Samuel Dweh’s second-half hat-trick saw Striling Macedonia come from a goal down to stun Armadale 6-1 in Round 10 of the NPLWA – Men’s competition.
It was a first win in three for Ago Mujic’s side as the race for the top four tightened up over the weekend. Only three points separate Stirling in seventh and Perth SC in fourth, while Armadale missed a chance to move into a finals place with the heavy loss.
Armadale were fresh off putting five past Freo last week and led on 32 minutes when Josh Willis broke the offside trap and unselfishly squared for Pieter Jacobsz to score his 11th goal of the season.
Stirling levelled six minutes after the restart when Joshua Bilaloski threaded through for Alex Tanevski to slip across Sebastian Medica low into the corner.
That started a run of four goals in nine minutes with Dweh arriving unmarked at the back post to put the visitors in front, before scoring an identical goal minutes later from a Brent Quick cross to make it 3-1.
NPLM RESULTS, FIXTURES & STANDINGS
Calvin Whitney hammered in a fourth just before the hour mark as the Stirling flourish continued with Armadale’s task made harder by Lucas Cook’s straight red card.
Dweh had time and space to pick his spot to complete a treble before Hugo Snowden’s deflected free kick capped Stirling’s big second half.
Perth RedStar is also back in the mix for the top four as a 3-1 win over bottom side Floreat Athena gave Callum Salmon’s team a third win on the spin.
Daryl Nicol bagged a first-half treble to help his side ease to victory. His first came on six minutes after Oliver Leeming’s driving run led to Benson Nsegeste crossing for the three-time Gold Medal winner.
Nicol’s second came when skidding home a low drive from 25 yards, before the Scot fired a free kick straight through the wall for 3-0 as RedStar closed their gap on fourth place to one point.
Abraham Mathet teed up Jack Sprigg to score a late consolation for Athena, who remain five points adrift at the bottom of the league as none of the bottom five sides won at the weekend.
The door was opened for chasers Stirling and RedStar after Perth SC were hit for six without reply by Olympic Kingsway in the northern suburbs.
Jayden Gorman’s squeezed home from the penalty spot midway through the first half to get the ball rolling, before Jonathon Leithead crossed for Joe Hobson to apply a simple finish from close range.
Hobson returned the favour with a cross from the right finding the former Glory academy player, who tapped home for goals in back-to-back matches.
Olympic didn’t let up after the interval with Lebib Lebib setting up Laat Mathiang for 4-0, before Lebib again got forward from full back to crash in number five after a nicely worked move down the right.
Aryn Williams put the icing on the cake from a Mitch Oxborrow corner as Kingsway’s unbeaten run extended to six games, while Perth SC’s position in the top four is hanging by a thread after a third successive defeat.
Kingsway’s win keeps them three points off leaders Bayswater who are now unbeaten after 10 rounds this season following a 2-0 home win over Fremantle City.
It was a first league meeting between Baysie head coach Matty Sparrow and his former side, who he had guided to promotion to the NPL two seasons ago.
A goal in each half got it done with in-form Cameron Teece scoring early, having made a yard for himself before rattling in at the near post.
Teece flicked on Lewis Italiano’s long kick to release Chris Jackson who ran in to double the lead 12 minutes from time and make it eight wins out of 10 for Bayswater this season.
Perth Glory also remain in the title picture after bouncing back from last week’s regional loss with a 3-1 win at Balcatta Etna.
Max Naylor had the youngsters off to a flyer inside quarter of an hour when rolling home Christian Pullella’s perfectly weighted through pass.
Pullella was the provider again when his corner was met six yards out by Daniel Jankuloski a few minutes before half time.
Adrian Pini’s free kick on 73 minutes sealed victory for Glory as they returned to winning ways, despite Jankuloski’s stoppage-time deflected own goal. Glory stay five points behind Bayswater but are now six clear of fourth spot.
The final result in Round 10 saw Western Knights and Sorrento play out a goalless draw at Nash Field with neither team able to pull clear of the bottom.
The closest both sides came in the second half was when Jesse Lazzaro rifled just wide as the hour mark passed, while substitute Keegan Chambers’ header trickled past the upright for the Gulls.
