As has been the case all season, the NPLW WA competition was disrupted by COVID in Round 7, with MUM FC vs Perth SC being postponed. This presented an opportunity for Fremantle City to leapfrog Perth and move into second place when they played against Football West NTC at the E&D Litis Stadium on Friday evening. Fremantle didn’t quite get the result they would have hoped for but would have been pleased by their comeback from two goals down, earning a point with a 2-2 draw.
On Sunday, Perth RedStar continued their winning streak by beating Balcatta Etna 3-0 at Grindleford Reserve to move seven points clear at the top of the table. The last game of the round produced probably the most dramatic game in NPLW WA history when Subiaco and Curtin University had a 4-4 draw. The point earned by Curtin was their first of the season, and the two points dropped by Subiaco prevented them from moving into the top 4 for the first time ever.
Substitute goalkeeper
Friday night’s game between NTC and Fremantle City appeared to be heading for an upset win by the youngsters as the clock ticked down into the 89th minute and they were leading 2-1. But then Fremantle substitute Kat Jukic, who had come on midway through the second half, showed all her skill and experience to release Jamie-Lee Gale down the right flank. Gale’s cross found its way to Mikayla Lyons in the box and she finished to score a dramatic late equaliser.
The drama hadn’t finished though, as NTC earned an injury time free kick in a dangerous position, just outside the Fremantle area. Fremantle keeper Dayle Schroeder collected the ball but also felt the full force of an attempted header by NTC striker Tanika Lala. Schroeder went down with a cut to the head and Lala earned a yellow card for the challenge. Schroeder was injured badly enough to force her from the field and with no substitute keeper on the bench, Jukic pulled on the keeper’s jersey for the last couple of minutes. Outfield players are often called upon to play between the sticks, but it’s rare indeed for a 2nd half substitute to pull on the gloves.
No lights, no camera, but plenty of action
The 4-4 draw on Sunday would have been news for the score alone, but the circumstances that led to it made the scoreline even more remarkable. Going into the game, Curtin University was pointless and had no permanent coach, whilst hosts Subiaco were looking for three points that would take them into the top 4 of the NPLW WA for the first time ever.
The visitors took the lead twice, but Subiaco pegged them back on both occasions before scoring early in the second half to make it 3-2. Things stayed that way until ten minutes from the end. There had been a delay for treatment to an injured player, and although light was fading fast the floodlights had not been switched on, so the referee took the players off the field.
By this stage the live feed had been switched off as it looked like the game would have to be abandoned, but then the lights were switched on and the players returned. With no streaming, we were unable to witness the remarkable last 11 minutes of play. First of all, Subiaco scored their fourth in the 82nd minute and this appeared to be the end of any chance for Curtin, but the visitors scored their third just a minute later and then remarkably hit an equaliser in stoppage time to earn the most unlikely of points.
Larissa Walsh is on a hot streak
Perth RedStar recorded their sixth successive win of the season when they defeated Balcatta Etna 3-0. It was also the sixth consecutive game in which their spearhead, Larissa Walsh, had scored and she now has 10 goals to her name. Walsh was the joint golden boot winner in last season’s competition with 16 goals and is well on track to surpass that total this time around. She is also helping others to score and has three assists this season.
Teething problems with NPL TV
Even though one game was called off this round, there were still plenty of goals – 15 in the three games played. Unfortunately, five of the goals were missed by NPL TV. Friday’s coverage started after the game had kicked off and by that stage, Hyundai NTC was already 2-0 up. As mentioned above, on Sunday the Subiaco vs Curtin feed finished when the players left the field due to insufficient light, which resulted in three goals not being seen. There are bound to be teething problems when new services are introduced, but it’s hoped that these can be worked out so viewers can see all the action.
Basketball chants
Sometimes games played in the NPLW can be so quiet that it seems as though there is no one actually watching. This was certainly not the case on Sunday. The home supporters at Balcatta Etna tried to rally their team in the second half as they attempted to overturn a two-goal deficit against Perth RedStar. For some purists, the basketball chant of “DEFENCE” is perhaps a little too much but there was no doubting the enthusiasm of the Balcatta fans. It was all to no avail as the highly experienced RedStar team quietly went about their business and eventually scored a third, which was greeted with loud appreciation by the small band of travelling RedStar supporters.
Round 7 Results
Hyundai NTC 2-2 Fremantle City
Balcatta Etna 0-3 Perth RedStar FC
Subiaco AFC 4-4 Curtin University FC
MUM FC P–P Perth SC
League Ladder
| Position | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
| 1 | Perth RedStar FC | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 26 | 18 |
| 2 | Fremantle City | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 11 |
| 3 | Perth SC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 10 |
| 4 | MUM FC | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 5 |
| 5 | Hyundai NTC | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 5 |
| 6 | Subiaco AFC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 22 | -15 | 5 |
| 7 | Balcatta Etna | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 3 |
| 8 | Curtin University | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 18 | -12 | 1 |
