Bayswater City continued their charge towards a first league title in eight years after easing to a 4-0 win at Armadale in Round 16 of the NPLWA - Men’s competition.
Matt Sparrow’s side remain unbeaten this term as they maintained a six-point buffer at the top going into the final six weeks of the season.
Meanwhile, Armadale’s winless run has stretched to five games as their top-four hopes continue to slip away.
It was Lee Taylor’s first game in charge of the hosts after previous head coach Alun Vernals stepped down during the week. Armadale did frustrate the leaders for most of the first half until Chris Jackson broke the game open with two goals late in the opening period.
NPLM RESULTS, FIXTURES & STANDINGS
Jackson’s first saw him collect Sean McManus’ through ball and coolly round the goalkeeper to score, before he spotted goalkeeper Sebastian Medica off his line and brilliantly lifted the ball over him from range.
After the restart, strike partner Cameron Teece chested down and slotted in Bayswater’s third and then Oli La Galia came off the bench to stab in a fourth which completed a successful away day for the league leaders.
Kingsway remain Bayswater’s closest challengers after also winning 4-0 at Western Knights with Joe Hobson scoring a hat-trick in three-and-a-half minutes for the Green Machine.
Jesse Lazzaro was unlucky not to put the Knights ahead on 15 minutes when his long-range drive thumped the post, while Hobson struck the woodwork for Olympic with a header in front of goal.
After a goalless first half, Knights threatened again as Henry Curtis’ free-kick forced Adrian Sinagra into a flying save. But then the Hobson show began with the striker poking home a loose ball after new Olympic recruit Will Richards had clashed with Knights keeper Anthony Lance.
Hobson doubled his tally when converting Richards’ lay-off after Knights had turned over possession from the restart, before Tyler Garner’s cross ran through for Olympic’s No9 to complete the rapid-fire treble.
Luke Hewings cushioned a lob over Lance from Mitch Oxborrow’s pass to make it four for Kingsway, who welcomed title-winning forward Liam Boland off the bench for his first appearance of the season.
Joe Hobson hat-trick, three minutes 32 seconds ...
Kingsway remain in the hunt to defend their title while Knights are now 11 points off fourth and drop to eighth following back-to-back losses against the top two sides.
Elsewhere, Daryl Nicol scored a last-gasp winner as Perth RedStar came from behind to down third-placed Perth Glory 2-1 at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.
The game sprung into life late in the first half when Ryan Warner saved a Nicol penalty on 40 minutes, before Christian Pullella drilled home from just inside the box in first-half added time.
Matty George rolled just wide of the post from a Nicol through ball and that served as a warning to Glory as RedStar levelled with Sam Pollard lashing into the bottom corner on his non-preferred right foot.
Nicol was denied one-on-one by Warner before Glory lost two players to injury and, having made all of their substitutions, had to see the game out with nine men. It proved beyond them, as three-time Gold Medal winner Nicol got on the end of Liam Murray’s fine pass to beat Warner low down and solidify RedStar’s position in the top four.
Callum Salmon’s side now trail Glory by three points and, more importantly, maintain a four-point buffer on fifth-placed Perth SC, who won 2-0 at bottom side Floreat Athena.
David Ninkovich had the Azzurri in front after eight minutes when stepping around his marker and finding the bottom corner. Ethan Banks sealed victory eight minutes from the end as he collected Sean O’Connor’s pass and struck low across Josh Hunter.
The defeat makes winless Floreat’s position in the table more precarious as they remain nine points from safety with six games left. They are also eight points off the relegation play-off spot after Fremantle City gave their survival hopes a shot in the arm by beating Sorrento FC 2-1 at Percy Doyle Reserve.
Two first-half goals from Charlie Chechlacz proved decisive as Freo won for the first time since Round Seven. Sam Cook hit the byline and pulled back for the midfielder to score via a deflection, before Chechlacz played a one-two with Nick Ambrogio and brought the return pass under control to finish.
Freo almost made it three when Charlie Betts’ curler crashed against the bar, before Sorrento were given a great chance to halve the deficit when they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Joe O’Brien. Unfortunately for the Gulls, Dean Cummings’ spot-kick down the middle struck the foot of the diving Luke Radonich and spun over the bar to safety.
Sorrento pulled one back with three minutes left when Phoenix Lee blazed across goal and Ryan McLaughlin chested in from a metre out. But time ran out for Steve McGarry’s side who are three points clear of the danger zone.
Fremantle remain in the relegation play-off spot but are now within a point of Balcatta Etna, who were hammered 6-0 at neighbours Stirling Macedonia.
Stirling were two up after a dozen minutes with Alex Tanevski latching onto Kade Fearnall’s pass to bravely clip past Stefan Sotirovski, before blasting in when a loose ball broke his way.
Aston Montgomery curled in his first Stirling goal early in the second half and then Dweh capped a nice team move with a near-post finish as the home side were in cruise control.
Leigh Griffiths and Joshua Bilaloski both volleyed in from close range late on as six-hitters Stirling went sixth in the league and sit six points off a finals spot.
