The weekend action all took place on Sunday and by the end of the round, there had been a significant move in determining the title’s destination and a tightening of the chase for the top four.
PERTH REDSTAR 4 – 2 PERTH SC
In a game that would have a massive bearing on the likely outcome of the league title, Perth RedStar and Perth SC played a highly competitive and entertaining 90 minutes, with the league leaders eventually prevailing.
Both sides were in fine form going into the game, with Perth SC on an eight-game unbeaten run, whilst Perth RedStar hadn’t lost since round one. Perth SC held an advantage in head-to-head games this season though having beaten RedStar in the Night Series final on penalties and knocking them out of the State Cup in June.
A win for Perth SC would put them on top, whilst a win for RedStar would see them extend their lead over the Azzurri to six points with a game in hand, so it was all to play for.
Perth RedStar were without goalkeeper Maya Diederichsen, so U21’s goalkeeper Jayde O’Donohoe came in for only her second league appearance, whilst Perth SC welcomed back Monique Godding after a four-game absence. They were also without Cameron Barreiro who has returned to college in the USA.
RedStar got off to the perfect start when, in the fifth minute, a misplaced clearance from Perth SC goalkeeper Rebecca Bennett went straight to Renee Leota. The ex-New Zealand international took one touch before lifting the ball back over Bennett’s head to score her 10th goal of the campaign and make it 1-0.
Perth SC then wrestled control of the game back from RedStar and started to string their passes together. They received their reward for their bright play in the 26th minute when Poppie Hooks sent a cross-field pass into the path of Jamie Duncanson on the right wing. She cut the ball back perfectly for Ella Lincoln to apply the simplest of touches for the equaliser and her ninth of the season.
Some last-ditch defending by Andreia Teixeira in the 31st minute denied Gemma Craine, whilst a terrific save by Bennett prevented Reina Kagami from scoring in the 36th minute as the game hung on a knife edge.
Two free kicks on the cusp of half-time then swung the game in favour of the home team. A heavy challenge on Leota in the 44th minute led to the referee awarding a free kick just outside the box. Sarah Carroll stepped up to take the kick and delivered an absolute peach into the top left corner to make it 2-1.
Just two minutes later RedStar were awarded another free kick in a threatening position on the left-hand side. Bronwyn Studman floated the ball into the box and Jacinta Coleman rose highest to loop the ball into the back of the net and make it 3-1.
With a two-goal cushion, RedStar could afford to sit back a little and hit Perth on the break and Abbey Wooley came close on a couple of chances to kill the game off, but it was the visitors who struck next to breathe life into their title hopes when a Jess Flannery cross in the 53rd minute was steered home by Lincoln to make it 3-2 and give the Perth striker her 10th goal of the season.
RedStar then applied more pressure to try and restore their two-goal lead and they succeeded in the 81st minute. The ball was moved out to Wooley on the right wing and her first-time cross was met by Kagami with a left-footed volley that snuck past Bennett into the corner of the net. This was the 16th goal of the campaign for the Japanese midfielder and puts her in second spot in the race for the Golden Boot.
The win leaves Perth six points behind RedStar who have a game in hand and are now in pole position to retain their title. Perth SC coach Peter Rakic will no doubt be disappointed by the result but he should be proud of the performance of his team.
They next face MUM FC at Dorrien Gardens on a surface that has benefitted from being cosseted during the period of the World Cup games in Perth and he will no doubt be demanding that his team concentrate on winning all of their remaining games to keep the pressure on RedStar.
For Carlos Vega-Menas’s team, this win was a vital one as they attempt to retain their title. They next face Curtin University on Friday evening before playing NTC next week in a catch-up game.
FREMANTLE CITY 5 – 0 CURTIN UNIVERSITY
After two successive defeats, the port side were keen to gain maximum points from a Curtin University team who have been having a torrid season.
Fremantle lined up without Tash Rigby and Jamie-Lee Gale, but welcomed Abbey Green back after a lengthy break, taking her place on the substitutes bench for the start of the game.
The game pretty much went according to the formbook, with Fremantle dominating possession and chances and it was no surprise when they opened the scoring in the 10th minute through Olivia Trueman.
They doubled their lead in the 17th minute through a free kick from Catherine Adams and added a third in the 29th minute when Alex Poad scored. A fourth goal by Laura Waltman in the 44th minute suggested another heavy defeat for the University side but, to their credit, they kept Fremantle at bay for much of the second half even though they changed their goalkeeper in the 63rd minute when Montana Morgan took over from Nellie Bond between the sticks.
A fifth goal was eventually scored but not until the second minute of injury time, with Waltman collecting her sixth goal of the season.
The win brings Fremantle to within two points of second-placed Perth SC and they next travel to play Balcatta Etna in what should be a highly competitive game with the hosts desperate for a win to keep their top four hopes alive, whilst Fremantle will want to keep the pressure on Perth for second spot.
Curtin’s loss was their 16th of the season, and their next opponents are Perth RedStar.
HYUNDAI NTC 1 – 1 MUM FC
The game between Hyundai NTC and MUM FC was something of a must-win for the visitors as their hopes of making the top four had been hindered by a run of four games without a win, and they were four points behind their opponents who had two games in hand over them.
NTC started well and they created the first chance of the game in the 8th minute when recently-signed Perth Glory player Grace Johnston forced MUM FC goalkeeper Stacey Cavill into a smart save from her snapshot just outside of the box.
They almost scored again in the 16th minute when another recently signed Perth Glory player, Tanika Lala, capitalised on some poor defending by MUM FC inside the six-yard box but she dragged her shot just wide.
