Olympic Kingsway have seized the initiative in the title race following Round 17 of the NPLWA - Men’s competition after coming from behind to defeat Western Knights 2-1 at Kingsway Reserve.
David Tough’s side extended their unbeaten home record to nine matches this season and it was good news for the Green Machine who went two points clear at the summit as closest rivals Perth RedStar dropped points at Fremantle City.
Knights, meanwhile, remain in the bottom half of the table as their unbeaten run stretched to seven matches, but they do have a seven-point gap on second-bottom Perth Glory.
Adam Kostrencic’s side had previously scared the leaders in both league and cup this season and posed another early question in the fifth minute. Jake Sardelic got forward from full-back and slotted in on his right foot from just inside the box.
Kingsway levelled on 29 minutes when Mitch Oxborrow’s corner was glanced in at the near post by Calum O’Connell, before winning the match in the second half.
Kingsway’s leading scorer Joe Knowles provided an accomplished finish into the bottom corner following good work from Tyler Garner. The striker’s 11th goal of the season was decisive, and he could even have added to his tally but crashed a shot against the crossbar from point-blank range.
Not that it ultimately mattered and Olympic ended the weekend with a break at the top after RedStar were held at Hilton Park.
The defending champions had gone 10 games without defeat coming into this one and led on eight minutes when Matty George led a visitors’ counter-attack and found Joel Chianese, who fired low across Luke Radonich and in.
Fremantle were given an opportunity to level late in the first half when Declan Hughes was penalised for handball in the box. Pat Loughrey drilled the spot kick low down the middle to equalise and that’s how it finished with the draw helpful to Freo’s claims for a top-four finish.
Stirling Macedonia hold the fourth and final top four position after a come-from-behind 2-1 win against old rivals Floreat Athena at Macedonia Park.
Athena came into the game off the back of a three-match winning run and went in front on 13 minutes when Kyle Murray found Ethan Mom who cut inside and waited for the opportune moment to strike precisely into the bottom corner.
Vas Vujacic’s side led for most of the afternoon before Stirling hit back in the final 18 minutes to maintain their five-game unbeaten run under Ago Mujic. The equaliser came from a set-piece with Kade Fearnall’s corner met by a flashing header at the near post from Joshua Bilaloski.
The winner came in the 87th minute after a long throw was hurled in from the left and allowed to bounce in the Floreat box. The ball ran through for Brent Quick whose volley from a tight angle was blocked by Josh Hunter, only for Alex Tanevski to bundle in and spark late Stirling celebrations which kept them three points clear of fifth place.
At the bottom, a late penalty miss denied Inglewood United three points in their fight to avoid relegation as they drew 2-2 draw with 10-man Balcatta Etna.
Inglewood had only lost once in their past five games and went ahead after a quarter-of-an-hour when Ciaran Salinger showed good control and quick feet before the captain lashed across the goalkeeper.
Balcatta bounced back six minutes later when Declan Hargreaves’ free-kick picked out Hasani Sinclair who leaped unmarked to head home from six yards.
The home side regained their lead almost immediately when Adam Buckingham was adjudged to have fouled Kotaro Yamamoto with the Japanese striker stepping up to convert from the spot against his former side.
Etna were reduced to 10 men when Shogo Osawa was shown a second yellow card on 69 minutes. But that did not deter the visitors, who equalised when Matthew Tomassone put through the legs of his opponent, drove into the box and teed up Declan Hargreaves to slot in his first Balcatta goal.
With the points set to be shared, Inglewood were given a late opportunity to notch a third win of the season which would move them a point behind second-placed Glory.
However, Yamamoto’s second penalty of the afternoon five minutes into stoppage time was planted wide of the post and Balcatta held on for a handy point which moves them six points clear of safety. Inglewood, meanwhile, remain three points below the relegation play-off spot.
Perth SC also picked up a potentially important point in their battle to avoid the drop with Franc Gamiz Quer’s stoppage-time header rescuing a 4-4 draw with Armadale.
The Azzurri was awarded a penalty in the opening three minutes which Sam Cook dispatched low past Joel Driscoll, but Armadale fought back to take a commanding lead at half-time.
Hamish Van Dieken’s cross from the right was finished from close range by Pieter Jacobsz and Armadale then led after a beautifully constructed goal with Van Dieken playing a give-and-go with Charlie Fleming before emphatically finishing past Joe Pollard.
Amir Ajan’s inswinging cross was headed home by Jacobsz to make it 3-1 at the interval. But Perth rallied in the second time to create a thrilling finale.
Nice combination play down the right involving Cook and Gordon Perkins resulted in the latter pulling back for David Ninkovich to finish, before Perkins recorded another assist with his cross to the back post rifled high into the net by youngster Jamie McNelis for 3-3.
Armadale were awarded a penalty in the final 10 minutes with Jacobsz dispatching to make it 17 goals for the campaign. The home-grown hero now has eight goals in his past three games and leads the Golden Boot race by three goals over Daryl Nicol, but it wasn’t enough to give his team victory as Perth earned a dramatic late point.
Gamiz Quer was the hero with a near post header from Ninkovich’s corner putting Perth four points clear of the relegation play-off position, while Armadale ultimately lost ground on the top four and now five points off a finals spot.
Finally, Bayswater won 6-1 against Perth Glory at the Sam Kerr Football Centre to keep their Top Four Cup hopes intact.
Glory had actually started the game well with Lewis Italiano making several good saves, including blocks from Santiago Flores and Royie Rahimim. But it was Bayswater who broke through against the run of play when a cleared cross broke perfectly for Cameron Teece to volley past Jhett Warner.
Glory were level moments later after Tadiwanashe Kuzamba was initially denied by Italiano when through on goal. The ball was recycled and Flores beat the goalkeeper from just inside the box to bring the scores level.
However, Bayswater blazed clear with three late goals in the final five minutes of the first half. Sam Mitchinson’s cross fell perfectly to Chris Jackson via a Glory defender and he made it 2-1, before the Englishman scored with a stunning chip from 25 yards a minute from half-time.
There was still time for Jackson to manufacture a marvellous rabona assist with Luke Palmateer benefitting to head home his first league goal for Bayswater.
That made it tough for Glory who did fight back in the second period and should have at least pulled one back following a handful of Flores chances with the best of them poked just past the post.
Baysie would land a hammer blow against the grain again as Warner’s clearance was charged down by Jackson who completed a treble for 11 goals this term, before Teece put the icing on the cake with a firm header from Jason Mirco’s corner.
Bayswater are three points off fourth place, while Glory stay second bottom after conceding six for the thrid successive game.