Report by Tommy Doleman
UWA Nedlands and Floreat Athena both picked up maximum points in Round 13 of the State League Division One season to open up a seven-point gap on the chasing pack.
With the second-tier title race hotting up, Uni remain clear of Athena on goals scored after stretching their unbeaten run to five matches with a 2-0 win over Gwelup Croatia.
Jacob Turner got the opening goal on 52 minutes when he headed in Dean Hurley’s free-kick, before Hugo Martin Perez came off the bench to collect Jordan Pokler’s cross and volley home.
Floreat defeated Joondalup City 3-1 as an early goal at Iluka Sports Park set them on their way. Harry Lewis blocked an attempted clearance before running in and curling into the bottom corner.
Taiga Kobayashi continued his good recent form to level for City when he cut in from the right and scored via a deflection on 27 minutes. But two goals in five minutes early in the second period saw Alun Vernals’ side make it back-to-back wins.
Tom Wassholm brought up his fifth goal of the campaign when breaking behind the Joondalup defence and lifting over Joe Smith to make it 2-1. Then Declan Hargreaves fired in from the edge of the box to seal the three points and keep the pressure on UWA.
Joondalup City drop to fifth and are in a cluster of four teams separated by one point in the race for the inter-divisional play-offs. Third-place Mandurah City lead that group despite being held to a 2-2 draw by mid-table Cockburn City.
The Dolphins were awarded a 10th minute penalty when Oliver Fields was fouled by Matt Bowen in the box. Hamza Hina made no mistake from the spot. But the Cockerels were soon on level terms when Isaac McVittie’s cross was steered home by Luka Caceres.
Cockburn were unbeaten in three coming into the match and went in front midway through the second period when Bowen’s cross ran for Andrew Rankin to hammer in from the edge of the box.
The hosts earned a share of the spoils on 81 minutes when Jordan Callaghan followed in to score after Joe O’Brien’s shot had been saved, and that was how it stayed despite a second yellow card late on for Mandurah’s Harry Collins.
Elsewhere, Kingsley Westside moved back into the top four after a late 1-0 win away at Curtin University. Max Adamson got the winner six minutes from time when rolling his marker and barrelling through several challenges to rattle past Alec Radonich.
The defeat means Curtin drop to the bottom of the league after Subiaco climbed above them with a 2-1 win away at Quinns.
Subi stormed into a ninth minute lead after a swift counter attack where Robert Petkov released Kaleb Morris who finished emphatically past James Bosdet. Chad Samuels squared the ledger when latching onto a short back pass from Mamadou Ba on 49 minutes. But Subi would end their four-game losing streak with a winning goal scored by Oliver Lebihan after Bosdet’s punch from a high ball went straight to the midfielder.
Finally, Murdoch University Melville and Inglewood United played out a 1-1 draw at Len Shearer Reserve. Seagh Harris’ deflected effort from Adrian Ciampini’s cross got Murdoch off to a flyer inside the first minute.
But Kian McGuigan’s penalty in the final five minutes ensured Inglewood’s unbeaten run extended to five games and keeps them just a point away from the inter-divisional play-off places.
In Division Two, Rockingham stay top and are four points clear of the chasing pack after edging past struggling North Beach 1-0.
Regan Duckmanton got the only goal on 10 minutes as City returned to winning ways, while Beach remain in the league’s bottom two.
Wembley Downs are back in second place after a 3-2 win over bottom side Canning City at Butlers Reserve.
Mella Loding, Toby Robertson and Josh Waldock had Wembley 3-1 up after 28 minutes with Charlie Watt getting Canning’s goal. They netted again late on through Brian Mashingaidze, but it was not enough to see them move off the bottom of the league.
Carramar Shamrock Rovers are third and stay unbeaten this season after being held to a goalless draw by Gosnells City. It was a sixth draw in a dozen games for Rovers, while the result may prove to be a handy one for Gosnells who are now a point clear of the drop zone.
Ashfield are fourth after coming from behind to beat Kalamunda City 2-1 at Maida Vale Reserve. Andrea Erbetta had given the hosts the lead but second half strikes from Kian Durant and substitute Michael Mwingira turned the game around for the visitors.
Ashfield are eight points off top spot and two points clear of fifth-placed Forrestfield United who won 2-1 at mid-table East Perth. Emerson Di Mattina and Noah Appleby got the goals after Eoghan Rea’s early opener.
Finally, Balga have won three games in a row and are just four points off the play-offs following a 4-1 win against Morley Windmills.
Jose Zuniga, Ilya Nebylytsya, Alen Patarov and David Dimola were all on the scoresheet as Balga remain unbeaten since the appointment of Amir Dzamastagic as head coach. Ali Gholami got Morley’s late consolation.
