Stirling Lions will be the team left without a chair at the NPL table when the music stops this Saturday afternoon.

Stirling’s goalless draw with Floreat Athena means the league’s bottom club will go into the final round of matches three points behind Armadale and 14 goals worse off. Relegation to State League Division One awaits, with either Gwelup Croatia or Western Knights set to take their place.

Armadale ensured their survival with an unlikely 1-0 win at Sorrento.

 

Joshua Cortes scored the decisive goal and despite going down to 10 men when Josh Kuser was shown a red card 19 minutes from time, the Army held out as Sorrento kissed goodbye to their top four hopes.

Armadale manager John O’Reilly said: “At half time we asked them to go to another couple of levels and they did that."

The two other clubs threatened with the drop were ECU Joondalup and Rockingham City. Draw specialists ECU were held 2-2 by Balcatta, while Rockingham lost 3-1 at home to Inglewood United. However, Stirling’s inability to win meant both have been spared any final day worries.

Inglewood’s win booked them a spot in the Top Four Cup alongside champions Perth SC and Floreat Athena, a fine achievement considering coach Andres Oliveira took charge just days before the start of the season.

Bayswater are favourites to sew up the final place in the post-season competition after Gustavo Giron Marulanda’s double saw off Perth Glory. Chris Coyne's side will host Cockburn City at Frank Drago Reserve on Saturday knowing a point will be enough as their superior goal difference is too much for fifth-place Balcatta to overturn.

Perth SC last week announced that head coach Ramon Falzon and his senior coaching team had been reappointed for the 2020 season. They conceded three goals for only the second time this term but still came out on top at Cockburn City thanks to Andreas Theodosiades’ stoppage time volley. Fittingly they will wind up another exemplary campaign at home on Saturday, against Sorrento.