2023 NPLW WA Round 14 Review

A shortened round 14 due to the Hyundai NTC taking part in the National NTC Challenge saw three games played rather than four.

Despite missing one game there were still plenty of goals and significant results. By the end of the round, the gap between first and second had been cut to four points, there was just one point between second and third and a new leader appeared in the race for the golden boot.

FREMANTLE CITY FC 1 – 0 MUM FC

With both sides losing last week there was an added incentive to get back to winning ways. Fremantle City were keen to close the gap on leaders Perth RedStar who had the week off, whilst MUM FC could feel the presence of Balcatta Etna right behind them and knew that a win was vital to maintain a gap between the two teams.

MUM were still without goalkeeper Stacey Cavill and brought in U21 goalkeeper Ava Hayes. They were also missing experienced defender Katherine Schubert who was out injured. Fremantle continued with Danelle Cornish in goal but were without Mikayla Lyons who scored twice in the previous round.

Fremantle started the better of the two sides, but there was a lack of a real cutting edge to their attacks and whilst they had the better of the possession they didn’t really put the MUM defence under sustained pressure. Their best chance came when a Jamie-Lee Gale shot hit a post. Gale also hit one over the bar and Maya Spatafore squeezed a shot wide when put through by Janice Kiama.

The best chance for MUM FC in the first half fell to Sophie Meaden who forced Cornish into save with a shot that the keeper did well to tip over the bar.

The second half was more of the same with Fremantle being the more dominant team but no real end result for their possession, but the introduction of substitute Kate Nolan in the 55th minute for Fremantle provided to be a turning point in the game.

She was heavily involved in the games only goal in the 61st minute. Janice Kiama won the ball in the Fremantle half and fed it to Laura Waltman who then played it into Nolan. A one-two with Olivia Trueman saw Nolan burst into space down the left wing and her pace took her past Lucy Hope. She then squared the ball back across the box to Trueman who finished well, high into the net.

MUM nearly equalised just two minutes later. Sam Mathers hit a long-range shot that came back off the bar and bounced invitingly for Andrea Preiato who was unmarked in the six-yard box, but she spooned the rebound over the bar and onto the roof of the net, much to the relief of the home support.

The win maintained Fremantle’s position in second spot and cut the deficit between them and leaders Perth RedStar back to just four points. The two teams face each other next weekend in Fremantle and this will be a hugely important game for both sides.

The loss for MUM was their second in two weeks, and they have now only won once in the last five games. They also suffered another blow during the game with their influential captain, Charli Wainwright, having to come off with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Their next opponents are Subiaco AFC and a win there plus a favourable result in the Balcatta Etna vs Perth SC game could see them leapfrog back into the top four, albeit having played two more games than the Hyundai NTC who will sit out Round 15 due to the NTC challenge.

Before the league games next weekend though MUM and Fremantle will meet each other again when they play on Wednesday evening in a State Cup semi-final.

SUBIACO AFC 0 – 7 PERTH SC

For the second week running Subiaco were without coach Greg Farrell with Steve Atkins taking the reins again. Louise Gishbul was on goalkeeping duties with Ashleigh Riddle out injured.

Perth SC welcomed coach Peter Rakic back after his trip to India helping at the Women In Sports Elite trials. Becky Bennett was back between the sticks, but they were missing midfield stalwart Monique Goding.

The visitors established an early dominance in the game and never let Subiaco gain any sort of meaningful possession, so it was no surprise when they opened the scoring in the 12th minute through Judy Connolly who cooly slipped the ball past Gishbul after being played in by Ella Lincoln.

In the 22nd minute, Gemma Craine went on one of her trademark runs that took her deep into Subiaco territory before passing on to Jess Flannery who scored at the near post to make it 2-0. This was Flannery’s sixth goal in three games.

Perth then made it 3-0 three minutes later, with Lincoln beating Gishbul on her near post after Craine played her in.

Subiaco should have scored one just after the break when substitute Rachel Larsen went on a fine run in the 55th minute that saw her carry the ball from just inside her half all the way into the Perth penalty area, but her finish let her down when she was one on one with Bennett.

Larsen would then feature in Perth’s next goal when she was judged to have fouled Connolly in the penalty area in the 61st minute. Connolly took the kick herself and made no mistake from the spot to make it 4-0.

