Round 10 of the NPLW WA produced another performance of note as Balcatta Etna beat second-placed Perth SC to move to within one point of their neighbours with a game in hand. Perth RedStar returned to winning ways after last week’s loss to reestablish a five-point gap at the top of the table; Fremantle City beat NTC to maintain their top-four hopes; whilst Subiaco could only draw with MUM FC, which allowed MUM to move off the foot of the table.
HYUNDAI NTC 0 – 2 FREMANTLE CITY
A second-half brace from Tanika Lala was enough to seal the points for Fremantle in the first game of round 10 of the NPLW.
With Perth Glory trio Abbey Green, Clara Hoarau and Tanika Lala all in the starting XI for Fremantle they started as favourites for this game but NTC were not intimidated and enjoyed more of the possession in the opening quarter of an hour. Green’s involvement only lasted 17 minutes when she came off injured and was replaced by Erin Siah.
NTC started well, holding Fremantle comfortably at bay and frequently catching them offside. Their opponents weren’t applying enough pressure to the ball carrier, allowing NTC to play out from the back far too easily on the few occasions Fremantle threatened, although with Lala leading the line Fremantle always had a physical presence in the final third.
The Perth Glory youngster had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the 39th minute when Nelli Johnson misread the flight of a long clearance on the halfway line. Lala raced into the open space with nothing between her and the goalkeeper, but Johnson raced back to force Lala wide with the ball eventually going out for a corner.
Fremantle went even closer to scoring just before halftime when Maya Spatafore tried her luck from long range only to see the ball strike the frame of the goal, and then in the 49th minute they finally opened the scoring.
An underhit pass from Violet Longmore to Chloe Gaspar let Anna Powell in and her cross from the right hit the bar. Lala was on hand to stab the ball home from the closest of ranges to make it 1-0.
With Fremantle pressing their opponents with much more intent than in the first half NTC found themselves losing possession and being forced backwards and the game was now being played almost exclusively in the NTC half.
A second goal seemed inevitable and it arrived in the 62nd minute. The aggressive press employed by Fremantle forced NTC into turning over possession as they tried to play out from the back. The ball found its way to an unmarked Lala in the box and she had time and space to take a touch before hitting a crisp right foot shot inside the near post to score her 2nd of the game and make it 2-0.
Fremantle had further chances to extend the lead but settled for the 2-0 win. The result hasn’t changed their league position as they remain in 6th spot, but they’re just five points behind fourth-placed NTC with a game in hand. They host Subiaco in their next game and a win will see them leapfrog their opponents into 5th spot.
NTC have some issues to address in their final third, as their last three goals have all resulted from defensive errors and coach Ben Anderton will need to work hard to address these before their next game against Balcatta.
UWA NEDLANDS 2 – 4 PERTH REDSTAR
With Balcatta and Perth playing each other, this game represented an opportunity for RedStar to take advantage of one or both of their nearest rivals dropping points. Standing in their way were UWA, but with three of the RedStar back four unavailable nothing could be taken for granted. UWA also wanted points as they looked to build a gap between themselves and bottom-of-the-table MUM FC.
UWA coach Lawrence Lewis set his team up in low block to try and nullify the attacking threat of the league-leading goalscorers, and with his players applying pressure on any RedStar player with the ball they ensured there were no real problems for goalkeeper Morgan Springer to deal with in the first 15 minutes.
Their resistance was broken in the 18th minute when ex-NZ International, Renee Leota, received the ball from a throw-in and then worked it onto her left foot before striking a fine curling shot to make it 1-0.
UWA stuck to their game plan and continued to restrict RedStar but Leota struck again in the 41st minute to make it 2-0. Reina Kagami slid a perfectly weighted through ball to the veteran striker. Her first touch took away from the onrushing Springer to roll the ball into an empty net for her fifth of the season.
UWA grabbed a lifeline in injury time of the first half to make it 2-1 and give themselves a chance of getting something from the game. Emily Dinsdale outpaced the RedStar defence down the right wing and her pullback found Andrea Preiato in space in the penalty area, and her first-time shot into the far corner gave Gabby Dal Busco no chance in the RedStar goal.
The second half saw UWA continue to frustrate their opponents and a sign of this was when Caitlin Doeglas picked up a yellow card in the 55th minute for continuing to play after being given offside. A golden opportunity to ease RedStar nerves went begging in the 57th minute when substitute Jayna Ridley fired wide after breaking clear.
At 2-1 UWA were well and truly in the game and in the 60th minute they forced Dal Busco to push the ball onto the bar. Even though the effort was flagged offside it was a reminder that the game was finely balanced.
The much-needed third goal for RedStar arrived in the 73rd minute. Doeglas was released down the left wing by Bronwyn Studman and went on a run into the box, beating two defenders as she did so before producing a fine finish to make it 3-1. This was her 11th of the season, equal with teammate Kagami and Balcatta’s Abbey Meakins in the race for the Golden Boot.
