Football West News

Photo: Vince Caratozzolo

Bayswater City will look to compound Sorrento’s Westfield FFA Cup disappointment when normal service is resumed in the PS4 NPLWA at Percy Doyle Reserve on Saturday.

Sorrento held their own for periods of their cup clash with Sydney FC at nib Stadium on Wednesday but were dumped from the national knockout competition by goals from Shane Smeltz and Max Burgess.

Jamie Harnwell’s side can expect little sympathy from league leaders Bayswater City, who lost to Sorrento in the previous cup round to miss out on a second successive year in the Round of 32 of the nation’s new knockout competition.

Bayswater have been ruthless in the league, establishing an eight-point lead over second-placed Floreat Athena, with Colombian striker Gustavo Giron Marulanda in a rich vein of form.

The 29-year-old has rocketed to the top of the scoring charts with a 17-goal haul that has put him three ahead of Cockburn City’s Rory Patterson, whose team take on Balcatta at Grindleford Reserve.

Giron Marulanda has already surpassed the 14 goals David Micevski scored to win last season’s Golden Boot.

Incredibly, the Bayswater marksman has scored in his side’s previous eight matches, including netting five goals in the past two games.

Sorrento coach Jamie Harnwell, who has accepted a position with the Adelaide United Lady Reds for the coming W-League season, is focused on the remainder of the NPLWA season after the Gulls’ recent FFA Cup effort.

“I’m not going to wish the season away by any means,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of Adelaide, but Sorrento is a great club and I have great rapport with the people down there. I’ll be making the most of my time while I’m still here.

“You don’t want the season to peter out in terms of the league. There’s a great focus there to try to knock (Bayswater) off and stop their unbeaten run.”

“Knowing (coach) Chris (Coyne) and the Bayswater players and club, they won’t see us as a special threat – what’s happened in the (FFA) cup is a one-off,” he said.

Floreat will have their fingers crossed that Sorrento can do what no other club has managed this season – inflict defeat on Chris Coyne’s side – to keep alive Athena’s slim hopes of catching the top team.

If Bayswater do slip up, Floreat will get their opportunity to narrow the eight-point gap when they take on Inglewood United at E&D Litis Stadium on Sunday.

Perth SC, who lost 3-1 in their FFA Cup encounter against Rockdale City Suns in Sydney, will also play on Sunday when they take on the Perth Glory youth team at Inglewood Stadium.

- additional reporting by Alasdair Beer

Saturday
Armadale v ECU Joondalup (Alfred Skeet Reserve, 3pm)
Balcatta v Cockburn City (Grindleford Reserve, 3pm)
Stirling Lions v Subiaco (Macedonia Park, 3pm)
Sorrento v Bayswater City (Percy Doyle Reserve, 3pm)
Sunday
Floreat Athena v Inglewood United (E & D Litis Stadium, 3pm)
Perth Glory v Perth SC (Inglewood Stadium, 3pm)