The opening round of the 2024 NPLW WA season saw both Night Series finalists (Perth RedStar and Balcatta Etna FC) record big wins. Perth SC took all three points in an encounter that saw the first red card of the season, while the Hyundai NTC become party poopers by defeating UWA Nedlands FC in their first ever NPLW game.
MUM FC 1 – 7 BALCATTA ETNA
The season opener took place under lights on Thursday evening at Besteam Stadium and pitched Night Series runners-up Balcatta Etna FC against MUM FC. The first half ended all square with the visitors taking the lead through Jamie-Lee Gale in the 6th minute, before ex-Curtin University striker Taylor Reid capitalised on a poor clearance from the Balcatta defence to equalise in the 27th minute.
Whatever was said at halftime by Balcatta coach Peter Rakic had the desired effect on his team as they put the game to bed with a three-goal burst in eight minutes. Lucy Jerram opened her league account in the 48th minute to make it 2-1 before adding a second just six minutes later. An Abbey Meakins penalty in the 56th minute made it 4-1 and effectively sealed the three points.
Gale made it 5-1 in the 65th minute when she headed home from close range, before Jerram scored the goal of the game with a beautiful curling shot into the top corner to bring up her hat trick in the 71st minute. She scored her fourth, and her side’s final, goal two minutes later to make the score 7-1 in favour of the visitors.
PERTH SC 2 – 0 FREMANTLE CITY FC
The two losing semi-finalists from the Night Series competition faced off against each other at Dorrien Gardens on Saturday evening. Hosts Perth SC won this game through goals by Matilda Bohm and Jessica Flannery.
Bohm opened the scoring in the 16th minute as she applied the final touch following a goalmouth scramble from Kim McCartney’s corner. The lead was doubled in the 68th minute when Flannery scored directly from a free kick that was awarded after she was brought down by Maya Spatafore. That foul earned Spatafore a red card and the goal effectively sealed the three points for the Azzurri.
Perth SC were deserving winners as they found Fremantle goalkeeper Dayle Schroeder in fine form and also hit the woodwork on several occasions.
UWA NEDLANDS FC 1 – 2 HYUNDAI NTC
Sunday afternoon was a red-letter day for UWA Nedlands as they played their first-ever league game in the NPLW.
As was the case for the Perth vs Fremantle game, this was a repeat of a Night Series encounter. During the Night Series, these two played a thrilling 3-3 draw with UWA going three goals up before being clawed back by NTC.
That script wasn’t followed by NTC this time and they had raced out to a two-goal lead by the 36th minute through goals by Violet Longmore and Klaudia Houlis.
Longmore opened the scoring in the 20th minute when she headed home from a cross by Jessica Johnson, following a cleverly worked corner kick routine. They then doubled the lead in the 26th minute when they launched a counterattack from their penalty area.
Goalkeeper Jess Skinner caught the ball from a UWA corner kick and then rolled the ball out to Johnson. She carried the ball to the halfway line before sending Mia Britton free on the right wing. Britton’s cross into the box found the unmarked Houllis on the far post, and she took one touch to control the ball before despatching it past Morgan Springer in the UWA goal. This was a fine team goal that was met with applause from the NTC coaching staff.
UWA showed in the Night Series that they would not be a team to roll over and give up when things are against them. They came close with an effort from Alexandra Lyons that struck the bar. UWA then scored their first-ever NPLW goal just one minute before the break when American import Michaela Cawley was played clear of the NTC defence with a ball out from the back. She looked up, spotted Skinner off her line and cleverly lifted the ball over the goalkeeper’s head with a great chip from outside the penalty area, halving the deficit going into the break.
That was to be the end of the scoring and even though his team lost, UWA coach Lawrence Lewis was happy with his team’s performance when he spoke after the game:
“For our first run out in the NPLW, I thought it was good, although I’m gutted we couldn’t get a draw out of it, even though NTC dominated possession. We still had our chances, but just needed to be more effective.
I thought we held NTC well and while they did have good chances and shots, I feel that we dealt with them really well. It will be an exciting game when we meet them at the Sam Kerr centre next time,” he said.
PERTH REDSTAR 4 – 0 SUBIACO AFC
The reigning League Champions and recently crowned Night Series winners got their 2024 campaign off to a solid start with a 4-0 victory over a determined and highly improved Subiaco AFC in the final game of the round at RedStar Arena.
Before the game had started, RedStar announced the signing of two new Japanese imports Arai Manami and Momoko Sakairi, and they sat on the bench at the start, alongside fellow countrywoman and last season’s RedStar Player of the Year, Reina Kagami.
Another new signing, Caitlin Doeglas, started the season rolling in the 4th minute when she played a neat one-two with Bronwyn Studman to burst clear of the Subiaco defence on the left wing. She was initially dispossessed as she headed towards the penalty area, but regained the ball to continue her run and then squared it to Sarah Carroll, who made no mistake with her left foot from inside the 6-yard box.
Doeglas then doubled the lead 20 minutes later. Carroll fed her the ball inside the RedStar half and she ran clear of the defence before curling the ball right-footed past Ash Riddle in the Subiaco goal.
Two became three in the 39th minute when defender Quyen Doan outjumped everyone to plant a firm header into the net following a corner.
RedStar then completed the scoring in the 59th minute when a combination of RedStar pressing and poor passing from Subiaco saw the ball end up with Kagami just outside the box. She took a couple of touches to get into the penalty area before sending her left-foot shot into the corner, making it 4-0 for the home team.
The round didn’t hold too many surprises as the teams predicted to finish in the top three all had good wins, but the league looks as though it will have a bit more depth this season with both Subiaco and UWA showing they will not be easy teams to beat, despite both losing.
Performance of the Round
It’s hard to go past the four goals of Lucy Jerram, who has shown after just one game that she will be a handful this season. Caitlin Doeglas would be a close second with her goal and assist, carrying on her excellent Night Series form into the league campaign.
The game of the round next week looks to be the one between Perth SC and Perth RedStar, whilst the match between UWA and Subiaco also promises to be a lively affair.
Click here for the Round 1 goal highlights!
League Standings after NPLW WA Round 1
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Form | ||
| 1 | Balcatta Etna FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 3 | W |
| 2 | Perth RedStar FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 3 | W |
| 3 | Perth SC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 | W |
| 4 | Hyundai NTC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 | W |
| 5 | UWA Nedlands FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 | L |
| 6 | Fremantle City FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 | L |
| 7 | Subiaco AFC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 | L |
| 8 | MUM FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 | L |
Round 2 Fixtures
Saturday 6th April
UWA NEDLANDS FC vs SUBIACO AFC – UWA Sports Park 3:00 pm
Sunday 7th April
BALCATTA ETNA FC vs FREMANTLE CITY – Grindleford Reserve 3:00 pm
PERTH SC vs Perth RedStar FC – Dorrien Gardens 3:00 pm
Wednesday 10th April
HYUNDAI NTC vs MUM FC – Sam Kerr Sports Centre 8:00 pm
GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS
4 – Lucy Jerram (Balcatta Etna FC)
2 – Jamie Lee Gale (Balcatta Etna FC)
