Floreat close in on leaders Cockburn
Round-up by Tommy Doleman
ECU Joondalup celebrate Harry Evans' equaliser against Gwelup. Photo by Debra Massey
Floreat Athena were the big movers in the NPLWA Men’s top six after Robert Harding's second late winner in three days gave them a 2-1 victory at Armadale.
The home side were in desperate need of three points to keep their Top Four Cup hopes alive and started brightly as Chad Nilson's centre missed Joshua Cortes by a whisker.
At the other end, Chris Saldaris' cross caused chaos in the Armadale defence, with Blake Adams eventually hacking clear. Andrew Palmer then fired narrowly wide of the upright from another attack.
But it was the hosts who took the lead on 18 minutes as Angel Andres Rivera celebrated his return after more than a month out with injury by netting his 10th goal of the season. The striker collected Friday Zico's pass and calmly slotted past Jason Saldaris.
Rivera’s absence has been sorely felt by John O’Reilly’s side, who went in at the break ahead after Phil Arnold blazed Floreat's best chance high and wide.
Swirling winds at the start of the second period made clear-cut chances hard to come by. But all the drama would unfold in the final 10 minutes as Athena pulled a massive result out of the fire.
Ludovic Boi scored a long-awaited first goal of the campaign when he stooped to head in Dean Evans' driven corner for 1-1.
Harding then had the ball in the net with five minutes remaining, only for it to be disallowed. But the youngster who struck late against ECU on Wednesday wasn’t to be denied. Two minutes into stoppage time, he raced away down the left from Arnold's pass before firing home a winner which moved Athena up to second in the standings, just a point off top spot.
Cockburn City remain in front in the race to become champions but it could have been even better for Scott Miller’s side after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Sorrento.
After two straight wins in the second phase, Cockburn were looking to knock the Gulls out of contention and put themselves within striking distance of a first title in the NPL era.
And they wasted no time in making their mark at Percy Doyle Reserve, Ali Gholami firing past Sorrento keeper Joel Driscoll from outside the box in only the third minute.
With the strong wind interrupting the flow of the game, there were few clear chances in the opening half aside from an Ollie Annis strike for Sorrento which hit the woodwork.
Knowing they required at least a point, Sorrento went for broke after the break and were rewarded 14 minutes from time when Clark Keltie’s corner held up in the wind and Scott Witschge was credited with the final touch as the ball crossed the line.
Neither side were able to master the elements and in the end a draw was the fair result. Cockburn, whose lead is now a point over Floreat, are at home to ECU Joondalup next week, while Sorrento travel to winless Armadale.
Gwelup Croatia ad ECU Joondalup remain locked together on four points, three off top spot, after they drew 1-1 at the Croatian Sporting Complex.
The hosts got off to a perfect start as Shubham Mokala ran unchallenged from halfway to prod past an advancing Johnny Perkins in the ECU goal.
Sam Riak had the Jacks’ best chance of the first 45 minutes when his curling effort was beaten away by Connor Campbell, but Mokala was proving a prominent figure as he had two good opportunities later in the half.
The former Balcatta winger found himself in behind ECU's defence twice but fluffed his lines, before being denied by a strong Perkins save as the score remained 1-0.
Those missed chances came back to haunt Gwelup just after the hour mark as Callum Timmins' cross took a slight deflection and was headed in by substitute Harry Evans for his fourth goal of 2020.
ECU were not done there and had the better chances to take three points back up north in the final 15 minutes.
Danny Hodgson was presented with the best of them when Andy Higgins crossed into the six-yard box, but the Englishman's header went over the bar.
Riak and Evans both had shots fly wide of the mark while Higgins put a late free-kick into the wall as the sides remained three points off leaders Cockburn.
In the lower half of the split, Inglewood United reignited their chances of competing in the end-of-season cup with a 2-0 win over Balcatta at Grindleford Reserve, which moved them within a point of bottom six leaders Perth Glory.
Both teams traded chances in the first 10 minutes as Steve Sokol forced Riley Stephenson into a sharp save which he gathered at the second attempt, before Alex Dunn tipped over from Adam Zimarino's first-time effort.
Sokol was dangerous throughout and he opened the scoring just before the half-hour when Abdul Sesay charged down the right and crossed for the forward to volley in at the back post.
Calum O'Connell missed an opportunity to reply immediately when he put over the bar from Anthony Topini's corner as the away side held on to their advantage at the break.
The home team put five past Bayswater in midweek as they ended a winless run that stretched back to Round Four but found it difficult to break down the visitors.
Adam Zimarino's shot was deflected behind for a corner before another effort was blocked as Balcatta's leading scorer looked most likely to draw the hosts level.
Michael Zimarino headed wide from O'Connell's free-kick before Inglewood went down the other end and made the game safe.
Former Balcatta midfielder Adam Falcone was fouled by Adam Tong inside the area and although Sokol's penalty was saved by Stephenson, the ball landed back at the striker’s feet and he scored his sixth of the season as his team recorded consecutive wins.
Perth SC bounced back from their midweek defeat at Inglewood as they beat Rockingham 5-0.
The outgoing champions found the front inside 15 minutes at Dorrien Gardens as Jayden Gorman rolled his marker and lifted the ball over an onrushing Bradley Stout.
Luke Collins had Rockingham's first shot but blasted straight at Ryan Montgomery from distance, but the Azzurri were in the mood and bagged three goals in the 10 minutes before half-time to all but secure the points.
Gorman was instrumental again as he and Jawad Rezai both had shots blocked moments before Daniel McKenzie lashed home his first senior goal of 2020.
Yagoub Mustafa rifled home a third for Perth after he cut inside from the right, while Rezai also took his chance at senior level to make it 4-0 on 44 minutes.
Rockingham put up more resistance in the second half and the visitors nearly pulled one back when Dylan Rogers broke clear and fired wide.
Blake Sokolowski netted in the earlier season meeting between the sides and he volleyed wide of Montgomery's upright midway through the second half, before Hodgkiss brought the best from the former Subiaco shot-stopper with a firm header from a Collins corner.
But despite Rockingham's bright spell during the second period they could not break through for a consolation and the Azzurri added a fifth with three minutes left when Mustafa completed his brace on the half-volley.
Perth Glory stay top of the lower pool after they earned a point in a 0-0 stalemate at Bayswater City.
The visitors were playing their first game since the announcement of Richard Garcia as Glory's A-League head coach, but it was one of their former players Luke Salmon who came close to opening the scoring when his toe poke was saved by Sam Reilly.
Chances continued to come as the half wore on. Salmon blazed over on the counterattack, while Glory's closest moment was Charlie Leech's sidefoot into the post from a tight angle.
Dean Cummings' shot was deflected wide for a corner and Joseph Forde's effort was palmed over by Jackson Lee as neither side could make a first-half breakthrough.
Glory's top scorer Bryce Bafford shot at Lee after a lovely passing interchange around the edge of the area, before Forde perhaps took a touch too many and dinked wide of the target.
Cummings went close again in the final 20 minutes when his long-range effort clipped the outside of the post, before Lee produced a super save from Bafford at the death on a frustrating day for both strike forces.
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