Round 12 saw no home wins and no change in the top two positions in the table. The gap between third and fifth is still just two points and there is a new leader in the race for the Golden Boot. It also saw a goalkeeper make her league debut but as an outfield player!
CURTIN UNIVERSITY 0 – 10 MUM FC
In the University derby, the home team conceded double figures for the third successive game, whilst the away team were able to record their first win since round seven.
Curtin held their opponents for the first 23 minutes, but once the first goal was scored by Samantha Mathers the floodgates opened, and a further six goals were scored before the half-time whistle blew.
MUM scored another three in the second half with the last of their 10 goals coming in the 88th minute.
Mathers helped herself to four goals to bring her season tally to 12 to lead the race for the Golden Boot. Fellow teenager Jessica Johnson scored three, Andrea Preiato hit a brace and Nicolina Ierino rounded out the scoring.
The win moved MUM FC into third spot for 24 hours, but they ended the round in fourth spot just one point behind 3rd placed Perth SC and one point ahead of the Hyundai NTC who occupy fifth spot.
MUM FC next face Balcatta Etna and even though they are six points clear of their opponents, their mixed home form (two wins, two draws and two losses) means they must be at their best if they are to overcome a Balcatta Etna side desperate for a win. With the race for the third and fourth being so tight, no team can afford to drop points to their rivals.
Curtin’s woes continue and this loss marks their 40th consecutive game without a win in the NPLW. Their last win was in round 14 on the 11th of July 2021 when they beat the NTC 3-2, and their last draw was in round 15 on the 8th of July 2022 when they drew 2-2 with Fremantle City.
Their next opponents will be Perth SC on Friday evening.
BALCATTA ETNA FC 0 – 4 PERTH REDSTAR FC
Going into this game, both teams were keen for the three points for different reasons. Balcatta needed to keep pace with the teams above them who were pushing for a top-four spot, whilst Perth RedStar knew that a win would keep the pressure on Fremantle City in second spot and maintain their four-point gap at the top of the table.
The league leaders got off to a dream start when an Elizabeth Doust own goal handed them the lead in the 2nd minute. A Reina Kagami corner was picked up by Jacinta Coleman and she fed it back to Kagami who then sent over a deep cross into the box. This was not cleared by the home defence, and Chiroi Ikeda capitalised on this to squeeze in a low cross along the six-yard box that Doust could only deflect into her own net.
There was to be no more scoring in the first half, but Perth Star’s Olivia Wood forced fine saves from Gabby Dal Busco on a couple of occasions, whilst Lauren Continiabli came closest for the home team when her long-range shot forced Shivani Battaglia to tip the ball onto the bar.
A second RedStar goal arrived on the hour mark when a corner found Kagami unmarked beyond the far post. She drilled a shot at Dal Busco that the keeper could only parry down to Coleman who returned it with interest to make the score 2-0.
RedStar now had the bit between their teeth and the home side were struggling to put serious pressure on the visitors, so it was no real surprise when a third goal arrived in the 72nd minute. Reina and Coleman played a neat combination of passes in the midfield to free up the Japanese midfielder who then played the ball wide to her countrywoman, Ikeda, on the right wing. She played the ball back to Kagami on the edge of the box who struck a right foot shot over the head of Dal Busco for her 11th goal of the season.
RedStar then put the icing on the cake when Coleman found Abbey Wooley on the right-hand edge of the box. The youngster fired her shot into the top corner to give Dal Busco no chance in the Balcatta goal.
The win keeps Carlos Vega-Menas team four points clear at the top of the table and the RedStar coach was full of praise for his team after the game.
“I’m really happy with the result and I think it was one of the best performances for the team so far this season,” he said.
“We knew going into this game that Balcatta would be well-organised and well-coached. We prepared during the week to ensure we would keep to our style of football and put out a comprehensive performance on the pitch.”