MUM FC worked hard to restrict NTC but were unable to create too many chances, although Clara Hoarau came close in the 32nd minute with a powerful right-foot shot from outside the area.
The deadlock was broken in the 39th minute when Lala broke into the box. Her shot was initially saved by Cavill but the ball rebounded back to Louise Tana who steered the ball into the net to make it 1-0.
MUMFC had a chance to equalise just before the break when Jessica Johnson was gifted the ball by a poor pass from NTC as they attempted to play out from the back, but the young winger lifted her first-time shot over the bar.
The visitors didn’t have to wait much longer for an equaliser as they scored in the 47th minute. An inswinging corner kick from captain Charli Wainwright hit Nelli Johnson at the far post and went in for an own goal.
The rest of the second half was pretty uneventful with neither side creating any clear-cut chances and the game ended with the scores locked at 1-1.
The point earned by MUM FC didn’t really help their push for a top-four spot and they have now gone five games without a win. The next game against Perth SC is one they simply must win if they are to have any chance of finals football.
The Hyundai NTC has a busy schedule ahead of them as they play catch-up games and a State Cup Semi-Final in the next week. A win against their next opponents, Subiaco AFC, will help them maintain the gap of three points ahead of fifth-placed Balcatta Etna as they look to play finals football for the second successive season.
BALCATTA ETNA 6 – 1 SUBIACO AFC
The final game of the round pitched 6th vs 7th with Balcatta Etna looking to halt a run of two successive defeats which had dented their top four hopes, whilst Subiaco were hoping to extend their run of two successive wins.
Those hopes were dashed by an impressive display from the hosts who welcomed Tia Stonehill and Sadie Lawrence back to the fold, with the latter playing her first game since round 11.
It took the home side just 12 minutes to open the scoring as Stonehill drove down the right wing before delivering into the box for Monique D’Opera to hit a well-struck volley past Annie Leyland in the Subiaco goal.
They doubled the lead in the 29th minute when a long ball out of defence from Elizabeth Doust sent Stonehill free on the left wing. She cut inside her marker and then drove towards the box before firing the ball past Leyland to score her first of the day and 16th of the season.
The home side was determined to grab the three points and made the score 3-0 in the 43rd minute with Stonehill again being the scorer. This time she picked the ball up on the right wing and fed Kim McCartney. Her cross was only partially cleared by the Subiaco defence and it fell to Stonehill on the edge of the box who lashed in a powerful drive that gave Leyland no chance in goal.
Subiaco then pulled one back just a minute before the break to give themselves a slight chance of getting something from the game. Marianna Tabin jinked past three defenders before cooly slotting the ball past Gabrielle Dal Busco to make it 3-1 and score her 11th goal of the campaign.
Any hopes of an unlikely Subiaco comeback were snuffed out in the 61st minute when McCartney made the visitors pay for some sloppy defending by calmly sidefooting the ball into the back of the net after they had failed to clear their lines to make it 4-1.
McCartney then scored her second of the game in the 84th minute when Stonehill crossed from the right to Monique Prinsloo. Her little touch back found McCartney on the edge of the box and she made no mistake with her strike.
Stonehill then capped off a fine display with her third and her team’s sixth in the 90th minute. Picking up the ball just inside the Subiaco half she ran at the defenders and then tried to feed Lucy Bricklebank, but the ball bounced back off a defender into her path. She continued with her run before hitting a right-footed shot past Leyland to complete her third hat trick of the season and her 18th goal overall which puts her two ahead in the race for the golden boot.
The win was vitally important for Balcatta and it has moved them into fifth spot just three points behind fourth-placed NTC, who have a game in hand over them. They next face Fremantle in a game that neither side will want to drop points in. With only five games left in the season, Balcatta will know that they have to keep winning if they want to play finals football.
Subiaco were well beaten in this game and this has been a disappointing campaign for them. They next face the Hyundai NTC who will be desperate for three points to maintain their spot in the top four, so another difficult Sunday looks likely.
Click here for the Round 17 goal highlights.
League Standings after NPLW WA Round 17
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Form | ||
| 1 | Perth RedStar | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 53 | 11 | +42 | 39 | WDWWW |
| 2 | Perth SC | 17 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 61 | 21 | +40 | 33 | LWWWW |
| 3 | Fremantle City | 17 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 47 | 28 | +19 | 31 | WLLWL |
| 4 | Hyundai NTC | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 37 | 30 | +7 | 26 | DWWLW |
| 5 | Balcatta Etna FC | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 45 | 27 | +18 | 23 | WLLWW |
| 6 | MUM FC | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 44 | 35 | +9 | 22 | DDLLL |
| 7 | Subiaco AFC | 16 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 37 | 52 | -15 | 13 | LWWLL |
| 8 | Curtin University | 16 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 128 | -120 | 0 | LLLLL |
Round 18 Fixtures
Friday 4th August
CURTIN UNIVERSITY FC vs PERTH REDSTAR – Edinburgh Oval 6:30 pm
Sunday 6th August
BALCATTA ETNA FC vs FREMANTLE CITY – Grindleford Reserve 3:00 pm
SUBIACO AF vs HYUNDAI NTC – Rosalie Park 3:00 pm
PERTH SC vs MUM FC – Dorrien Gardens 4:00 pm
GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS
18 – Tia Stonehill (Balcatta Etna FC)
16 – Reina Kagami (Perth RedStar FC)
13 – Samantha Mathers (MUM FC)
