Stirling, Dianella on cusp of title successes
Stirling Macedonia are one win away from claiming the Men’s State League Division One title following Saturday’s 4-1 victory at Olympic Kingsway.
Ian Ferguson's side lead the standings by 12 points with five games remaining and know a win at second-place Western Knights next Saturday will confirm promotion back to the NPL after a two-year hiatus.
Gyles Davies netted the opener after Greg Pellow's poke at goal came back off the crossbar, before Gavin Knight doubled the lead three minutes later after unselfish play from Sam Wynne.
Rampant Stirling had made it three by half-time when Wynne curled in a screamer from outside the area. Kingsway pulled one back through Gino Hampshire but the leaders rubber-stamped the win late on when substitute Hugo Snowden raced clear to score.
Knights will need three points next week to leave Stirling waiting to confirm their success, and they will go into the game on the back of an unbeaten nine-game run after Ciaran Byrne's hat-trick helped them to a 4-2 win over Mandurah City.
Rory McGrath nodded Mandurah in front after 10 minutes after a miscued punch from Sam Stone. Knight levelled nine minutes later through Byrne, but Taylor Carter restored City's advantage a minute before half-time.
Dean Hurley made it 2-2 with a cool finish from a tight angle before two Byrne goals in the final 10 minutes took the likely Golden Boot winner to 23 for the season after his third treble of the season.
Forrestfield United won 4-1 away at third-place Quinns to boost their survival hopes and move five points clear of the bottom.
Moses MacAuley's 15th minute opener was cancelled out by Reece Abrams' improvised back-heel, but Graham Normanton's side put the foot down later in the half.
Mitchell Crocker's free-kick restored Forrestfield's lead before Jake Melia's brilliant first of the season and Tarek Atta's late strike confirmed a big three points.
Joondalup United made it three successive wins with a 5-3 triumph at Ashfield to maintain their stranglehold on fourth place.
Jamie Gardiner netted for a second consecutive week to open the scoring on 25 minutes, but Lawson Smith and Ben Entwistle netted in the space of two minutes soon after to turn it around in Ashfield’s favour.
That was three goals in three minutes, but Joondalup United struck with two quickfire goals of their own from Anthony Taylor and Joel Sollitt.
Gardiner drove in his second of the game just after half time and Matt Cherrie came off the bench to add a fifth which sealed proceedings, despite Smith's late Ashfield consolation.
Elsewhere, Fremantle City stayed fifth after a 2-0 win over bottom side Swan United. Noah Shamaki slotted his ninth of the season from Thomas Kinnane's cross on 55 minutes before Matt Sparrow's late penalty confirmed Fremantle's win.
And UWA Nedlands leapfrogged Subiaco to move into the top half of the league. Headers from Samuel Moffatt and Joshua Marocchi in a three-minute spell were topped off by Samuel Carrello's second-half goal.
In State League Division Two, unbeaten Dianella White Eagles came from behind to defeat Gosnells City 2-1 and move within one win of promotion and the league title.
Stewy Moses' team only need to equal second-place Kingsley Westside's result next week to confirm the inevitable after their 16th win in 17 games.
Scott Pereira had given Gosnells the lead, but top scorer David Heagney's 16th and 17th goals of the season, one in each half, turned the game on its head.
Kingsley Westside stayed second with goals from Jayden Drummond, Josh Waldock and Simone Sichel helping them to a 3-1 win over Canning City.
Wanneroo City came from behind to go third as Nathan Scully and Charles Breen netted against Morley Windmills to answer Daragh Kavanagh's first goal of the campaign.
Murdoch University Melville also leapfrogged Gosnells and went fourth thanks to Kai Jones' 91st minute winner in a 1-0 victory over Carramar Shamrock Rovers.
Kelmscott Roos let their second win of the season slip late on as stoppage time goals from Liam McGurk and Luke Doyle rescued a 2-2 draw for Joondalup City, while Balga and Curtin University played out a goalless draw.
Filed Under: Men's State League