Report by Tommy Doleman
Coby Sutton was the hero for the second time in a week as Bayswater City played out a thrilling 4-4 draw with Western Knights in Round 15 of the New Balance NPL WA Men’s competition.
Sutton scored twice on Tuesday as the reigning NPL champions qualified for the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 for the first time since 2019.
And his header late on at Nash Field on Saturday rescued a late point, although it wasn’t enough to keep Bayswater on top of the league.
Knights, meanwhile, have won only once in their past eight matches and are firmly mid-table.
Baysie had won four in a row coming into Saturday’s game and they hit the front on 19 minutes when Cameron Teece rolled his marker and squeezed a shot through Knights stopper Sam Reilly.
The lead was doubled a few minutes later when Pat Loughrey’s shot deflected off team-mate Jon Corness and hit the back of the net. But Knights were level by half-time as Daniel Walsh stabbed in from close range and Aaron Pike got in behind the defence to round Lewis Italiano and score.
Knights went ahead for the first time early in the second half when the unmarked Kosta Sparta volleyed home at the back post after a long throw broke his way.
Borbor Sam headed in from close range to level matters for Bayswater, before Knights again got their noses in front as Pike latched onto Sparta’s flick-on to volley in his ninth of the campaign.
But five minutes from time, Sutton ghosted in to head home Teece’s cross and earn Bayswater a draw. And there was time for more drama as City’s Sam Mitchinson had an effort disallowed, while Leo Stolikas of Knights received a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Bayswater’s dropped points opened the door for Perth RedStar to move back to the top of the league. And they took full advantage, as former Baysie forward Gordon Smith’s injury-time goal gave them a 2-1 win over Perth Glory.
Louis Sollitt got the opener on 43 minutes when collecting Malise Mpunga’s cross and firing in off the post for his ninth goal of the season.
Matty George made it 1-1 on the stroke of half-time, and it was George who supplied the cross for the winner in second-half added time, as Glory keeper Tomi Petkovic fumbled the ball for Smith to nod home.
The victory leaves RedStar two points clear of the summit with a game in hand on Bayswater.
Olympic Kingsway remain third and have also played a game fewer than Baysie. However, they lost ground on the top two following a 3-0 home loss to Stirling Macedonia their second defeat in five days after their elimination from the Hahn Australia Cup.
Stirling were fighting to stay in the top-four race and their cause was helped with two first-half penalties – the first awarded for handball against Ollie Annis on five minutes, the other following an off-ball incident at the end of the half.
Callum McKenzie scored both to become the league’s outright top scorer on 13 goals, and that set the platform for a Stirling success rounded off by Bayley Brown-Montgomery, who slammed home Josh Bilaloski’s cross.
The result leaves Stirling four points off fourth-placed Perth Azzurri, who were held 1-1 at bottom side Balcatta Etna.
The visitors led on 20 minutes when Charlie Fleming headed in David Ninkovich’s corner as Perth dominated possession and territory. But Balcatta had a couple of good long-range efforts at the end of the half from Jon Stynes and Nicolas Falco that whistled just wide.
Pieter Jacobsz saw an effort saved by Sebastian Medica after a nice team move and at the other end Adrian Pini rifled another effort just wide. But Etna did get their equaliser on 57 minutes when Pini’s corner ran for Jared Flavel who hooked in a volley at the back post.
Abdul Osman’s effort crashed back off the bar, while at the other end Stynes’ free-kick just missed the target. It ended all square as Perth extended their unbeaten run to seven matches, sitting five points off top spot.
Despite the draw, things remain difficult for Balcatta, who are now seven points from safety. That is because Armadale jumped out of the bottom two following a 3-0 win away at Sorrento FC.
Armadale had the better of a goalless first half and were eventually rewarded on 55 minutes when Scotlan Morrison arrowed an excellent finish across Ben Ratajczak into the far corner.
Luke Desmond’s drive from outside the box midway through the second half added to an impressive catalogue of goals from the midfielder this season.
Leigh Griffiths scored a third on 81 minutes when tucking away Corey Sutherland’s cross from close range, and that was how it stayed despite Zac Pentony’s late red card for kicking out at Sorrento’s Jude Gauntlett.
The win was Armadale’s third in four matches and lifted them three points clear of the relegation play-off zone, while Sorrento slipped to seventh.
Finally, Fremantle City ended a good week by edging Dianella White Eagles 1-0 at Hilton Park.
City qualified for the Australia Cup Round of 32 for the first time during the week and earned a spot in the State Cup final. They built on that momentum as Shubham Mokala got on the end of Charlie Chechlacz’s through ball to net the only goal on 61 minutes.
Freo moved into the top half following the back-to-back victories with Dianella four points above the relegation zone. They almost left with a point but Event Kadenge headed Sasa Njegic’s cross wide in stoppage time.
