By the end of NPLW WA Round 3, there were two teams left with a 100% record, two others without a point to their name and two free kicks of the highest order.
PERTH SC 2 – 1 BALCATTA ETNA FC
The round started with a local derby between Perth SC and Balcatta Etna, which had more than the usual share of intensity as a coach and no less than eight players were facing their old team. Perth’s Ella Lincoln was the stand-out performer on the day and her two assists helped the home team to a 2-1 win, allowing them to bounce back after last week’s close defeat at the hands of Perth RedStar.
Starting with an intensity and aggression that seemed to unnerve the visitors, Perth SC were the dominant side in the first 30 minutes, with Lincoln being at the centre of their most dangerous moves.
She was instrumental in the first goal when, in the 17th minute, she picked the ball up inside her half. Breaking past the challenges of Monique Godding and Rachel Jarvis, she slid the ball into the path of Jessica Flannery. The young forward took a couple of touches before firing a low shot into the far corner of the net, making it 1-0.
The Azzurri nearly doubled their lead in the 31st minute when a Sam Mathers free kick from outside the box crashed against the post. By this stage, Balcatta hadn’t threatened the home team’s goal, but a side with as many attacking weapons as the visitors will always create chances. In the 34th minute the Perth SC keeper, Lily Bailey, was called upon to make a fine save from a Balcatta corner. The young keeper was again called into action in the 43rd minute when she pushed a long-range shot from Jamie-Lee Gale around the post for a corner.
The Azzurri then scored a second and vital goal in the 51st minute from an Ella Lincoln corner that she had earned by forcing a fine save from Rebecca Bennett in the Balcatta goal. Her inswinging kick went past Bennett and hit the head of Balcatta defender Liana Cook to make it 2-0.
With the visitors committing more players forward in search of a goal, some gaps started to open up and Flannery nearly scored a second when she spotted Bennett off her line and tried to chip her from well outside the box, but the ball went just over.
Balcatta had a goal disallowed for offside in the 59th minute, which was a sign that the game was far from finished, but they only had to wait a minute longer to score. Abbey Meakins hit a superb swerving free kick to make it 2-1 and set up a tense final 30 minutes.
Despite their best efforts, Balcatta couldn’t find the equaliser and the game ended 2-1 to end their unbeaten start to the season. With other results over the weekend, they slipped from top spot to third and next face the Hyundai NTC.
The win by Perth marks them as genuine title contenders and they next face UWA Nedlands.
FREMANTLE CITY 0 – 2 HYUNDAI NTC
The Hyundai NTC secured their third consecutive win of the season to maintain their 100% start with a 2-0 win against Fremantle City. Goals by Maja Archibald and Hannah Collins sealed the win, leaving their opponents pointless after three games.
The home side started the stronger of the two teams and nearly took the lead in the 15th minute when the returning Laura Waltman fired just over the bar after intercepting a misplaced pass. The home team continued to pressure the NTC defence but couldn’t apply a finishing touch and they were made to pay for this in the 21st minute.
Jessica Johnson played a perfect through ball to Maja Archibald, who allowed the ball to run on before expertly lobbing the despairing leap of Dayle Schroeder in the Fremantle goal to make it 1-0.
Fremantle continued to press, but a combination of a well-organised NTC defence and some wayward finishing meant the score remained 1-0 at half time.
NTC nearly doubled their advantage in the 52nd minute when Archibald was presented with a golden opportunity after Schroeder’s parried save dropped at her feet, but she slightly miscued her shot and the ball drifted just past the post.
As the second half wore on, NTC became more and more of a forward threat. Lucy O’Halloran pushed a shot just over the bar in the 67th minute to serve further notice that they were not satisfied with a one goal lead. Another chance went begging in the 78th minute when a shot smashed against the bar following a swift NTC counterattack.
The visitors finally got the second goal they had been threatening in the 87th minute when Sophia Brooks was bundled over in the box by Maya Spatafore and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. NTC skipper Hannah Collins made no mistake with the kick to secure the three points.
Ben Anderton’s team next face their toughest challenge of the season so far when they face Balcatta Etna, whilst Faye Chambers’ side must regroup before they take on Subiaco. With no wins in their first three games and just one goal in that time, Fremantle will be desperate for a result, but they face a tough challenge against a Subiaco side that is growing in confidence.
MUM FC 1 – 4 SUBIACO AFC
Subiaco recorded their first win of the season with a comprehensive 4-1 victory against MUM FC, after goals from Frankie Murray-Hocking, Danielle Suckiing and a brace from Dakota Van Vugt. An added twist to the game was the fact that MUM FC Steve Atkins had been the U21 coach at Subiaco last season.
The hosts had a chance to open the scoring in the 11th minute when captain Tiana Botha pounced on a defensive error in the Subiaco penalty area, but she lifted the ball over the bar from close range.
MUM would come to rue that missed opportunity when Subiaco opened the scoring two minutes later. Tayna Campos attempted to reach a cross from Danielle Suckling, and her presence seemed to distract goalkeeper Manon Gebauer, who missed the ball’s flight. Campos chased the loose ball and produced a clever back heel to Frankie Murray-Hocking, whose shot beat Gebauer at the near post and made it 1-0.