The points were finally secured in the 81st minute when Ridley slotted a shot past Springer after a neat layoff from Manami Arai to make it 4-1 and score her sixth of the season.
RedStar nearly scored a fifth in injury time but were denied by the woodwork from two consecutive corners, with Alkira Mogridge and Kagami both hitting the bar.
RedStar Assistant Coach Shawn Billam spoke about the game afterwards and the problems posed by UWA;
“(The) first half was pretty slow until we figured out what we needed to do and our performance wasn’t great, but the second half was a lot better.
We went into the game knowing that UWA would work hard, crowd the ball and make it difficult for us. It just took us too long to work out how to get around that.”
UWA coach Lawrence Lewis was philosophical about the result when he spoke to Beyond90 after the game;
“They’re obviously a quality side and have shown that quality in recent weeks, even though they lost last week, but we just had to be up for (the challenge).
We were a little bit defensive, but against the top side, you’ve got to play that way. We probably had 15-20 minutes when we were putting them on the back foot a bit but the difference in class showed.
I said to the girls a team like that will finish their chances and we’re not quite there yet so we’re a work in progress.”
RedStar faces MUM FC in their next game and will be wary of a side bolstered by the recent signings of ex-Perth Glory players Ellis Glanfield and Tia Eastman.
Things don’t get any easier for UWA in their next game when they travel to second-placed Perth and will need to dig deep to avoid another defeat.
BALCATTA ETNA 2 – 1 PERTH SC
The game of the round was undoubtedly at Home Group Stadium where 3rd placed Balcatta Etna played host to second-place Perth SC. With just four points separating the two teams going into the game, a lot was riding on this game, especially as any dropped points would result in Perth RedStar moving ahead in the title race.
Balcatta were without Tia Stonehill and with Lucy Jerram, Monique Prinsloo and Monique Prinsloo all on the bench, coach Peter Rakic played a more defensive game than normal. On the plus side, he welcomed veteran Katarina Jukic back. Perth were unchanged from the side that beat the league leaders last week but had Perth Glory’s Grace Johnston on the bench for the first time this season.
Perth enjoyed the lions share of possession in the opening stages, whilst Balcatta were trying to absorb the pressure and play counter-attacking football. The first real chance of the game fell to Epril Nossent in the 14th minute but a smart challenge from Alyssa van Heurck meant her shot was diverted for a corner. Ella Lincoln nearly capitalised on a mistake from Balcatta as they tried to play out from the back but her shot was also diverted away for a corner.
At this point, it was all Perth and it was no real surprise when they opened the scoring in the 16th minute. A free kick was awarded about 20 metres out and Kimberely McCartney produced another stunning finish to score against her old club. This was McCartney’s second goal from a free kick in the last two games and her third overall, and she is rapidly establishing herself as a dead ball specialist.
The home team grabbed a foothold in the game with almost their first real attack in the 30th minute. Rachel Jarvis won the ball in midfield and fed it to Jamie-Lee Gale. She attempted a one-two with Abbey Meakins but was sandwiched between two Perth defenders, allowing the ball to break free. Jarvis continued her run to pick up the loose ball and fired a shot underneath Perth keeper Stacey Cavill to make it 1-1 scoring, against her old club and registering her first-ever NPLW goal in the process.
Buoyed by the equaliser, the home team took the lead four minutes later. Persistence by Meakins in the box forced a rushed clearance by the Perth defence and Liana Cook was on hand to score in the far corner to make it 2-1, becoming the third scorer in the game to score against her old club.
Lincoln had a great opportunity to level the score on the hour mark when put through by a well-weighted pass from Epril Nossent. Just as she was about to pull the trigger Van Heurck raced in to make a superb block and divert the ball for a corner.
With chances at a premium for both sides, there were growing signs of frustration from the visitors as they struggled to find a way to break down the disciplined Balcatta defence, and Georgia Cassidy was carded for a blatant arm pull in the 77th minute after losing possession.
Another free kick from McCartney in the 82nd minute offered a chance for Perth to equalise, but Rebecca Bennett was able to push the ball away for a corner to maintain her sides one goal advantage.
Balcatta nearly scored a third in the 4th minute of injury time when Meakins hit a first-time shot from a mistimed goal kick. Baxter Thew got a foot to the shot just in time to divert it out for a corner.
The final whistle blew shortly afterwards and the three points went to Balcatta. It wasn’t a pretty game and the foul count of 35 for both teams indicated just how physical it was.
Balcatta coach Pete Rakic will be delighted with his teams discipline in gaining the win with his team moving to within one point of Perth with a game in hand. They face NTC next weekend and will be looking to build on this result.