RedStar’s next opponents are Subiaco and will be well aware that any dropped points will give Fremantle City a confidence boost in their quest to chase down the champions in the race for the title.
Balcatta Coach Tim Cash paid credit to RedStar in his post-match comments;
“We were well beaten by the leaders and respect the quality of the opposition,” he said.
“We had first-half chances but failed to capitalise. The game was in the balance until the second goal in the second half but the Redstar quality shone through.”
Balcatta’s next game is against fourth-place MUM FC, who are six points ahead of them. They can ill afford to drop any points in this game if they wish to mount a serious challenge for a top-four spot.
There will be some added intrigue to the game as three ex-MUM FC players, Tia Stonehill, Sadie Lawrence and the recently returned Baxter Thew, will face the team with whom they won league titles.
This will also mark the first game in charge for new Balcatta coach, Yash Pratap, who is stepping up from his assistant coach role with Cash moving back to being Head of Female Football.
HYUNDAI NTC 2 – 4 PERTH SC
Last season the NTC were victorious in every game they played against Perth SC and had also beaten them in round five when they inflicted the first defeat of the season on the Azzurri, so the form book suggested this would be a home win, especially given the lengthy Perth SC injury list.
Perth SC coach Peter Rakic would have been delighted therefore when his side raced out to a two-goal lead inside the first 20 minutes.
Jess Flannery opened the scoring in the 12th minute following some good work from Gemma Craine. She jinked into the box and put in a low cross that goalkeeper Megan Phillips could only parry. Jessica Flannery had enough time to retrieve the spilled ball and fired it back past Phillips to make it 1-0.
The lead was doubled just six minutes later with a fine individual goal from Ella Lincoln. Picking the ball up around 25 metres out she dribbled past two defenders to get into the box before firing a left-foot shot into the opposite side of the net to give Phillips no chance.
The lead was then halved in the 22nd minute when Ischia Brooking was released by a terrific through ball from Tanika Lala. The junior Matilda made no mistake with her finish and it was now game on.
The home team had a golden opportunity to equalise just before the break but Maja Archibald fired over the bar from just outside the six-yard box when the ball broke to her from a Violet Longmore cross.
Perth scored a third in the 52nd minute when Flannery was put in the clear by a clever reverse pass from Monique Goding. The Perth SC striker took the ball in her stride before firing a crisp left-footed shot past Phillips.
The visitors had little time to enjoy their restored two-goal break though as NTC struck back just a minute later. The Perth SC defence tried to play a ball out from their penalty after an NTC throw-in but overran it and it fell invitingly to newly signed Perth Glory player, Grace Johnston, who lashed a right-foot shot past Becky Bennett in the Perth goal.
Perth SC then put the game to bed in the 76th minute when Flannery completed her hattrick with a fine goal. Picking the ball up just inside her half she drove at the NTC defence, shaking off challenges as she did so, before letting fly from just outside the box with her left foot to make it 4-2.
The win lifts Perth back into third place and Rakic was delighted with his team’s performance when he spoke after the game.
“Very pleased to see a response like that from our girls, it was a proper fight in all areas of the park and it’s that same desire and intensity to win matches that we need to implement every week,” he said.
“Despite being extremely short on squad numbers, I called for a reaction to recent doubts and they certainly proved that today. Jess Flannery was excellent and she’s introduced herself slowly yet surely, and she has loads of potential to continue performing like that for the rest of the season.”
This was a remarkable win for Perth given the extent of their injury list and the toll that sickness had taken on the squad during the week. They only had two substitutes on their bench, with Jamie Duncanson back after a lengthy absence with injury, and U21 keeper Amalia Caceres who was forced to take the field as an outfield player in the 83rd minute.
Perth next face Curtin and will be relieved to face an opponent unlikely to take points off them.
For NTC the loss means just one win in the last five games, but they are still only two points from third spot, and coach Ben Anderton will know that a win in their next game against Fremantle will be a big boost for his young players as they head off for the NTC Challenge.
