Olympic Kingsway won 2-0 at Murdoch University Melville to record a 16th league win this season and move a step closer to the Men's State League Division One title and promotion.
With three matches left in the season and a considerable goal difference advantage, one more win will all but do it for David Tough’s side who remain six points clear of second place Western Knights and eight ahead of Fremantle City, who travel north to play the league leaders next week.
Two goals in the first 17 minutes got the job done for Olympic at Besteam Stadium. The opener came when Tyler Garner’s inswinging corner was adjudged to have crossed the line before Tom Allan could keep it out.
Ciaran Byrne then ensured his hot streak in front of goal continued with his sixth goal in five games, having collected Michael Zimarino’s pass before slotting in.
Should Kingsway blow up over the final few weeks then Knights can still overtake them. They remained in the hunt with a roller-coaster 5-4 win at Rockingham City, largely thanks to Paul Lloyd’s hat-trick.
An own goal from Oliver McGee followed by Lloyd’s shot via goalkeeper and bar put Knights two-up at Lark Hill.
But Rockingham, who were unbeaten in seven under Kris Donnell and Darren Donnachie, hit back to lead at half time. Ryan Kennedy’s free kick floated beyond everyone to drop under the crossbar before Shaun Mukwevho finished Jordan Murray’s cross barely a minute later.
An own goal had the hosts 3-2 up after 38 minutes, but Knights hit back with three goals in 14 second-half minutes to win for a third time in four outings.
Lloyd added his second from close range to level and then completed a treble by hammering home to put the visitors up with quarter of an hour remaining.
Dean Hurley looked to have headed in the sealer soon after and that proved to be the case, despite Mukwevho netting late on to temporarily set up a nervy finish for the visitors.
Fremantle are mathematically still contenders for the title after a 3-0 victory against Dianella White Eagles.
A goal in each half from ex-Armadale forward Roberto Soares helped City on their way. He rolled in the first from a tight angle on 24 minutes, before Dianella were reduced to 10 men with Nathan Diaz seeing a straight red card.
Soares broke the offside trap on 72 minutes to round the goalkeeper and complete his brace. Freo then found a third late on when Hamza Hina tip-toed through a couple of challenge and fired in.
Mandurah City are fourth and all but assured of the final Top Four Cup place following a 4-1 win over Joondalup United.
All the goals came in the second half at GenesisCare Stadium with the league’s Golden Boot leader Joe O’Brien coolly finishing for the opener on 55 minutes.
Craig Barker made it 2-0 with a simple finish from Murray Mackintosh’s cross, before United pulled one to set up a grandstand finish with Jude Baillie tapping in Matthew Corrigan’s pass from close range.
The Dolphins confirmed they would be signing former Celtic and Scotland striker Leigh Griffiths to a two-game guest stint earlier in the week. It adds more firepower to the division’s leading scorers, who finished Saturday’s game with two Mackintosh strikes, the second of which was a thunderous drive from outside the box.
Elsewhere, the bottom three teams all picked up a point in Round 19 to leave the situation at the foot of the table unchanged.
Quinns, who are in the one automatic relegation spot, ended a nine-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw away at Subiaco, who are still looking over their shoulders but remain four points clear of the drop zone.
Kieron Craig put Quinns in front on 65 minutes after Teo Brown’s misjudgement led to a tap-in. But Matej Centrih equalised from the penalty spot five minutes later and that was how it ended, despite a red card for Subi’s Christian Miraudo. Second bottom UWA Nedlands' match at Forrestfield United was postponed.
In Division Two, three games were washed out, including the fixture between leaders Gosnells City and Balga.
That meant Carramar Shamrock Rovers were able to close the gap on Gosnells to two points with a 5-1 win at Wanneroo City, although they have now played two games more. Jack Bardsley completed a first-half double for Rovers, before Jamie Gibson’s hat-trick confirmed a comfortable win. Carramar host Gosnells this Saturday.
Curtin moved into third after an important 2-1 win over Joondalup City, a result which saw the visitors drop to seventh and four points off the play-offs. Simone Sichel got the winner with 10 minutes to play after City's Joshua Pasco had cancelled out Kieran Witt’s first-half goal.
Morley Windmills are now sixth after a last-minute winner gave them a 2-1 win at Kingsley Westside. Both teams remain in a cluster of sides fighting for the final two places in the inter-divisional playoffs.
The other fixtures affected by weather and postponed were South West Phoenix versus Swan United and Ashfield versus Canning City.