Kingsway stun Azzurri as RedStar take over top spot

Bottom-of-the-table Olympic Kingsway produced the performance of the weekend as they stunned Perth SC 5-0 at Kingsway Reserve on Saturday.

Olympic’s second league win of the season was not enough to lift them off the foot of the NPLWA – Men’s table, but now only four points separate them and four teams sharing top spot.

As for Perth, they slipped from first to fourth after conceding five goals for a second straight week following last week’s Australia Cup elimination to Division One Fremantle City.

The hosts went ahead when Liam Murray’s low drive squeezed past Azzurri keeper Luke Radonich on 10 minutes, before former Perth Glory academy player Joe Hobson doubled the lead from the penalty spot later in the half.

Kingsway had started the weekend as the league’s joint-lowest scorers, but they found their shooting boots on Saturday with Oscar Barry’s stunning effort making it 3-0 before the interval.  

After the restart, Calum O’Connell’s corner was touched by Cian Hirrell before going in via Azzurri defender Federico Achilli, and a comprehensive win was wrapped up when Michael Zimarino set up Murray to finish into the roof of the net.

 

The new leaders are Perth RedStar after three first half goals helped them record a 3-0 win over Balcatta Etna at Grindleford Reserve.

Tom Hough’s early screamer set Callum Salmon’s side on their way, and they led 2-0 after 14 minutes when Ryan Finnie tried his luck from further out with a piledriver that Dom Salvodelli couldn’t keep out.

Last year’s Top Four Cup winners all but wrapped it up just before half time when Theo Leeming was felled in the penalty area and Daryl Nicol’s spot-kick brought up eight goals this season for the marksman.

Bayswater City are now second in the league after a 3-1 win at 10-man Stirling Macedonia extended their unbeaten run to four games.

Teeboy Kamara curled in a stunning first goal of the campaign to get Gareth Naven’s side off and running, before Hristijan Jankuloski diverted Samuel Dweh’s cross into his own net for 2-0 at the break.

A red card on 53 minutes for Gyles Davies made a comeback for Stirling more difficult, and Ndumba Makeche then rubber-stamped the win as he raced clear, rounded the goalkeeper and scored to cap Bayswater’s third straight win.

Daniel Zivkovic’s brilliant late strike was merely a consolation for Stirling who have now lost three of their past four games.

Elsewhere, Perth Glory returned to winning ways as they prevailed 5-4 over Cockburn City in a high-scoring affair at Lark Hill.

Jayden Gorman’s swerving left-footed strike from distance was a spectacular start to proceedings, and Glory’s tally was doubled soon after when Daniel Bennie squared for Joshua Anasmo.

Bennie pulled the strings again as he teed up James Overy to make it three, but just as Glory looked set to run away with the game Cockburn pulled one back via a Charlie Garnham strike into the bottom corner.

In-form Friday Zico’s long-ranger then gave the visitors further hope, but the youngsters restored their two-goal cushion when Joel Anasmo finished Gorman’s cross from close range.

Jesse Lazzaro’s overhead kick with 20 minutes to play helped Cockburn hang around, but Joel Anasmo’s second from another Gorman assist ensured Glory kept the visitors at arm’s length to go third in the league despite a 97th-minute header by Breckan Baker which cut the deficit once more.

Armadale bounced back from last week’s cup elimination to first division Gwelup and snapped a three-game winless run in all competitions with a 3-0 victory at Floreat Athena.

It was an impressive performance from John O’Reilly’s side as they won at E&D Litis Stadium for a second straight year thanks to a platform of two goals in three first half minutes.

Tim Berger nipped in between Filip Minic and Jason Saldaris to lob into a vacant net, and moments later Berger was competing with the goalkeeper for Amir Ajan’s long ball which flew past the pair and in for 2-0.

Saldaris made saves from Angel Andres Diaz and Berger to try and keep his side in the fixture, and Athena thought they had a route back into the game when Chris Saldaris’ header from a set-piece went in.

But the referee’s assistant flagged for an offside and Armadale would go up the other end to add a third when Chris Jackson hooked an effort towards goal and Chad Samuels made sure the ball crossed the line.

Finally, Inglewood United and Sorrento remain in 10th and eleventh place respectively after a 1-1 draw.

Both teams are on seven points but are remarkably only three points from the summit. The goals came in the second period with Michael Domfeh’s penalty cancelling out Gustavo Marulanda’s close-range header that came to him after Dean Cummings had hit the bar.

Round Six results

Balcatta Etna 0-3 Perth RedStar
Floreat Athena 0-3 Armadale
Inglewood United 1-1 Sorrento
Olympic Kingsway 5-0 Perth SC
Perth Glory 5-4 Cockburn City
Stirling Macedonia 1-3 Bayswater CIty