Sorrento FC continued their charge towards an immediate return to the NPL with a 2-0 win over Kingsley Westside in Round 16 of the State League Division One season.
The Gulls have now won 13 in a row and remain undefeated in the league as they maintain their nine-point gap over second placed Dianella White Eagles.
Kingsley, meanwhile, remain in mid-table but can still make a late charge for the inter-divisional promotion play-offs. Earlier in the week, the club announced that long-serving head coach Steven Dimitrovich would be departing at season’s end following eight successful years at Chichester Park.
His side started well at Percy Doyle Reserve with Jon Hulme having several early chances to give the visitors the lead. But the Gulls hit the front on 26 minutes after a wonderful team move, which finished with Clay Gibbs cutting inside from the left and striking low past Peter Stewart.
The sealer was scored 11 minutes from time when Hamza Hina swept into the bottom corner following involvement from Dean Cummings and Luke Salmon.
SEE SQUADI FOR STATE LEAGUE RESULTS, FIXTURES & TABLE
Below the leaders, Dianella defeated Murdoch University Melville 2-1 in the third-versus-second match-up at Besteam Stadium
The visitors led midway through the first half as Paul Zimarino won the ball off Daniel Tait and laid off for Andy Keogh. The former Perth Glory striker played a neat one-two with Zimarino, who had continued his run forward, before lashing in at the near post for 1-0.
It was 2-0 before the break when Elliot Ireland picked a perfectly weighted pass for Zimarino to stride clear and finish one-on-one past the goalkeeper.
The home side pulled one back eight minutes after the restart when Adam Ciampini’s shot was spilled by Peter Pilkadaris, with Declan Tanna the quickest to follow in and score. But no equaliser arrived and Murdoch are now six points off Dianella.
Mandurah City now occupy final promotion play-off spot having gone fourth on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Gosnells City.
The Dolphins were wearing a special pink kit as part of their charity day at Poolmart Stadium. On the pitch, the afternoon’s only goal arrived on 17 minutes when John Baird’s shot was saved by Duncan Lennon-Black, who then denied Shaun Mukwevho on the follow-up, only for Leigh Griffiths to score.
That was Mandurah’s third win in four games, and they leapfrog UWA Nedlands, who drop out of the play-off places following a 3-0 reverse at home to Gwelup Croatia.
All the goals came in the second period with the visitors breaking the deadlock on 64 minutes. James Harmer got the opener from the penalty spot, despite goalkeeper Tadgh O’Malley getting a glove to it.
Pierre Barilly’s unstoppable strike from 35 yards doubled the lead soon after, before a late corner was headed in by Reece Kral to end Gwelup’s three-match winless run and ease any fears of being sucked into a relegation battle.
UWA’s loss was their third in four matches and they sit two points behind Mandurah in the race for fourth. As do Subiaco, who had a 2-1 win away at Cockburn City to make it back-to-back wins and keep their promotion hopes alive.
Subiaco struck on 64 minutes when Alexandre Coelho’s free-kick was saved by Cyril Sharrock only for Moustafa Mohamed to slot home.
The lead was extended 10 minutes later after a stunning piece of skill from Lorran De Almeida who turned away from two Cockburn defenders and curled in stylishly.
The Cockerels did pull one back with seven minutes left following a free-flowing move down the right which saw Ryan Pratt’s cross headed in by Rory McGrath. But it proved only to be a consolation as Cockburn stay second bottom and six points from safety.
Finally, Joondalup United continue to pull clear of trouble as a 6-0 thrashing of eight-man Rockingham stretched their unbeaten run to four games.
The home side had the upper hand after five minutes when Sam McKearnan found the midfield run of George McIlroy who slid into the bottom corner.
They were two-up soon after when Jackson Dongray’s booming long throw was headed in by Laurits Christophersen, with Rockingham’s goalkeeper Kyle Hasell shown a second yellow card in the aftermath.
It was 3-0 on 18 minutes when Jay Lang’s free-kick ran through for Joel Sollitt to sweep home at the back post, and it was four after half-an-hour when McIlroy’s quickly taken free-kick sent Tyler Holden clear who dinked over substitute stopper Alec Radonich.
Rockingham were reduced to eight men in first-half stoppage time with Max Worswick and Silas Besci sent off, and Joondalup continued to pile on the pain with a couple more goals in the second half.
Ben Campbell was involved in both as his ball across this six-yard box was put in by Andrew Flint, before another cross was credited as a late own goal.
In Division Two, Kalamunda City’s lead at the top of the league was cut to one point after a 1-1 draw with third placed East Perth.
The leaders were reduced to nine men in the first half when Ramiro Costes and Fernando Albornoz were shown red cards before the 35-minute mark. And it all seemed to be going to plan for East Perth as Chris Smith put his team 1-0 up before the interval.
But Jose Zuniga’s second-half penalty levelled the scores which ultimately kept his side top of the division despite second-place Joondalup City’s 6-0 victory at Canning City.
City’s fourth win in a row came after a clinical second-half display following Cameron Stratton’s early opener which put Guy McDonald’s side one-up at the break.
Two goals for Jayden Rowles and strikes from Mason Gallagher, Harry Edwards and Lucas Reid provided the visitors with a handy goal difference boost, while Canning sit six points clear of the drop.
Elsewhere, Ashfield snapped a three-match losing run with a 3-1 victory at Curtin University pushing them up to seventh in the standings.
Kieran Witt had put promotion-chasing Curtin ahead, but Ravi-Raj Singh was the hero for the home side with a hat-trick helping turn the game around and move Ashfield six points clear of the automatic relegation spot.
Curtin stay fourth but are now under pressure from Balga who had a 4-0 win over Quinns to go within two points of the play-offs.
Four individual scorers got the job done for Gerhard Janssen’s side with Alessio Meschi, Christian Vest, Chris Lenz and Michael Anokhin netting ahead of next week’s match with leaders Kalamunda.
Sixth-placed Forrestfield are also two points off fourth spot but missed a chance to jump back into play-off places after a 1-0 loss at home to bottom side Wanneroo.
The only goal was scored 17 minutes from time by Juma Awaka and Roos’ third win of campaign means they are now within touching distance of second bottom Swan United, who lost 3-0 against fellow strugglers Carramar Shamrock Rovers.
It was a long-awaited win for Rovers who had drawn their previous three matches, as goals from Niall McKeon, Nathan Diaz and Phil O’Callaghan moved them three points clear of their opponents.