Report by Tommy Doleman

Who will win the NPLWA title - RedStar, Floreat or Stirling? Photos by FotoEnzo

A thrilling finale awaits as the NPLWA - Men’s competition concludes on Saturday with the league title, top four places and relegation still to be decided.

Three teams remain alive in the title race with Floreat Athena, Stirling Macedonia and Perth RedStar split by two points in the standings.

Athena hold the edge with a one-point lead over Stirling, with RedStar a further point back. That means three points away at Armadale will confirm Floreat’s first State league title since 2007.

They go into the weekend’s fixture having lost only once in their past 14 matches, although three draws in six including last week’s goalless encounter with Stirling could yet cost them.

Athena have been one of the league’s most consistent sides in recent years and have tasted plenty of cup success, but have been unable to break that 15-year drought in the top flight.

Ludovic Boi has been with the club since the NPL era began in 2014 and said success at the weekend would mean a lot to everyone associated with Floreat.

“It would be big for the club. I’ve been there over 10 years and we’ve won a lot of trophies, from Night Series to State Cups and Top Four Cups, but it’s been a while since Floreat’s won the league,” the 2015 Gold Medal winner said.

“Even for myself, time is ticking. We’re all getting older and have been together for a long time, so to get that league title would be special, personally and for the club.

“Nothing really changes for us. We will still approach it one game at a time as we have all season, even though it is a big game. It’s all about making sure we put the three points on the table and the rest will come with it from there.

“We don’t want it to come down to other results. It’s in our hands and it’s up to us to get the job done and the boys are ready. We’ve been training hard and what we’ve done has worked well so far, so we want to carry it on.”

Stirling are second and trail Floreat by one point, while the leaders have a 10-goal advantage in goal difference. That means, realistically, nothing but a win will do for Ian Ferguson’s side at home against Sorrento if they are to finish their first season back in the NPL as champions. It will also be a first top-flight league title since 1995.

It has been an excellent season Stirling following their promotion from State League Division One last season. Despite not being in control of their own destiny, the former Perth Glory coach is hopeful his team can apply pressure with a good performance of their own.

“At the end of the day, the league’s not finished and if Floreat had won that game last week, it would have been,” Ferguson said.

“It’s been a remarkable journey for us having come from the First Division to the NPL, to losing only four games and knowing we’re still in with a chance if we win. So it’s exciting for the club and the players and we’re looking forward to it.

“It’s definitely a week where we can sit and reflect proudly on where we’ve come from, and what we’ve done, but we’ve got to go and finish it off. It’s in Floreat’s hands, it’s up to them and I’m sure the pressure will be on them more than us, so I just want our boys to go out and enjoy the occasion.

“We’re at home and it’s a massive game for us, but we’ve got to take care of ourselves and make sure we’re ready and prepared for this challenge. They (Sorrento) had a fantastic result against RedStar, so we know it won’t be an easy game, but we’ve also got a lot to play for.”

RedStar are the third side in the mix for league honours, but last Saturday’s 5-2 defeat at Sorrento put them behind the eight ball.

They have to win at home to Cockburn City and hope Floreat and Stirling drop points if they are to join the club’s women’s side in being crowned NPL champions in the first season under the RedStar name.

Head coach Callum Salmon said there was still plenty of positives to take from the season, despite the disappointing defeat at Percy Doyle Reserve.

“There’s no getting away from it, everyone in the changeroom was sombre after the game,” Salmon said.

“If you watch the first half an hour of the game we gave it a huge crack, but their goalkeeper was phenomenal. We missed a huge opportunity to go top of the league, there’s no question there, so the boys were disappointed.

“In regards to getting the boys back on their feet, it is business as usual at training. An enjoyable session, lots of touches on the ball, and being in good spirits. We’ve still worked ourselves into a good position this season compared to last.

“We can still win the league, we’ve qualified for finals and there’s been huge improvement across the season, so we’re focusing on the positives. And we created enough to win on the weekend, but sometimes football doesn’t work out for you.

“We’ve just got to get back into it, work hard, hopefully beat Cockburn and then see what the other results are. Anything can happen.”

With Floreat, Stirling and RedStar already confirming their places in the Top Four Cup, the remaining finals position will go to one of Bayswater City or Sorrento.

A win for Bayswater over Balcatta Etna will confirm fourth spot for Gareth Naven’s side but any other result will leave the door open for the Gulls.

Goals from Chris Jackson and Zech Dabbs gave Sorrento a 2-1 win over Inglewood United on Tuesday to keep Trevor Morgan’s side in the hunt. Now they need another win at Stirling if they are to have a chance of making back-to-back finals appearances.

Bayswater’s fixture will also be important at the other end of the table, as Balcatta search for the point which would maintain their NPL status in 2023.

Glen Grostate’s side won 3-0 against now-bottom side Gwelup Croatia to sit three points clear of the relegation trap door. A loss at Frank Drago Reserve, though, would open the door for Gwelup to escape if they beat Perth Glory on the road, given Lee Taylor’s side have the edge on goal difference.

The final game of the weekend features a meeting between Inglewood United and Perth SC with no major implications at play. Both teams can still record a top of half finish with a win, if Armadale drop points in their game with Floreat.

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Round 22 fixtures

Saturday (3pm): Armadale v Floreat Athena, Bayswater City v Balcatta Etna, Inglewood United v Perth SC, Perth Glory v Gwelup Croatia, Perth RedStar v Cockburn City, Stirling Macedonia v Sorrento.