The third round of the SA NPLW kicked off on Friday night when Salisbury Inter drew 2-2 with Adelaide Comets at the VALO Football Centre.
The home side went into the game with maximum points from their opening two games, in comparison to the Comets who were without a win. Therefore, it was a major surprise when the visitors became the first team to score against Inter in the league all season with a flurry of two goals in four second half minutes.
Nanao Sasaki opened the scoring for Adelaide Comets on 53 minutes when she headed home a corner at the near post. Valeria Guajardo curled a free kick around the wall outside the box to double the Comets’ lead.
Facing a shock defeat, Salisbury Inter rallied and Chilean international Cote Rojas, who starred in Adelaide United’s most successful W-League season in history, stepped up to the plate. First, on 63 minutes she showed jet-propelled pace to rocket up the right wing and cut inside to fire a glorious solo effort into the net. Then, with thirteen minutes left the South American ran onto a long ball and used her strength to hold off an attempted tackle and fire home the equaliser.
Also on Friday night, Football SA NTC claimed a 3-1 win over defending champions Metro United at the same venue.
It was the second meeting in less than seven days for the two sides as they went head to head in the WNPL and WSL Cup last weekend, Metro running out winners on that occasion. This time around, Football SA NTC more than matched their opponents.
Anastasia Willoughby put the NTC ahead in first half stoppage time when she got on the end of a low ball into the box from the right which was missed by the Metro defence. Five minutes into the second half it was 2-0 when Michaela Belmonte dispatched a penalty after a United defender nudged a NTC attacker on the left hand side of the box. Just two minutes later Lily di Cola increased the NTC’s lead to 3-0 after a defensive catastrophe from Metro. A complete lack of communication between defender and goalkeeper meant that di Cola had the easiest of chances to score. Metro United could only pull one back, a strike from Victoria Mansueto after 66 minutes when a long ball was played through which NTC’s keeper couldn’t come out to clear, allowing Mansueto to casually loft it into the net.
Saturday’s action began with Fulham United vs Adelaide City at the Adelaide Shores Football Centre. Both sides went into the game without a league win this season – something which was very unfamiliar indeed for City.
In the end, it was the visitors who ran out comprehensive 4-0 winners with W-League star Chelsie Dawber hitting an impressive hat-trick. It took her five minutes to get off the mark when she was played in down the left and advanced unhindered until she dispatched a low shot into the net. Sophie Leszczynski scored Adelaide City’s second eight minutes into the second half. It came when her shot from the left hand edge of the box bounced in front of the keeper and into the net. Dawber earned the match ball with two goals in the final seven minutes. On 82 minutes she scored a wonderful solo effort when, after driving along the right, she cut into the box and fired home. With four minutes left she completed her hat-trick when Fulham failed to pick up her run through the centre. Dawber’s first touch took her away from both defender and goalkeeper and her second was a comfortable finish.
The final game took place at TK Shutter Reserve, West Adelaide taking on Adelaide University in the feature game of the round.
Both sides have made a decent start to the season with Uni gaining an impressive win over Adelaide City already.
It was the visitors who made a fast start and they caught West out when they were trying to play out from the back after just three minutes, forcing an error which allowed Elle Pirintzis’ cross to be turned in by Ellie Sparrow.
West Adelaide responded well with Laura Johns beginning to assert her dominance down the left hand flank. The home side’s patient, probing passing game was easy on the eye and ensured that they began to dominate both possession and territory.
Just after the quarter of an hour mark, Mawa Sumaoro combined with Christie Hillyer down the left to pull a ball back for Maddie Durieu, but her effort was narrowly wide.
West’s dominance was finally rewarded with an equaliser on 24 minutes when Johns played in Hillyer brilliantly. She in turn found Nicole Tilley who netted with ease for 1-1.
A rare attack from Uni came with nine minutes of the half remaining when Pirintzis’ dangerous cross was headed narrowly over.
Two minutes into first half stoppage time, West Adelaide deservedly went ahead. Ali Atkins found Elena Psaroulis and her long ball was easily tapped home by Georgia Macri.
The second half started with West Adelaide still in firm control and just three minutes in, Emily Hodgson careered down the right and played in a dangerous ball which Macri slid in to make it 3-1.
Adelaide University found it virtually impossible to contain Hodgson, Sumaoro and Johns in the second half.
On 56 minutes, Lara Kirkby was clean through and looked odds on to make it four for the hosts, but she was denied thanks to an excellent save by the feet of the Uni keeper. Shortly afterwards, Tilley had an effort headed off the line by the visitors.
Yet, despite this total dominance, out of absolutely nothing the University grabbed a lifeline with 68 minutes played when Hayley Needs calmly rounded Erin Murphy to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
If no-one predicted that goal, what followed two minutes later was even more incredible as Alysia Panagakos was allowed to run through and play in Milano Venter to lift the ball into the net for 3-3.
To their real credit, West Adelaide responded positively to these set-backs. Kirkby found Hodgson on the right but her ball in was missed by attackers, defenders and goalkeeper alike. Shortly afterwards another dangerous Hodgson cross needed palming away for a corner. The resulting set piece was met by the head of Sumaoro who was totally unmarked to restore the home side’s lead.
Six minutes later, West Adelaide sealed victory with their fifth. Johns found Kirkby and her ball in was met first time on the volley by Hillyer, giving the goalkeeper no chance.
The final opportunity of the game fell the home side’s way when Elena Psaroulis’ free-kick flew over the bar.
Whilst there will be concerns that momentary lapses allowed three goals to be conceded in a game they totally dominated, this was a West Adelaide performance full of high quality attacking football.
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD | |
| Salisbury Inter | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 7 | + 6 |
| Football SA NTC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 6 | + 1 |
| West Adelaide | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | + 4 |
| Adelaide City | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | + 2 |
| Adelaide University | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Metro United | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Adelaide Comets | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 1 | – 5 |
| Fulham United | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | – 5 |
The draw for the Second Round of the 2021 WNPL and WSL Cup was made on Friday. The ties for the final sixteen are:
Adelaide City v Cove FC
Football NTC Reserves v Adelaide University Reserves
Salisbury Inter Reserves v Modbury Vista
Metro United v West Adelaide Reserves
South Adelaide v Fulham United
Adelaide City Reserves v Flinders Flames
West Adelaide v Salisbury Inter
Adelaide Comets v Metro United Reserves
Ties will be played between 28-30 May.
