Perth RedStar's Olivia Wood (l) in action against Balcatta Etna earlier this season. Image credit Neil Bennett
Perth RedStar's Olivia Wood (l) in action against Balcatta Etna earlier this season. Image credit Neil Bennett

Only two games were played this weekend in the NPLW WA. Wet weather made the pitch at UWA Sports Park unplayable, so the game between UWA and Fremantle was postponed, whilst the game between Subiaco and NTC was rescheduled due to the large number of NTC players taking part in the National Youth Championships in Victoria. The results of the two remaining games impacted the title race, with Perth RedStar beating Balcatta 2-0 to maintain their 2-point lead over Perth SC, who won 6-1 over MUM FC to increase their lead over Balcatta to six points.

 

Perth SC 6 – 1 MUM FC

Perth went into this game knowing that a win would take them to the top of the ladder and, on paper, this fixture looked like an easy three points for them. However, they were without Georgia Cassidy (away on Young Matildas duty) and with ex-Matilda Ella Mastrantonio and ex-Perth Glory striker Ellis Glanfield lining up against them there was no room for complacency. 

The first 10 minutes of the game demonstrated the need for the home team to be mindful of their opponents as MUM FC made sure that every ball was contested and made Perth work hard for possession, but their resistance was broken in the 12th minute with a goal that demonstrated how hard it is to keep the Azzurri at bay. Perth Glory youngster, Grace Johnston, was the architect as she sped away down the right wing. Her cross found an unmarked Daisy McAllister on the far side of the penalty area and she produced a neat finish to make it 1-0.

Sam Mathers made it 2-0 five minutes later with a finish almost identical to McAllister’s, with the ball finding its way to her on the left-hand side of the box before she tucked it away into the far corner of the net.

The points were sealed with a three-goal burst in the last 15 minutes of the half. Johnston benefitted from a clever through ball from Ella Lincoln to make it 3-0 in the 34th minute, McAllister scored her second in the 40th minute and then Lincoln bagged her 16th of the season on the stroke of halftime when she displayed neat footwork to move the ball onto her right foot before finishing at the near post.

Perth SC players await the start of the second half against MUM FC in wet and cold conditions. Image credit Robert Lizzi Photography

With a 5-0 lead at halftime Perth coach, Danielle Holtham changed goalkeepers and replaced Lily Bailey with Amber Atkinson.

Despite the deficit, MUM continued to try and play their football, and in the wet and windy conditions, they scored the first goal of the second period in the 60th minute. Mastrantonio intercepted a poor pass out from the back and slipped the ball to Luana Ascenzo-Cabello. Nyana Jayme then made a clever run behind the defence and was found by Ascenzo-Cabello before finishing with aplomb to make it 5-1. Unfortunately, she seemed to injure her ankle whilst scoring and was immediately substituted.

Perth SC’s Sam Mathers in action during the Rd 13 NPLWA game against MUM FC. Image credit Robert Lizzi.

The five-goal buffer was restored in the 75th minute when Mathers scored her second. Lincoln was given too much time and space and she picked out Mathers just outside the area. The Australian Schoolgirl International took a couple of touches before manipulating the ball onto her right foot and then sending a perfectly judged curling lob over Manon Gebauer’s head to make it 6-1.

That was the end of the scoring and the result put Perth at the top of the table ahead of the game between Balcatta Etna and Perth RedStar. This was a comfortable win for the Azzurri, confirming them as genuine title contenders. With Tijan McKenna returning from injury in this game Holtham now has a squad that is arguably the strongest in the league.

MUM FC will take some positives from this game and were competitive for large parts of the game but in the end, they couldn’t match the individual quality of the Perth players.

Perth SC vs MUM FC post match stats. Image credit Streamer.com.au

 

Balcatta Etna 0 – 2 Perth RedStar

Following Perth’s win on Saturday evening, Perth RedStar knew they would need a win or a draw in this game to return to the top, but Balcatta needed a victory to keep the gap between them and Perth to three points with a game in hand. 
 