SUBIACO 1 – 3 FREMANTLE CITY
This game kicked off 45 minutes later than the other two matches played on Sunday, so Fremantle City knew that RedStar were already leading in their match against Balcatta Etna when they kicked off, making the need for three points vital if they were to maintain the pressure on the leaders.
Subiaco would also have been aware of the halftime scoreline in the NTC vs Perth game and knew that three points were essential for them if they were to keep their flickering top-four aspirations alive.
Fremantle mostly controlled the opening half-hour with Tash Rigby proving to be an effective outlet with her strong running down the right wing. Subiaco still managed to create chances though and Fremantle goalkeeper, Dayle Schroeder, was called into action on a number of occasions when Subiaco managed to break on the counterattack.
The opening goal arrived in the 33rd minute and Rigby was at the heart of it. Her powerful run down the wing proved too much for the Subiaco defence and she pulled the ball back for Oliva Trueman to score from close range.
Fremantle continued to dominate possession, but with half-time drawing near Subiaco equalised, somewhat against the run of play, in the 42nd minute. Some sloppy defending by Fremantle following a throw-in by Subiaco allowed Savannah Olsthoorn to hit a hopeful cross into the box. This found its way to an unmarked Dakota Van-Vugt and, with the Fremantle defenders appealing in vain for offside, she slotted the ball past Schroeder to make the score 1-1.
The second half saw both sides with early chances but a two-goal burst in five minutes saw the game swing Fremantle’s way.
In the 52nd Matilda Boyle bundled home from close range following a Laura Waltman cross and in the 57th minute, Rigby scored after being put through by a clipped ball from Sofie Osborne.
The win keeps Fremantle within touching distance of the leaders, but they have a tricky fixture in their next game against NTC who will be keen to take maximum points to stay in the hunt for a top-four position.
Subiaco’s win has almost certainly ended any hopes of a top-four finish and they may now struggle to eclipse their 21-point total from last season.
Head coach Greg Farrell had this to say after the game;
“We had plenty of chances in both halves to get ourselves on the scoresheet, but a lack of composure and maybe a bit of luck cost us,” he said.
“The players are working hard, but we’re at the bottom end of the table and mistakes cost you dearly when that’s the position that you’re in.”
Life doesn’t get any easier for Subiaco as they next face off against Perth RedStar and it would be a brave pundit who would tip anything other than three points for the champions.
Click here for the Round 12 goal highlights.
League Standings after NPLW WA Round 12
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Form | ||
| 1 | Perth RedStar | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 6 | +32 | 29 | WWDWW |
| 2 | Fremantle City | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 37 | 19 | +18 | 25 | WWWWW |
| 3 | Perth SC | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 40 | 14 | +26 | 21 | WDDWL |
| 4 | MUM FC | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 39 | 22 | +17 | 20 | WDDLL |
| 5 | Hyundai NTC | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 29 | 25 | +4 | 19 | LWDLL |
| 6 | Balcatta Etna FC | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 26 | 19 | +17 | 14 | LLDWW |
| 7 | Subiaco AFC | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 27 | -1 | 7 | LLDLW |
| 8 | Curtin University | 12 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 105 | -103 | 0 | LLLLL |
Round 13 Fixtures
Friday 30 June
CURTIN UNIVERSITY FC vs PERTH SC – Edinburgh Oval 7:30 pm
Saturday 1 July
MUM FC vs BALCATTA ETNA FC – Besteam Stadium 5:00 pm
Sunday 2 July
PERTH REDSTAR FC VS SUBIACO AFC – RedStar Arena 3:00 pm
HYUNDAI NTC vs FREMANTLE CITY FC – E&D Litis Stadium 3:00 pm
GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS
12 – Sam Mathers (MUM FC)
11 – Reina Kagami (Perth RedStar)
9 – Tia Stonehill (Balcatta Etna FC)
Click here for more NPLW WA coverage.
