Perth SC moved into pole position for the PlayStation 4 NPL WA league title with a 3-2 win over Cockburn City, as previous leaders Inglewood United were stunned at home to Subiaco.
James Casserly’s goal earned last-placed Subiaco a shock 1-0 win that has given them hope of climbing off the bottom with two games to play.
The battle at the top has become a pressure-cooker affair with Perth able to wrap up the league title with a win over Inglewood next weekend.
Perth, on 40 points, are one ahead of Inglewood with Floreat Athena, Bayswater City and ECU Joondalup each on 35 points. Joondalup extended their remarkable unbeaten streak to 11 games with a 3-0 victory over defending champions Bayswater City, to leave Chris Coyne’s side hanging onto fourth place on goal difference.
At Dalmatinac Park, Gustavo Catarcione was Perth’s hero with two goals and an assist in a victory secured nine minutes from time.
The league’s top scorer said that he was pleased with his personal performance and is looking forward to the possibility of winning the league next week.
“I am very happy with my two goals today but I also missed two chances that I could have easily scored, but with these three points we go top,” Catarcione said.
“Next week we play at home and if we win that we win the league, so we have got to work hard for that game.”
A 10-man Perth Glory edged closer towards safety and retained their place in the league with a 2-1 victory over Floreat Athena in a fiery affair at Ashfield Arena.
For Floreat it was a loss which dented their title hopes and left boss Glenn Grostate, who was ordered from the touchline early in the second-half for dissent, furious at the outcome.
Sorrento held Armadale at bay to leap into sixth position, with a goal from Sean Canham earning a 1-0 win to keep their top four hopes alive, while a 10-man Balcatta, who sit in seventh, scored a 2-1 win over sixth-placed Stirling Lions at Macedonia Park.
Click on the links below for a match report on each game:
Perth Glory 2-1 Floreat Athena
Cockburn City 2-3 Perth SC
Bayswater City 0-3 ECU Joondalup
Balcatta 2-1 Stirling Lions
Inglewood United 0-1 Subiaco
Sorrento 1-0 Armadale