lance.
But that was as good as it got for the youngsters as Knights ran riot, led by Kosta Sparta who scored a hat-trick.
The former Bayswater winger made it 1-1 when stealing in to capitalise on a mistake by Glory stopper Ryan Warner.
Knights were ahead on 57 minutes when Dylan White led a counter-attack down the left and cut back for Harry O’Brien, before Jesse Lazzaro’s free-kick ran for Luke Sprigg to finish from six yards against his former side.
Sparta converted Manase Abandelwa’s cross with eight minutes remaining and then completed his treble a few minutes from time with a long-range special. This was a first win in four for Knights and their largest of the season as they went seven points clear of the bottom two.
On Friday night, Joshua Bilaloski scored a late winner as Stirling Macedonia continued their good form with a 2-1 win over Sorrento.
The Gulls were ahead on 35 minutes courtesy of a brilliant free-kick from Franco Vila, but it was all square at the break when Samuel Dweh’s cross spilled to Callum McKenzie to score from close range.
Bilaloski got the decisive goal in the 94th minute when smartly turning home Bayley Brown-Montgomery’s cross at the near post. The victory moved Stirling up to fifth, six points off fourth, while Sorrento ended the weekend two points above the relegation play-off place.
Stirling's immediate focus is on their Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 clash away to NPL Victoria side Avondale this Tuesday.
