Friday night winner for Floreat, Mandurah
STATE LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Floreat Athena started life in the second tier on a winning note as they defeated UWA Nedlands 3-1 on the opening night of the State League Division One season.
It was sweet revenge for Alun Vernals’ side, who were knocked out of the Hahn Australia Cup by the same opposition a week earlier.
The hosts led after a quarter of an hour as Jordan Langley arrived to net after Tom Wassholm’s corner ran through to the forward.
It was 2-0 five minutes after the restart when Wassholm slotted home.
Last season's runners-up UWA halved the deficit on 63 minutes courtesy of Jordan Turner’s terrific header from Luke Salas’ cross. But Langley’s penalty soon after proved to be the sealer as Athena enjoyed a Round One success.
The early league leaders are Mandurah City, who scored four second-half goals to hammer Subiaco AFC 5-1 also on Friday.
Mandurah were awarded a penalty on the half-hour for a handball when Michael Mejia charged down Liam Bonner’s cross. Joey O’Brien dispatched the resulting spot kick to bag his first league goal since returning south from Sorrento FC.
Two goals in two second-half minutes had the Dolphins in cruise control. Jordan Callaghan finished Sam Lovell’s cutback, before O’Brien’s brilliant solo run-and-strike made it 3-0.
Charlie Breen capitalised on miscommunication in the Subiaco defence to add a fourth, in 16 minutes, before Kristers Zaluzinskis finished Oliver Fields’ pass to make it four goals in 16 minutes.
Tomas Despotovski later scored a consolation from the penalty spot for Subiaco, but that’s all it was as Mandurah ran out big winners.
On Saturday, Joondalup City got off to a good start after a 3-1 win away at Gwelup Croatia.
Guy McDonald’s side will be hoping to go one better in 2026 after falling to Fremantle City in last year’s inter-divisional playoff final. They laid down an early marker of their intent as three goals in the opening 32 minutes saw them ease to victory.
Louis Hadfield scored at the second attempt when through on goal before Luke Steer fired in at the near post to make it 2-0 inside a quarter of an hour.
Liam Peacock headed in Steer’s free-kick to make it three and that proved to be enough despite Callum Stocks’ close-range consolation against his former side.
Kingsley Westside also hit the ground running with a 2-0 win away to Inglewood United.
Max Adamson got both goals as last year’s Golden Boot runner-up latched onto Isaac Driessen’s long kick to poke into the bottom corner. The striker then raced clear of the home defence down the right flank to fire across the keeper on 34 minutes and complete the scoring.
Promoted Quinns also claimed three points following a 2-0 victory at Curtin University.
Nick Jennings’ side led in the opening 10 minutes when Chad Samuels recycled a visitors’ corner and swung in a cross for Shaun Doherty to head home. Samuels sealed it in second-half stoppage time when rounding the goalkeeper and slotting in after being played through by Liam Hunt.
Division One’s only draw came at Dalmatinac Park as Cockburn City’s return to the second tier ended 2-2 against Murdoch University Melville.
James Bourne rattled in from distance and then headed in Isaac McVittie’s cross to give the Cockerels a dream start. But MUM FC were back in it before the break thanks to a sensational solo effort from Gustavo Marulanda.
And a point was earned on 73 minutes when Marulanda was quickest to react after Laine Bathgate’s strike was saved by the goalkeeper.
STATE LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
In Division Two, Morley Windmills returned to the State League in fine style by winning 3-1 against East Perth.
Luke Salmon’s opener from the penalty spot was quickly cancelled out by an own goal to make it one each at the interval. But second-half goals for Brennan Borzecki and Noel Disha ensured John O’Reilly’s team got the job done.
North Beach wouldn’t fare as well in their first game back in the third tier after a 1-0 defeat at Ashfield where Oleksandr Pozhar scored the winner on 59 minutes.
Carramar Shamrock Rovers are the early joint leaders after a 3-1 win over Kalamunda City with Nathan Diaz, Jackson Dongray and Lewis Jones netting. A late own goal reduced the arrears for Kalamunda, who ended the game with 10 men as Angel Andres Rivera was shown a straight red card.
Rockingham City won by the same scoreline as Brian Patterson, Will Hayes and Shaun Mukwevho put them three up at Canning City before Hanani Ndebele’s consolation off the bench.
Wembley Downs held on to win 2-1 over Balga at home despite playing the final 38 minutes with 10 men.
Callum McLeod and Josh Waldock scored either side of the break, but Ryuya Kuroyanagi’s red meant Luke Thompson’s team had to work hard for the three points. Ilya Nebylytsya’s goal on 89 minutes didn’t leave Balga with quite enough time to get a result.
Forrestfield also started their campaign with a 2-0 win over Gosnells City courtesy of goals in each half from Noah Appleby and Nathan Costello.