Murray-Hocking showed her worth at the other end of the pitch in the 43rd minute when MUM FC were awarded a free kick right on the edge of the box. Luana Ascenzo-Cabello’s strike was heading for goal until Murray-Hocking headed it off the line with goalkeeper Isobel Robinson beaten.
Subiaco then doubled their lead right on the cusp of halftime, when Danielle Suckling sent a long-range shot over the head of Gebauer to make it 2-0.
Despite the two goal deficit, the home team had shown plenty of spirit in the first half and they continued in this vein during the early stages of the second half. They earned their reward for hard work and endeavour in the 50th minute when the referee pointed to the spot after he spotted a handball from a corner kick. Ascenzo-Cabello made no mistake from the spot to make it 2-1 and put her side back in the game.
Subiaco coach Greg Farrell then made a triple substitution in the 64th minute which included ex-Young Matilda, A-League star and former MUM FC player, Marianna Tabain, which tilted the game’s balance towards the visitors.
In the 70th minute, Subi had a goal disallowed for offside when Tabain played fellow substitute Dakota Van-Vugt in behind the defence, and the same combination nearly opened up the MUM FC defence again in the 72nd minute when the ball was cleared for a corner as Van-Vugt was about to pull the trigger.
MUM were still in the game though, and Botha missed a chance in the 74th minute when she failed to connect with a good cross from Ascenzo-Cabello.
Subiaco then killed the game off when they scored a third in the 82nd minute. A free kick was floated in from the right touchline and Van-Vugt applied a neat header to flick the ball over Gebauer and into the net.
A final goal was added in injury time when Van-Vugt capitalised on a mistake in the MUM FC defence to roll the ball past Gebauer.
Subiaco next faces Fremantle in a game they will now strongly believe they can win, whilst MUM FC hosts league champions RedStar.
PERTH REDSTAR FC 7 – 0 UWA NEDLANDS
A commanding performance by the reigning champions saw them overwhelm league newcomers UWA Nedlands to run out 7-0 winners with braces from Caitlin Doeglas, Sarah Carroll, Reina Kagami and a goal from Olivia Wood. With Balcatta losing to Perth SC, the result has lifted RedStar to the top of the table and they join Hyundai NTC as one of only two teams that still have a 100% record.
The visitors held RedStar at arm’s length for the opening half an hour, but that resistance was broken with a three-goal burst in eight minutes.
In the 31st minute, Lauren Continibali sent a cross that Doeglas met first time to curl the ball over goalkeeper Morgan Springer, opening the scoring and recording her fourth goal of the season.
That lead was doubled six minutes later when Reina Kagami hit a long-range effort in the 37th minute, and the game was effectively finished two minutes later when Doeglas headed home from another Continibali cross to make it 3-0 at the halftime break. This goal takes Doeglas to equal top in the race for the Golden Boot and she has now scored in every one of her last five games.
RedStar continued to dominate and scored a fourth in the 56th minute. Doeglas sent a ball in from the left wing that Jayna Ridley couldn’t quite control. Olivia Wood picked up the loose ball though and hooked it in from close range.
Captain Sarah Carroll then got in on the act in the 65th minute when her 30-yard strike beat Springer to make it 5-0. It was 6-0 three minutes later as she curled a free kick in from just outside the box. Kagami then finished the scoring with a left-footed shot in the 78th minute.
Perth RedStar travel to MUM FC in the next round, and it would be a major upset if they didn’t return with three points from that game. UWA Nedlands will have another tough test on their hands when they entertain Perth SC.
Performance of the Round
Perth SC deserves the accolades this week for their hard-fought win against Balcatta Etna, with special mention to Ella Lincoln, who gave a masterful performance of forward play with her close control, intelligent off-the-ball running and good use of the body, ensuring the Balcatta defence couldn’t relax when she was on the ball.
The game of the round next week looks to be Balcatta Etna against the Hyundai NTC. Pete Rakic’s side will be looking to bounce back after the defeat against Perth SC, whilst Ben Anderton’s team will be brimming with confidence and hoping to extend their 100% start to the season.
Click here for the Round 3 goal highlights!
League Standings after NPLW WA Round 3
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Form | ||
| 1 | Perth RedStar FC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | +12 | 9 | WWW |
| 2 | Hyundai NTC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 9 | WWW |
| 3 | Balcatta Etna FC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 6 | LWW |
| 4 | Perth SC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | WLW |
| 5 | Subiaco AFC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 4 | WDL |
| 6 | UWA Nedlands FC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | -8 | 1 | LDL |
| 7 | Fremantle City FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 | LLL |
| 8 | MUM FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | -10 | 0 | LLL |
Round 4 Fixtures
Friday 19th April
BALCATTA ETNA FC vs HYUNDAI NTC – Home Group Stadium 6:30 pm
Sunday 21st April
UWA NEDLANDS FC vs PERTH AFC – UWA Sports Park 1:00 pm
MUM FC vs PERTH REDSTAR FC – Besteam Stadium 3:00 pm
SUBIACO AFC vs FREMANTLE CITY – Rosalie Park 3:45 pm
GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS
5 – Lucy Jerram (Balcatta Etna FC)
5 – Caitlin Doeglas (Perth RedStar FC)
3 – Abbey Meakins (Balcatta Etna FC)
3 – Reina Kagami (Perth RedStar FC)
3 – Sarah Carroll (Perth RedStar FC
