For the first time a Western Australian club from outside the PS4 NPL has qualified for the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32. Get the lowdown on this year’s two Football West entrants.
A club preparing to make their debut in the Westfield FFA Cup Final Rounds has joined a club that is back in the national fold for the second time after getting a taste of the Round of 32 back in 2015.
In the three years of the Westfield FFA Cup’s existence, no Football West club has made it past the Round of 32. Could this be the year? WA’s two Member Federation entrants of 2017 will be hoping so.
Here is who will line up in the Westfield FFA Cup 2017 Final Rounds as the best from the west…
Sorrento #SOR
League: PS4 NPL WA
Home Venue: Percy Doyle Reserve (Corner Warwick Road & Marmion Avenue, Duncraig)
Website: sorrentofc.com.au
Twitter: @Sorrento_FC
Facebook: facebook.com/sorrentofc
Head Coach: Jamie Harnwell
How they qualified
Round 4
Sorrento 10 (Sean Canham 21’/67’/80’, Scott Bulloch 26’/31’/48’/86’, Scott Witschge 53’/84’, Jacob Shore 62’)
Woodvale 0
Round 5
Sorrento 3 (Reece Vittiglia 39’, Sean Canham 69’, Scott Witschge 84’)
UWA Nedlands FC 1 (A.Kretowicz 54’)
Round 6
Wanneroo City 0
Sorrento 2 (Alex Morgan 4’, Reece Vittiglia 64’)
Round 7
Sorrento 1 (Sean Canham 8’)
Dianella White Eagles 0
Westfield FFA Cup history
2014 - Did not qualify for the Round of 32
2015 - Knocked out in Round of 32 by Sydney FC 2-0 at nib Stadium, Perth
2016 - Did not qualify for the Round of 32
Lowdown
Over 3,000 turned out at nib Stadium back in August 2015 to see Sorrento go down 2-0 to Hyundai A-League outfit Sydney FC in what is the Gulls’ only previous appearance in the Round of 32.
Now they are back in the Final Rounds after qualifying through WA’s Preliminary Rounds. Following a massive first up victory over Woodvale, the Gulls overcame three State League sides – UWA Nedlands, Wanneroo City and Dianella White Eagles to progress.
In Sorrento’s Cup run to the Final Rounds, Sean Canham has proven a formidable force, finding the back of the net in all but one match, his tally including the winner against Dianella White Eagles in the Round of 32 decider.
But Canham is not alone when it comes to goal scoring avenues, and under the reins of former Perth Glory captain and defender Jamie Harnwell, they are sure to also show a resilience in defence.
At the time of writing the Gulls have also been finding some good form of late, defeated just once in PS4 NPL WA since the start of May.
Western Knights #WKN
League: State League Division 1
Home Venue: Nash Field (Solomon Street, Mosman Park)
Website: westernknights.com.au
Twitter: @WesternKnights
Facebook: facebook.com/westernknightssc
Head Coach: Trim Morgan
How they qualified
Round 3
Olympic Kingsway 0
Western Knights 3 (Paul Lloyd 15’, Adriano Jelenovic 28’/71’)
Round 4
Western Knights 14 (Brian Patterson 10’/20’, James Burns 15’/18’/32’, Paul Lloyd 38’/77’/88’, Ryan Haslett 22’/43’/56’, Adriano Jelenovic 25’/51’, Jack Rycroft 66’)
Bussellton SC 0
Round 5
Western Knights 3 (Paul Lloyd 76’, Jack Rycroft 82’, Adriano Jelenovic 86’)
Wembley Downs 0
Round 6
Western Knights 3 (Jack Rycroft 8’, Paul Lloyd 60’, Ben Coulter 81’)
Perth Soccer Club 1 (N.Sabatini 41’ (pen))
Round 7
Bayswater City 1 (B.Griffiths 2’)
Western Knights 2 (Adriano Jelenovic 21’, Paul Lloyd 90+1’ (pen))
Westfield FFA Cup history
First appearance in the Round of 32
Lowdown
State League Division 1 club Western Knights created history as the first non PS4 NPL WA to reach the Westfield FFA Cup Final Rounds.
Adding to the Knights’ accomplishment is that their spot among the other 31 clubs from around the country who will take part in the Final Rounds is no fluke and more than deserved.
The club, which was established in 1968, eliminated PS4 NPL sides and former Round of 32 entrants (Perth SC and Bayswater City) to qualify.
Paul Lloyd has been a constant on the score sheet, the number 10 finding the back of the net in all of the Knights’ five Cup matches so far this year, including the stoppage time penalty against Bayswater City to send them into the Round of 32.
Regardless of the opposition, any team that scores 14 goals in a Cup game and has claimed two prized scalps on their way to the Round of 32 will not take a backward step once the Final Rounds come down.