Perth will see this as points dropped and will be disappointed that their work in reducing the deficit to RedStar by beating them last week has been undone. There are some worrying signs in their defensive third, as they have conceded 5 goals in the last two games, having conceded just seven in the previous eight. They will want to bounce back from this defeat and will hope for a strong performance against cellar dweller UWA next week.
SUBIACO AFC 2 – 2 MUM FC
The final game of the round represented an opportunity for Subiaco to maintain their pursuit of a top 4 spot, knowing that nothing less than a win would give Fremantle City a boost. Their opponents welcomed ex-Perth Glory players Ellis Glanfield and Tia Eastman to their ranks as they looked to leapfrog UWA at the foot of the table.
The hosts opened the scoring in the 8th minute through Cassandra Harvey. She was released by a terrific through ball from Marianna Tabain to outpace the defence before hitting a delightful first-time shot that curled up and over Manon Gebauer in the MUM goal to make it 1-0.
As the game wore on Subiaco had the better chances with Tabain becoming more influential. Frankie Murray-Hocking and Tabain herself came close to grabbing another goal but MUM FC hung on and scored an equaliser in the 42nd minute. Glanfield pulled the ball back across the length of the six-yard box to find Tiahna Botha. She laid a neat first-time pass off to Emma Ylias who stroked the ball home to make it 1-1.
Within three minutes of the re-start Subiaco regained the lead. A poor goal kick went straight to Harvey, who took a touch before firing in a shot that crashed down off the bar. Stella Zampogna reacted quickest to the rebound and headed home to make it 2-1.
Subiaco couldn’t find a third goal to kill the game off and in the 70th minute Glanfield nearly equalised when she stepped inside her marker but her shot flashed just wide of the upright, much to the frustration of the MUM FC bench.
Zampogna had a chance to make it 3-1 for Subiaco in the 74th minute when she raced clear of the MUM defence and rounded the keeper, but her shot from the edge of the box drifted wide.
In the gathering gloom, MUM grabbed an equaliser in the 88th minute that may prove invaluable in their quest to avoid the bottom spot. With Reid and substitute Monique Baiamonte putting pressure on the Subiaco defenders, they failed to deal with a long ball into the box. Baiamonte hustled for the ball and smuggled it past Ashleigh Riddle in the Subiaco goal before rolling it into an empty net to make it 2-2.
There was no time for any more goals and the final whistle meant MUM had climbed off the foot of the table for the first time this season. This was a huge result for them and coach Steve Atkins will be proud of the way his team fought back twice to earn the point. The addition of Glanfield and Eastman is significant as they add experience and skill to his youthful team, and with the rumoured arrival of ex-Matilda Ella Mastrantonio things are looking up for MUM. They next play RedStar and will be hoping to provide stiffer opposition than the last time they met which ended in a 5-0 defeat in the State Cup.
The result will be a big disappointment for Subiaco coach Greg Farrell as he would have been hoping to make bigger inroads into the gap between his team and NTC in fourth spot. Next week’s match against Fremantle is looming as a must-win if Subiaco are to make a serious challenge for finals football.
Performance of the Round
Balcatta are not known for gritty defensive football, but they showed they can play in this manner in their 2-1 win against Perth which has now propelled them firmly back into the role of title challengers.
MUM FC also deserves praise for refusing to accept defeat in their game against Subiaco.
Click here for the Round 10 goal highlights!
League Standings after NPLW WA Round 10
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Form | ||
| 1 | Perth RedStar FC | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 47 | 11 | +36 | 27 | WLWWW |
| 2 | Perth SC | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 12 | +20 | 22 | LWDWW |
| 3 | Balcatta Etna FC | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 14 | +19 | 21 | WWWLW |
| 4 | Hyundai NTC | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 27 | -8 | 15 | LWWLL |
| 5 | Subiaco AFC | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 29 | -12 | 11 | DWLLW |
| 6 | Fremantle City FC | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 18 | -1 | 10 | WDWLL |
| 7 | MUM FC | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 37 | -25 | 4 | DLLLL |
| 8 | UWA Nedlands FC | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 40 | -29 | 4 | LLLLW |
Round 11 Fixtures
Friday 21st Jun
BALCATTA ETNA vs HYUNDAI NTC – Home Group Stadium 6:30 pm
Sunday 23rd Jun
FREMANTLE CITY vs SUBIACO AFC – Hilton Park 3:00 pm
PERTH REDSTAR vs MUM FC – RedStar Arena 3:00pm
PERTH SC vs UWA NEDLANDS – Dorrien Gardens 3:00 pm
GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS
11 – Abbey Meakins (Balcatta Etna FC)
11 – Reina Kagami (Perth RedStar FC)
11 – Caitlin Doeglas (Perth RedStar FC)
10 – Ella Lincoln (Perth SC)
10 – Lucy Jerram (Balcatta Etna FC)
