Olympic Kingsway are the new leaders of the NPLWA - Men’s competition after a Friday night win over bottom side Inglewood United set them up to end the weekend one point clear after eight rounds.
They were boosted by nearest rivals Floreat Athena and Western Knights both losing on Saturday, while in Geraldton Perth RedStar took the honours in their maiden Regional Festival of Football game with victory over Perth Glory.
Olympic made an ideal start at Kingsway Reserve with a goal on 19 minutes. Tyler Garner burst down the right and pulled across goal for Liam Boland to take a touch and rifle high into the net.
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But Inglewood had a quick response in store moments later. Benson Nsegetse, who had missed a great chance to put Inglewood ahead before Boland's opener, made the most of a loose first touch from Daniel Walsh by driving into the box and squaring for Dhours Chol to side-foot home.
Kingsway restored their lead when Joe Knowles’ cross was partially cleared by Ciaran Salinger and Tyler Garner arrived from midfield to cleverly guide a header home for 2-1 at half-time.
David Tough’s side eventually found a third goal to kill off the game and make it six games unbeaten. Their third win in four matches was rubber-stamped when Knowles’ cross caused problems in the Inglewood defence, and though keeper Nicholas Speca did well to push the ball on to the bar, Sasa Njegic eventually bundled the ball in via defender William Formston.
Kingsway’s 3-1 win put pressure on the two previous leaders, Floreat Athena and Western Knights, and both came up short as they suffered 3-0 defeats.
Ten-man Floreat dropped to second after going down to Armadale at Alfred Skeet Reserve. They found themselves on the back foot after 28 minutes when keeper Jason Saldaris was adjudged to have handled outside the box and referee Tom Glavovic brandished a red card. From the resulting free-kick Luke Collins whipped brilliantly over the wall and into the top corner for 1-0.
Armadale had a second late in the first half when the hosts countered following a Floreat attack. Chan Yelchan poked forward for Hamish Van Dieken who went solo to the edge of the box, spun then struck a low left-footed shot past substitute keeper Josh Hunter.
Alun Vernals’ side sealed the win 12 minutes from time when Amir Ajan’s cross following a short corner went straight through everyone to nestle into the bottom corner. Armadale’s second straight win in a four-match unbeaten run means they are up to eighth and five points off the top four.
Knights’ 3-0 defeat, meanwhile, was their first loss of the campaign and came at the hands of fellow promoted side Fremantle City, who leapfrogged their opponents to go third.
Freo scored on the stroke of half-time when Charles Chechlacz’s brilliant diagonal pass picked out the run of Pat Loughrey who curled home with his non-preferred right foot.
The same combination delivered again early in the second period with Chechlacz’s pass received by Loughrey following a Knights corner. The Irishman ran at his opposite marker before bending a second goal past Sam Reilly, who could not keep it out despite getting a glove on it.
A fourth win in five for Matty Sparrow’s side was wrapped up late on as Knights pushed numbers forward. Ollie La Galia sprung forward, skipped past a challenge and rounded the goalkeeper before showing excellent composure to finish from a tight angle.
Elsewhere, Perth RedStar won the Midwest Regional Festival of Football fixture 1-0 over Perth Glory at Wonthella Oval to close in on fourth spot.
The defending champions are fifth and a point off fourth-placed Knights after a third win in four games. It was the eighth edition of the Regional Cup match and the first time RedStar’s men featured in the fixture.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between in the first half, with Royie Rahimim firing at Liam Reddy from Sam Barry’s pull back.
RedStar’s best moment of the opening 45 came when Andrew Palmer threaded through for Matty George, who brought a good save out of Glory goalkeeper Robert Cook.
The deadlock was broken 20 minutes from time when Glory were unable to clear their lines from a RedStar attack. Bryce Bafford’s goalbound effort was cleared off the line by Sean O’Connor, but Tom Hough arrived on the edge of the box to poke home a timely first goal of the season.
Sam Byrne had Glory’s best chance to level soon after when teed up by fellow substitute Santi Flores, but the former Mandurah youngster skied over the bar and the league’s best defence held firm to win. Glory's academy side drop to 10th but are eight points clear of bottom side Inglewood United.
Bayswater City are sixth but dropped two points late on Friday night as Abdul Osman’s last-gasp header rescued a 3-3 draw for Perth SC.
The Azzurri led on six minutes when centre back Franck Gamiz Quer was afforded plenty of time to strike low from 40 yards with his effort whistling past Lewis Italiano.
Bayswater levelled early in the second half when Gordon Smith intercepted a stray pass and pulled across goal with Joe Pollard pushing into the path of Perth old boy Cameron Teece for the equaliser.
The visitors were on terms for only seven minutes as Perth went ahead again before the hour mark. Gamiz Quer found Osman in space outside the box with the midfielder running in and curling home a sweet finish.
Once again, the hosts could not hold onto the lead, as Thiak Kuel won a fifty-fifty and Bayswater put several passes together, before Teece’s quick turn and finish completed a nice team move.
Substitute Joshua Anasmo looked to have won it with only a minute of regular time remaining as he burst clear of Perth’s defence before cutting inside, keeping his composure and slotting into the back of the net.
There was a late twist though as Bayswater failed to deal with a Perth set-piece and Osman was completely unmarked to head home five minutes into added time. Perth join the Glory on eight points with both sides three clear of Balcatta Etna, who occupy the relegation play-off place.
Balcatta remain second bottom after a 3-0 loss to Stirling Macedonia, which was the second defeat to Ian Ferguson’s side in the space of a week following their Australia Cup tie.
Stirling led on seven minutes when David Stoke won an initial header from a corner with Alex Tanevski glancing on from close range.
The lead was doubled when Gyles Davies’ powerful volley from 18 yards took a deflection and flew past Connor Campbell, and it was another deflected effort from Ciaran Byrne which deceived the goalkeeper to move Stirling level with Bayswater and three points off the top four.