Round 16 Wrap up | 2020-2021 Macron SFL WA

With Round 23 concluding on Friday & Saturday, the Covid-19 catch-up Round 16 took place on Sunday, with some surprise results & the blockbuster Braza vs Cumbre derby closing out the round.

Perth Lions FA 7 – 2 Canning Ultra Tigers FC

The Lions backed up well with an early start following the late Saturday finish to defeat The Ultra Tigers in the Battle of the Big Cats. Canning started well, taking the lead midway through the 1st half via Tareq Atta. The Lions responded via Shirash Sasikumar, only for Josh Watkins to send The Ultra Tigers into the half-time break with the lead. The 2nd half was all Lions, as they equalised early via Moh Totonchy, and proceeded to claim the victory with a double from Sasikumar, to complete his hattrick, along with strikes from James Oldroyd, Bakr Al-Qaraghuli and Totonchy with his 2nd. The win all but sealed 6th spot for The Lions as they ended the weekend with a 7 point advantage over their nearest rivals with only 3 games to play.

Cockburn EWA FC 5 – 6 Perth Longobarda FC

A contender for match-of-the-round, Cockburn surrendered an early lead to fall to Longobarda in an entertaining encounter. EWA flew out of the blocks with early goals from Niko Cvijanovic and Alex Gamble. But, Longobarda responded with strikes via Vaughan Audrain, Jon Bucolo and Massimo Basolu to end the half on a high. In an end-to-end match up, Aden Da Luz equalised early in the 2nd half, only for Jan Cok to restore Longo’s advantage. Cockburn battled back with the leveller from Alek Kukic, but again Darko Mikic restored Longo’s lead. When Mark Gavranic equalised for EWA, it looked like the game would end with a draw, but a late strike from Cristiano Dos Santos ended the game in Longo’s favour, as they avenged their earlier season loss to EWA and retained their interest in the minor premiership.

Joondalup ECU Jets 4 – 3 Murdoch Warriors FC

ECU surprised Murdoch with a stunning performance, in a game that they never fell behind in. A cagy 1st half was opened wide when Davyn Nguyen scored midway through. Adrian Rossi doubled The Jets’ advantage late on. When Alex Pietroniro responded with virtually the last kick of the half for The Warriors, it looked like they would battle their way back into the contest. But, Rossi restored ECU’s 2 goal advantage 7 minutes into the 2nd half & the upset was on again. Yet again, Murdoch fought back with a strike from Koray Altintas and an own goal to level the ledger. As both sides chased the win, it was Nguyen, with his 2nd of the match who sealed the famous victory for The Jets.

Balga FC 0 – 2 Curtin Footbalista FC

Balga’s chances of reaching their first finals campaign were dealt a blow, as they we held scoreless by a defiant Curtin. In a cagy first half, in which both sides had good chances, both sets of goalkeepers, Michael Dudek & Milad Sabbagh, excelled. Hazrat Akhlaqi opened the scoring early in the 2nd half with a poacher’s goal, and Moreno Cappello sealed the victory late on with another team effort.

Perth AFC 2 – 10 South Perth FC

AFC and South Perth always put on a show when they face each other, and this match was no different. Whilst AFC were competitive until half-time, South Perth flexed their muscles in the 2nd half as they showed the championship chasing credentials and rose to the summit of the league, albeit on goal difference. Braces from Filip Rojnica, Chris Rocchi & young gun James Toth, we complemented by singles from Daniel Muzzarelli, Justin Pearce, Remo Capitani & Danilo Neves. AFC responded with strikes from Nathan Thorp and Oscar Pit, as their brave chase for a spot in the finals was dealt a major blow.

Stirling Braza Ginga FC 3 – 2 Rockingham Cambio Cumbre FC

The match of the round had everything! Super strikes, yellow & red cards, a missed penalty. Nothing less than what we have come to expect from the biggest derby in the Macron State Futsal League. A wary first half was blown wide open by 2 late strikes from Braza veteran Thiago Mesquita. Faris Noor Rani responded early in the 2nd half as Cumbre mounted a comeback. But a red card & missed penalty offered Stirling the opportunity to extend their lead, as captain Pavel Parihuzic did midway through the half. A late response via Karim Yusof made for a tense finish, but Braza held on to extend their winning run & dent Rockingham’s chance of securing the minor premiership.

Byford Venom FC vs Fremantle FC 1-10

The final catch-up fixture from the Covid-interrupted Round 16 saw Byford succumb to a rampant Fremantle in a must-win for the port club. In a tight 1st half, Fremantle opened the scoring via another of their long line of academy products Marco Florenca. The Venom equalised via Calvin Swarts, only for U19s captain Jake Pizzuto to restore Fremantle’s advantage. Byford battled back again via Leon Plug. Marco Florenca gave Fremantle the half-time advantage with his 2nd of the match. The 2nd half was all Fremantle, with Dexter Hard, Benji Mikhael, Pizzuto (completing his double), Diego Florenca, Marco Florenca (his first hattrick in the SFL) and Milan Rosic on the scoreline.