Mandurah City and Western Knights both scored five times in Round 15 home wins as the Men’s State League Division One shapes up as a two-horse race with seven rounds remaining.
Craig Barker’s treble helped the Dolphins defeat in-form UWA Nedlands 5-2, while Knights convincingly beat Dianella White Eagles 5-1. Mandurah hold a one-point edge at the top of the league, with Knights eight points clear of third.
UWA went into Saturday’s fixture at GenesisCare Stadium unbeaten in five matches and led after 15 minutes when Harvey Carew kept his cool to sidestep and score for the visitors.
Six minutes later, Barker looped a header in from Robbie Galvin’s cross for 1-1, and the midfielder doubled his tally with a deflected left-footed strike from outside the box.
Barker completed a hat-trick when stabbing home from six yards following a set-piece, and John Baird’s team were on course for a fifth successive win when James Paylor headed in another Galvin corner.
Hamish Van Dieken made it five before the hour when collecting Baird’s pass to slot in as Mandurah emphatically wrapped up win number 12.
They could even afford to gift the visitors a consolation when David Molinari netted from a defensive mistake, as UWA remain six points clear of safety despite the defeat.
Knights similarly had a good day in front of goal against 10-man Dianella with four players on the scoresheet for Adam Kostrencic’s team.
Alex Kretowicz tucked home Albert Luwi’s right-wing cross for the opener on five minutes, and Owen Goodliffe put the hosts two up after 26 minutes with a left-foot shot on the turn. Angel Andres Rivera pulled it back to 2-1 almost immediately when he netted via the underside of the crossbar, but it was all Knights from that point.
Conor Devlin’s piledriver provided a two-goal buffer early in the second half before Shane Barnes was shown a straight red card with an hour played.
Jack Bardsley completed the scoring with two close-range efforts in the final 20 minutes to keep Knights in the frame.
Joondalup United occupy third spot now after James Harmer’s goal gave them a 1-0 win over Fremantle City.
Having netted a last-gasp winner at Murdoch the week before, former Rockingham man Harmer slid the only goal past Jordan Barbas on 50 minutes, which made it two straight wins for Nick Jennings’ team.
Back-to-back defeats for Freo mean they have seemingly slipped out of the title picture and will likely fight for a place in the promotion play-offs with Saturday’s opponents and Dianella.
At the bottom of the league, two Brice Rae goals gave 10th-placed Gosnells City a 2-0 win at bottom side Forrestfield United, which pulled them five points clear of Subiaco in the relegation play-off position.
It was only a third win of the season for the visitors but seven draws in 15 matches have ensured they have kept picking up points. Consequently, Forrestfield are 10 points from safety having won only once in 2023.
Rae opened the scoring on 32 minutes with a left-footed effort from 18 yards which made it goals in back-to-back matches. He then secured victory for Gosnells midway through the second period when a loose ball dropped his way from a corner.
Subiaco also remain in trouble as Marc Wingell’s first game as head coach at Rosalie Park ended in a 3-1 loss to Rockingham City.
Rockingham’s return to the winner’s list means they are seven points off the play-off places and keep their outside promotion hopes alive.
They led after two minutes when Ryan Kennedy scored from the penalty spot and doubled their advantage when Rory McGrath was in the right place when Harry Geeves’ header crashed off the post.
Agustin Ventre curled home a sweet response for Subi, but McGrath led a two-on-two counter in the second half which Josh Mackinder got on the end of to whip in sealing goal.
Finally, Gwelup Croatia and Murdoch University Melville remain in mid-table with Taj Bingwa’s treble helping MUM FC to a 5-3 win.
All the goals were in the second half with Feisal Zaw curling in brilliantly and Bingwa scooping in off the crossbar to put Taki Nicolaidis’ team 2-0 up.
Tyron Pottier headed a reply in for Gwelup, but Murdoch surged clear with Bingwa’s near post finish and Kaito Imada’s free kick which slipped past the goalkeeper’s grasp.
Bingwa’s turn and strike capped a fine day for the youngster before James Burns’ penalty and Jacob Williamson’s pinpoint finish added late respect to the scoreline.
Division One results
Forrestfield United 0-2 Gosnells City
Gwelup Croatia 3-5 Murdoch University Melville
Joondalup United 1-0 Fremantle City
Mandurah City 5-2 UWA Nedlands
Subiaco 1-3 Rockingham City
Western Knights 5-1 Dianella White Eagles
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In Division Two, Maddington-Kalamunda White City inflicted only a second league defeat of the season on leaders Kingsley Westside to put themselves back in the promotion mix.
Samir Ramos scored the winner at Maida Vale as last year’s Belt Up Amateur Premier Division champions went fourth and above Carramar Shamrock Rovers on goal difference.
Kingsley still hold a five-point lead at the top with a game in hand, even though Curtin University and Morley Windmills closed the gap in second and third.
Curtin beat Swan United 4-2 at Edinburgh Oval as Daniel Davey scored twice, with Kieran Witt and Janno Saks also on the score sheet. Back-to-back losses mean Swan drop to sixth but remain one point off fourth spot.
Windmills also stayed in touch with a 2-0 win at Balga, who have now lost four games in a row to sit only a point off the relegation play-off spot. Cedric Mezieres and Charlie Breen got Morley’s goals in the second half at Princess Reserve.
Elsewhere, Quinns moved four points clear of bottom as they won 3-2 for a second successive week, this time against Wanneroo City.
Quinns led twice through Tyler Holden and Harry Edwards only to be pegged back by Sebastian Munoz and Dion Berman. Mason Gallagher’s 76th-minute goal proved to be the winner.
They pull level on points with Joondalup City, who were denied at the death in a 2-2 draw with Carramar at Grandis Park. Two Liam Peacock penalties had City 2-1 up, following Phil O’Callaghan’s opener from the spot for the hosts. Then with time running out, last week’s late matchwinner Sam Lawless bobbed up again as he headed in fellow substitute Zac Dixon’s centre for a 94th-minute equaliser.
Those results mean Canning City are four points adrift at the foot of the league following their 1-1 draw with Ashfield. Rowan Steed put Canning in front on 27 minutes, but they could not hold on for all three points with Gareth Hamilton’s 89th minute leveller earning a share of the spoils.
Division Two results
Balga 0-2 Morley Windmills
Canning City 1-1 Ashfield
Carramar Shamrock Rovers 2-2 Joondalup City
Curtin University 4-2 Swan United
Maddington-Kalamunda White City 1-0 Kingsley Westside
Quinns 3-2 Wanneroo City