5 Things From NPLW WA Round 14

The Round 14 results saw every team from 2nd to 5th drop points, while the leaders continued to dominate and the bottom placed team remained winless.

The round started on Friday evening when Subiaco AFC travelled to Curtin University. Curtin were looking for their first win of the season and took the lead in the first half, but couldn’t withstand a second-half onslaught from Subiaco and went down 2-1 to the visitors.

On Saturday league leaders Perth RedStar played their first home game in four rounds when they hosted 4th placed Balcatta Etna. RedStar showed ruthless efficiency to despatch their visitors with a 4-0 win, maintaining their unbeaten record and opening up a 15 point gap at the top of the table.

There were two games on Sunday, with Perth SC hosting MUM FC and Hyundai NTC travelling to Fremantle City.

MUM FC came away with all three points, courtesy of a backs-to-the-wall defensive display to protect their early goal. Their 1-0 win pushes them back into contention for a top 4 spot.

Meanwhile, a tight affair at Fremantle saw the game finish 1-1, with Hyundai NTC taking a very early lead in the second half before being pegged back by the hosts.

Parking the bus

There are many ways to win a football match and for spectators, a high-scoring match with lots of end-to-end action is often the most satisfying. Still, the sort of display put up by MUM FC in their 1-0 win on Sunday would be equally appreciated by their fans.

Taking the lead as early as the 8th minute through a fortuitous rebound that came off the bar and into the net after hitting Perth keeper Rebecca Bennett, MUM FC then dug in for a long afternoon of disciplined defending.

Despite having 26 shots with 17 of those on target, the Azzurri couldn’t break through for an equaliser, with MUM FC stopper Monique Todd having an inspired game. She produced many fine saves to break the hearts of a Perth team desperate to stay in touch with the league leaders and cement a spot in the top 4.

Half time rockets

Subiaco went into the game against Curtin University looking to record their second victory of the campaign, whilst Curtin was hoping for their first win of 2022 and some form of recovery after a seven-goal mauling in the previous round.

For much of the 1st half, Curtin looked more likely to win and they took the lead in the 20th minute through Samara Riches. They grew in confidence as the half wore on and were good value for their halftime lead.

However, the second half was a different story as Subiaco stepped up a gear and dominated their opponents, scoring two goals from Ashlee Byrne and Ingrid Gomez Basallo to wrap the game up.

The change in attitude and work rate from the visitors appears to have occurred as the result of a robust halftime chat from coach Greg Farrell, who admitted in a post-match interview that some strong words were exchanged at halftime as he was not at all happy with his players. It was perhaps not quite in the same vein as a Sir Alex Ferguson “hairdryer” but the Farrell rocket certainly did the trick.

Milestones and rewards

League leaders Perth RedStar wrapped up another win on Saturday as they defeated 4th placed Balcatta Etna 4-0. This followed a 12-0 victory over State League side Armadale in a midweek cup game.

RedStar’s success in 2022 is the result of many hours on the training fields, as well as team chemistry which is evident by some of the almost telepathic passing movements they create.

The understanding of each other’s movements will come as no surprise when considering the side now has 5 current players who have played 200 games for the club, with captain Shawn Billam joining Carla Bennett, Emily Dunn, Larissa Walsh and Renee Leota in becoming the latest member of the 200 club after the game on Saturday.

On Wednesday, defender Emily Dunn became the second player in the team to have played 250 games when she turned out against Armadale, whilst ex-Matilda Kim Carroll racked up her 100th game for RedStar/Redbacks in the same match. Fellow Perth Glory player Sarah Carroll played her 100th game for the club earlier in the season.

The stability and experience these players bring to the team is a key factor in their consistency this season, and the high standards they set on the field mean that young players coming into the RedStar first team are expected to match their levels of commitment and work rate.

The race for the Golden Boot heats up

Earlier in the season, the race for the Golden Boot was being dominated by Perth RedStar’s Larissa Walsh, but in the last few rounds her fellow striker at RedStar, Sarah Carroll, has slowly been reeling her in.

Carroll scored a hat trick on Saturday, taking her to 12 goals for the season, just four behind Walsh. With eight games to go, Carroll may well be Walsh’s biggest rival for the Golden Boot. Carroll’s season has not just been defined by her goalscoring exploits though, as the 2019 Golden Boot winner is also the league’s leader in assists with 10 to her name.

Players are being forced to dig deep

There is no doubt that the movement of a number of players at many clubs in the league has created opportunities for younger players to gain a taste of the NPLW, and a good example of this is Maja Archibald of Fremantle City. She earned a place in the 1st team squad this season and scored her first NPLW goal on Sunday in the 1-1 draw against NTC. 

However, with a rampant flu outbreak in Perth and the continuing impacts of COVID, many teams have lost even more players and their ability to draw from their U21 squads for replacements has become severely tested. This led to the situation over the weekend where players at various clubs had to turn out when they may normally have been staying in their sick beds.

The game between Perth SC and MUM FC saw a number of players struggling as a result of being less than 100% fit, whilst the Curtin v Subiaco and Fremantle v Hyundai NTC U21 games were forfeited and postponed respectively, due to a lack of healthy players.

Click here for Round 14 goal highlights

Round 14 Results

Curtin University FC 1-2 Subiaco AFC
Perth RedStar FC 4-0 Balcatta Etna FC
Perth SC 0-1 MUM FC
Fremantle City FC 1–1 Hyundai NTC Women

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