Top three all win but problems for Balcatta at bottom

Perth RedStar extended their unbeaten run to eight matches and remain top of the New Balance NPL WA Men’s competition after a 2-1 win over Western Knights.

RedStar’s victory leaves them a point clear of Olympic Kingsway and two in front of Bayswater City after the top three all won in Round 13. 

Knights, meanwhile, are winless in three and are now four points off the top four positions.

Leaders RedStar opened the scoring on 52 minutes when Jack Baker put Gordon Smith through on goal and the striker slotted home his sixth goal of the campaign.

The hosts strengthened their position with eight minutes to play when Tom Hough curled beautifully into the top corner from 25 yards.

Aaron Pike’s stooping header late on gave Knights hope of getting a result. But time ran out for the visitors as RedStar continued to roll in season 2026.

Kingsway remain just behind RedStar after a 2-1 win over Perth Glory at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.

All the goals were scored in the opening 24 minutes with Rob Harker getting an early opener after smartly turning in Tyler Garner’s cross at the near post.

Daniel Jankuloski quickly brought Glory level when volleying home a cross from Alfie Knight. But Liam Boland bagged the winner from the edge of the box after Joe Hobson’s initial effort was blocked. That extended the striker’s scoring streak to four games and ensured Olympic remain right up there in the title mix. 

Bayswater City are a point further back in third after coming from 3-1 down to win 4-3 at home to Dianella White Eagles.

Two Daniel Zivkovic corners in the opening 18 minutes led to Dianella taking a 2-0 lead. Chris Saldaris headed in the first, before his fellow centre-back Franc Gamiz Quer nodded in via the underside of the bar.

Chris Jackon ran onto Declan Hughes’ ball over the top to score his 10th goal of the campaign. But Ian Ferguson’s time had restored a two-goal buffer by the interval when Gamiz Quer’s cross was helped on by Ben Hinshelwood, who made it goals in back-to-back games.

Pat Loughrey pulled a goal back for Bayswater four minutes after the restart when putting in Bor Bor Sam’s cross from the left. And it was 3-3 on 65 minutes when Loughrey was brought down by Lachlan Collins and Declan Hughes dispatched the resulting penalty.

Daniel Stynes got what proved to be the winner on 78 minutes when turning on Ollie La Galia’s cross and Dianella’s disappointing second half was capped by Alfred Guya’s straight red card for a lunging challenge on Hughes.

The defeat drags Dianella White Eagles back into the battle to avoid the relegation play-off place as they sit just one point above second-bottom Armadale, who won 2-1 against Fremantle City on Saturday.

Luke Desmond was the hero with both goals after also scoring a brace in the Armý’s win over Glory the week before, which moves his side just goal difference behind the 10th-placed youngsters.

The midfielder volleyed in from Charlie Garnham’s cross to get the home side going. But they were pegged back promptly, and it was one each at the break after ex-Army man Chad Nilson converted Riley Woodcock’s cross from close range.

Desmond delivered the decisive goal on 82 minutes when running onto a loose ball, twisting and turning his way into the box before smashing past Luke Radonich.

Armadale’s revival in the past fortnight was bad news for Balcatta Etna, who are now five points adrift at the bottom of the league following a 3-0 loss at home to Sorrento.

Sorrento went ahead early on when Jude Gauntlett turned home Will Richards' low free-kick. The lead was doubled on 57 minutes when skipper Dean Cummings beat the offside trap and lobbed over an advancing Sebastian Medica.

Richards fired the third from outside the box a minute from time to seal the result and emphatically end a four-game losing streak for Sorrento. The Gulls are now seventh, 10 points above the bottom and five points clear of the play-offs.

Finally, Perth Azzurri and Stirling Macedonia shared the points in a 3-3 draw in the second of their DT38 charity fixtures on Friday at Dorrien Gardens.

Callum McKenzie volleyed in to put Stirling ahead on 14 minutes, but a fine strike from David Ninkovich saw Perth pull level midway through the first half.

Calvin Whitney swivelled and scored from McKenzie’s cutback to put Stirling back in front on 28 minutes before McKenzie netted goal number 11 of his season from the penalty spot leading into the break.

To their credit, the Azzurri mounted a strong second half comeback to rescue a point and keep a three-point margin between themselves in fourth and Stirling in fifth.

Ninkovich nailed a half-volley when a ball broke his way to eat into the lead before Gordon Perkins’ deflected shot made it 3-3 on 79 minutes.