Perth RedStar were still without leading goalscorer Caitlin Doeglas, whilst Balcatta Etna welcomed Lucy Jerram back to the starting XI and Tia Stonehill to the bench. Bronwyn Studman was the RedStar captain for the day on her last game for the club before leaving for Victoria. Jayna Ridley was playing her 100th game for RedStar, becoming the 13th player in the club’s history to achieve this milestone.
 
Perth RedStar’s Bronwyn Studman in action earlier this season. Image credit Neil Bennett

RedStar started the brightest with Olivia Wood proving to be a dangerous outlet, but the home team came closest in the first 15 minutes when Faye Phillips forced a save from Gabby Dal Busco.

Becky Bennett in the Balcatta goal was forced to make a smart save in the 27th minute when she prevented Manami Arai from opening the scoring, and with the halftime break looming, RedStar gradually gained the upper hand. They had a goal ruled out for offside in the 36th minute, Wood fluffed her lines in the 42nd minute when through on goal and then forced a fine save from Bennett in the 43rd.
 
Even though RedStar were having the best of the chances there was always a chance that Balcatta could strike with a breakaway goal. In the 54th minute, they nearly did just that when Jerram finally managed to break the shackles of the RedStar defence. Her left-footed shot curled onto the post and rebounded to Jamie-Lee Gale who could only direct her shot straight at Dal Busco.
 
The visitors then went up the other end and forced a corner which they worked short to Reina Kagami. She dribbled past two defenders before sliding it across the six-yard box where Wood applied a finishing touch to make it 1-0.
 
Wood added a second in the 67th minute to seal the three points when Sarah Carroll worked a one-two with Kagami before sliding Wood into space., and her first-time right foot shot into the roof of the net left Bennett with no chance.
 
This was a vital win for RedStar and their performance deserved the three points. The back four was solid throughout, with Sarah Carroll providing a shield in front of them, whilst Olivia Wood was a constant threat up front.
 
This was another disappointing result for Balcatta and they now have dropped five points in their last two games to be eight points behind the leaders, albeit with a game in hand. With their wingers being effectively shackled for much of the game, they couldn’t find another way through the RedStar defence and struggled to exert meaningful periods of pressure. The season is far from over for them but they can ill afford to drop many more points on the run home.
 
Balcatta Etna FC vs Perth RedStar post match stats. Image credit Streamer.com.au

Click here for the Round 13 goal highlights!

 

League Standings after NPLW WA Round 13

    P W D L GF GA GD Points Form
1 Perth RedStar FC 13 11 0 2 56 14 +42 33 WLWWL
2 Perth SC 13 10 1 2 47 13 +34 31 WWWLW
3 Balcatta Etna FC 12 8 1 3 39 19 +20 25 LDWWW
4 Fremantle City FC 11 5 1 5 28 20 +8 16 WWWDW
5 Hyundai NTC 12 5 0 7 19 34 -15 15 LLLWW
6 Subiaco AFC 12 3 3 6 20 40 -20 12 DLDWL
7 UWA Nedlands FC 12 2 1 9 14 47 -33 7 WLLLL
8 MUM FC 13 1 1 11 15 51 -36 4 LLLDL

Round 14 Fixtures

Saturday 13th Jul
HYUNDAI NTC vs PERTH REDSTAR – Sam Kerr Football Centre 1:00 pm

Sunday 14th Jul
FREMANTLE CITY FC vs MUM FC – Hilton Park 1:00 pm
BALCATTA ETNA vs UWA FC – Homegroup Stadium 3:00 pm
SUBIACO AFC vs PERTH SC – Rosalie Park 3:45 pm

GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS

16 – Ella Lincoln (Perth SC)
13 – Caitlin Doeglas (Perth RedStar FC)
12 – Reina Kagami (Perth RedStar FC)
12 – Abbey Meakins (Balcatta Etna FC)
10 – Lucy Jerram (Balcatta Etna FC) 

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