Bayswater City’s lead in the NPLWA – Men’s competition was cut to one point after a 1-1 draw with Perth RedStar in Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash at Frank Drago Reserve.
Gareth Naven’s side are now unbeaten in seven matches ahead of three successive away games, while RedStar slip out of the top four after three teams overtook them with Round Nine wins.
The leaders hit the front inside 10 minutes when Samuel Dweh won the ball in midfield and fed Ndumba Makeche, who ran in to slot home the opener.
RedStar pulled level midway through the first half when Cam Edwards was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area, and Golden Boot leader Daryl Nicol made no mistake with his 10th goal of the campaign.
Chok Dau hit the bar later in the half and Nicol struck the base of the post in the second period with the closest opportunities for the visitors, but Callum Salmon’s team couldn’t break through a resilient Bayswater defence.
The hosts finished with 10 men after Gordon Smith’s second yellow card, but nearly pinched it when Jon Stynes was denied by U18s goalkeeper Sonny Inzalaco, who was making his first team debut.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Stirling Macedonia capitalised on Bayswater’s dropped points to move one point behind in second place after defeating Perth Glory 3-0.
Ian Ferguson’s side led after 17 minutes when Kade Fearnall threaded a pass through for Daniel Faichney to finish low past Robert Cook.
The fixture was put to bed in the final five minutes when Samim Fattahi curled home a free-kick and Calvin Whitney scored from the penalty spot at the second time of asking after Cook’s initial save. Stirling are now unbeaten in three, while Glory dropped in the bottom half with successive defeats.
At Dorrien Gardens, Pieter Jacobsz scored a hat-trick as Armadale SC won 4-3 against Perth SC despite ending the game with nine men.
The Azzurri had parted ways with coaches Marc and Dale Wingell during the week and the players responded on the pitch, as Perth led through Hasani Sinclair’s firm header from Abdul Osman’s corner.
John O’Reilly’s side are the league’s leading scorers with 28 goals in nine games and a seven-minute treble from Jacobsz launched the visitors into action.
The forward headed in Tim Berger’s corner to draw Armadale level, before beating Radonich to Chris Jackson’s pass moments later. He completed a hat-trick of close-range finishes from former Perth youngster Emerson Alexis’ cross to cap a devastating spell.
Ethan Levitt’s second yellow card reduced Armadale to 10 men, and the hosts then pulled themselves back into contention when Sam Cook picked out Archie Whitfield, who volleyed in a first goal for Perth via the post.
It was 3-3 with 20 minutes to play when Luke Collins stood up a cross for Sinclair to finish aerially again, but Perth were level for barely a minute when Jackson made sure Jacobsz’ header cross the line.
That was the game’s decisive goal as Armadale held on to return to winning ways, even though they lost another player with 10 minutes to play when Matt Worton saw red.
Balcatta Etna made it back-to-back wins and ended the day in the fourth following a 3-1 win at Sorrento.
Glen Grostate’s team had won four of five away games coming into the weekend, and went in front again when veterans Adam Tong and Trent Kay combined, with the latter heading in a free-kick.
It was 2-0 just before the hour mark as Kotaro Yamamoto’s volley found its way in from Liam Hudson’s cross, and another Kay header from Jonathan Corness’ corner ensured Etna went fourth.
Mark Withers’ header from Joe Tweats’ cross with 15 minutes left proved only to be a consolation as the Gulls drop a place to 10th spot.
Cockburn City ended a good week with a 2-1 win at Floreat Athena which kept them within touching distance of the pacesetters.
After a credible point at Stirling last week and an Australia Cup win over RedStar on Wednesday, Cockburn were in confident mood and stole a march on 26 minutes.
Friday Zico collected the ball outside the area, turned and lashed a brilliant long-range strike beyond Jason Saldaris for his fourth of the season.
Athena had a goal disallowed for offside leading into the break and the Cockerels doubled the pain and their lead when Charlie Garnham’s corner dropped for Anthony Skorich to bundle in.
Nick Ambrogio received Ludovic Boi’s pass and found the corner as Floreat pulled one back, but no equaliser was forthcoming as last year’s champions lost for a fifth successive game and dropped to the foot of the league.
Inglewood United moved off the bottom in emphatic fashion after putting four goals away to Olympic Kingsway.
Andres Oliveira’s side won for the first time since Round Five in Tuesday’s Australia Cup game with Gosnells and they struck first on 34 minutes when Anthony Bafobusha teed up Dhours Chol to pick out the bottom corner.
Chol registered again three minutes after the interval when Bafobusha dummied Shubham Mokala’s cutback with the midfield arriving to plant a strike past David Keenan.
Inglewood added two late goals to leapfrog Kingsway into ninth as Dylan White lobbed over Keenan for three and Mokala scored a lovely left-footed curler to cap the win.
Results
Bayswater City 1-1 Perth RedStar
Floreat Athena 1-2 Cockburn City
Olympic Kingsway 0-4 Inglewood United
Perth SC 3-4 Armadale
Sorrento FC 1-3 Balcatta Etna
Stirling Macedonia 3-0 Perth Glory