Round 18 Wrap up | 2020-2021 Macron SFL WA

Another exciting round of futsal in the Macron State Futsal League, as the Top 3 widened the gap on the chasing pack. We witnessed some exhilarating close encounters on Friday nights, and some blowouts on Saturday.

Perth Longobarda FC 4 – 3 Fremantle FC

Friday night’s matches were all really close to call, starting with Longobarda (2nd) overcoming a resilient Fremantle (7th) by the odd goal in 7. Longo jumped to a 2 goal advantage via strikes from Vaughan Audrain and Alex Kretowicz. Fremantle responded with 3 goals either side of half-time to take the lead, with strikes from Dexter Hard (his first goal for the seniors), Jake Pizzuto & Diego Florenca. And, as Fremantle were looking to complete the upset & jump into the Top 6, Longobarda came back late in the match with goals from Kretowicz & Ricardo Louro to stun their opponents with their 2nd 4-3 win this season against the same foe.

Perth Lions FA 3 – 4 Perth AFC

Yet another mouth-watering encounter with AFC (8th) claiming bragging rights with their 2nd win of the season over derby rivals, The Lions (6th). AFC flew out of the blocks, taking a 3 goal 1st half lead with strikes from Liam Ellison, Nathan Thorp and young gun Sebastian Iasenza. And, they made if 4 with an early 2nd half strike from goal machine Andrija Jukic. The Lions came roaring back midway through the 2nd half with strikes from Jamal Yusof, Ali Milhem and Dorian Mardi, as the crowd came alive with a close finish that nearly claimed a draw. The Lions are now 4 games without a win and only 4 points ahead of 3 clubs that are gunning for their spot in the Top 6.

Byford Venom FC 2 – 1 Curtin Footbalista FC

The final match on Friday night witness Byford (12th) jump 2 spots with a late victory over Curtin (11th), who missed the chance to move up to 10th on the ladder. Both sides had opportunities in an evenly contested 1st half, but it was Footbalista who opened the scoring early in the 2nd half with a strike from Hazrat Akhlaqi. Venom head coach Edgardo Garrido called an inspired time-out with 5 minutes remaining, and his side came out & scored 2 late goals via Johan Van Den Dolder to turn the match on its head & secure Byford’s 2nd win of the season. It was an inspired victory secured by a disciplined performance in defence & speedy counter attacks.

Joondalup ECU Jets 0 – 13 Rockingham Cambio Cumbre FC

Saturday’s list of fixtures started with Joondalup (13th) succumbing to table toppers Rockingham (1st), who secured their 9th win in a row. Cumbre flew out of the blocks, jumping to a 3 nil lead in the opening 3 minutes, and never looked back, ending the half with a 6 goal advantage. In a match that witnessed over 40 strikes on goal, it took the heroics of goalkeeper Moutasim Al-Busaidi to repel Rockingham’s regular attacks & keep ECU from falling further behind. Hattricks from Tyler Garner & Faris Noor Rani were supplemented by doubles from Nestor Fonseca, young gun Ben Thorpe and Mason Vojdani. With mid-season recruit Igor Cvijanovic also on target, Cumbre are showcasing their muscle at the right time of the season, and now feature the most wins, most goals, meanest defence and 3rd, 4th & 5th top goalscorers in the league.

Balga FC 2 – 8 South Perth FC

Advertised as a contender for match-of-the-round, Balga (9th) were blown away in the early stages by a rampant South Perth (3rd). It was the Danilo Neves show, as the reigning SFL MVP scored a quickfire hattrick in the opening 6 minutes. The 4th goal followed late in the half & a Daniel Muzzarelli strike with the last kick of the half made it a 5 star 1st half performance by South Perth. The 2nd half was a lot more competitive with Balga scoring early via Jiordan Giacoppo. Filip Rojnica responded for South Perth, as Eraste Vyamungu replied for Balga. Young gun James Toth scored a fine goal and Muzzarelli completed his double with another late strike.

Cockburn EWA FC 2 – 0 Murdoch Warriors FC

Two of the traditional heavyweights clashed in a tight & low scoring encounter, in which Cockburn (4th) edged Murdoch (10th) by 2 goals to nil. Youngster Milan Bulatovic struck his maiden goal in the SFL midway through the 1st half to open the scoring & that is how it remained until half-time. Another youngster Daniel Mcmullan scored early in the 2nd half to give EWA a buffer that they maintained until the end of the match, with the bonus of keeping a clean sheet against The Lions. The victory allowed Cockburn to retain 4th on the ladder, ahead of the chasing pack, fully 9 points ahead of Fremantle in 7th.

Stirling Braza Ginga FC 8 – 4 Canning Ultra Tigers FC

The final match of the round was a goal fest with the defending champions Stirling (5th) starting well, and Canning (13th) finishing strong. Braza cemented their spot in the Top 6 with a solid start anchored by early strikes from veterans Thiago Mesquita and Victor Brauner. Further 1st half goals from young stars Connor Crews, Fahed Kassis & Josh Ban completed a near perfect half, with Tarek Atta replying for The Ultra Tigers with a fine goal. The 2nd half started in a similar vein to the start of the match with early strikes from Brauner & Adriano Martino, his 2nd in successive matches since his return from a long term absence. Kurt Kouakou replied for Canning, as Kassis scored his 2nd for the match. A late double from Canning mainstay Shaz Ramlee gave The Ultra Tigers a confidence building draw in the 2nd half of the match.