The goal of the game arrived in the 65th minute when Jamie Duncanson scored her ninth of the season and her first since coming back from injury. Her fine curling effort from outside the box proved too good for Gishbul and made it 5-0.

Lincoln then scored two in two minutes to complete her hat trick and seal a fine display by Perth. In the 68th minute, her powerful drive was too hot to handle making it 6-0 and she then went on a solo run in the 70th minute to score and make it 7-0.

The win keeps Perth SC  just one point behind Fremantle and a win in their next game and a favourable result in the Fremantle vs RedStar clash could see them jump into second spot. They still have a large injury list and were without Abbey Meakins today as well as long-term absentees Ellie La Monte, Alyssa Van Heurck and Jamie Gibbons but with Craine having a hugely influential game today and Duncanson getting back to full fitness as well as having Poppie Hooks, Matilda Boehm, Connolly, Flannery and Lincoln there is more than enough quality on the field to match it with any team in the league.

For Subiaco, this was a performance they will want to forget. As was the case in their 7-0 loss last week, they were simply no match for their opponents. Their next game is against a MUM FC outfit who will be desperately keen for the three points to maintain their top-four challenge so they face another tough outing. 

BALCATTA ETNA 5 – 1 CURTIN UNIVERSITY FC

The loss by MUM FC meant that a win by Balcatta Etna would see them jump into 5th spot and maintain their push for a top-four spot and with the opposition being Curtin University it was highly unlikely that anything but the three points would be secured.

The home team took the lead in the 16th minute when Tia Stonehill raced on to a long ball out of defence from Baxter Thew. She rounded Emmanuella Adu-Pipim Boaduo in the Curtin goal for her 13th of the season.

Balcatta then wasted a slew of chances before Monique Prinsloo doubled their lead in the 37th minute when she hit a long-range shot from the left that went over Boaduo’s head and into the net.

Stonehill had a chance to make it 3-0 in the 38th minute when the home team were awarded a penalty after Lauren Continibali was dragged down in the box by Boaduo but she hit the ball over the bar.

The hosts continued to create chances in front of goal during the second half but dogged defending by the visitors saw them kept at bay until they eventually scored their third in the 66th minute, with Lucy Bricklebank bundling the ball over the line just a minute after coming on as a substitute for Prinsloo.

Given all the pressure they had been under during the game, it was against the run of play that the next goal would be scored by Curtin. In the 71st minute, Tiana Botha hit one from around 30 yards that ended up in the top bin to give Gabrielle Dal Busco no chance in the Balcatta goal to make it 3-1.

Balcatta restored their three-goal lead just three minutes later when a Kim McCartney corner was headed home from close range by Stonehill to make it 4-1.

Stonehill scored her third in injury time to wrap up the three points and put her in the lead for the race for the Golden Boot. Receiving the ball around 30 yards out she turned and burst past the defenders before hitting a shot from 25 yards out that was misjudged by Boaduo and nestled in the net. The goal was Stonehill’s 15th of the campaign and puts her one ahead of Reina Kagami from Perth RedStar in the Golden Boot standings.

The three points put Balcatta just two points behind fourth-placed Hyundai NTC and they next face Perth SC. This will be a real test of their top four credentials and a positive result in that game would see them in fourth position.

Curtin can take some small comfort from the way they defended so fiercely for long periods of the game. They have a break next week as the Hyundai NTC will be resting after the week-long NTC Challenge.

Click here for the Round 14 goal highlights.

League Standings after NPLW WA Round 14

Round 15 Fixtures

Sunday 16th July

BALCATTA ETNA FC vs PERTH SC – Grindleford Reserve 3:00 pm
FREMANTLE CITY vs PERTH REDSTAR FC – Hilton Park 3:00 pm
SUBIACO AFC vs MUM FC – Rosaie Park 3:00 pm

GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS

15 – Tia Stonehill (Balcatta Etna FC)
14 – Reina Kagami (Perth RedStar FC)
12 – Samantha Mathers (MUM FC)
9 – Jamie Duncanson (Perth SC)
9 – Monique Prinsloo (Balcatta Etna FC)

Click here for more NPLW WA coverage.