Round 9 of the NPLW WA produced the most significant result of the season as Perth SC defeated Perth RedStar 3-4 to ignite the title race. The victory by the Azzurri has cut the gap at the top to just two points and ended RedStar’s unbeaten start to the season. There were wins for the Hyundai NTC and Subiaco to further isolate MUM FC and UWA at the foot of the table, whilst floodlight issues and pitch-marking problems meant the match between Fremantle City and Balcatta Etna was postponed.
MUM FC 2 – 4 HYUNDAI NTC
Having halted a four-game losing streak the last time they played, the visitors were keen to record back-to-back league wins when they travelled to Besteam Stadium to take on bottom-of-the-ladder MUM FC. They also wanted to put last weekend’s 3-1 cup defeat against Fremantle City behind them, whilst their opponents also lost 5-0 to Perth RedStar in the same competition.
It took just five minutes for NTC to open the scoring when Theodora Mouithys capitalised on a defensive error to roll the ball into an open net and score her fifth goal of the campaign.
Despite the visitors enjoying the bulk of the possession they didn’t threaten Manon Gebauer in the MUM FC goal, and with the home team starting to grow in confidence and test Megan Phillips in the NTC goal there was the hint of an equaliser in the air. That was snuffed out on the half-hour when Sakura Leong exchanged passes with Mouithys before breaking into the box and hitting a fine left-foot shot into the far corner to make it 2-0.
MUM FC then countered almost immediately to reduce the deficit to one goal, which came from poor defending by NTC. In the 32nd minute, a back pass was badly underhit and Emmanuella Adupipim-Boaduo pounced to round Phillips and then showed good composure under pressure to finish and make it 1-2.
MUM nearly equalised in the 39th minute via the same method. Taylor Reid chased down another poorly hit back pass and slipped the ball past Phillips but dragged her shot just wide.
MUM were made to pay for this miss right on the stroke of half-time when Mia Britton was found in space on the right wing. She ran unopposed into the penalty area before finishing from an acute angle to make it 3-1 at the break.
The NTC then took a stranglehold on the game in the 54th minute when ex-MUM FC striker Jessica Johnson scored her side’s fourth when she was found in space on the right wing. Letting the ball run across her body she hit a crisp right-footed shot into the far corner to make it 4-1.
It seemed game over at this point, but MUM fought back and reduced the deficit in the 66th minute through the hardworking Reid. Adupipim-Boaduo clipped a ball into space for her to run onto and she outstripped the recovering NTC defenders before producing a neat finish to make it 4-2.
MUM continued to press and look for another goal and nearly scored a third in injury time when Reid was again through on goal but Phillips saved, and then substitute Georgia Wiese hit a shot that bounced down off the underside of the bar.
In the end, the three points went to NTC and the win has moved them to within three points of third-placed Balcatta Etna, who have a game in hand. NTC Coach Ben Anderton will undoubtedly be happy with the points, but he may feel his team didn’t play well as the post-match stats revealed no corners and a shot count of just 13. MUM coach Steve Atkins will be unhappy with the result but should feel happy with his team who, once again, showed they will fight right to the end and continue to improve as the season wears on.
Next week MUM will travel to Subiaco, whilst NTC face off against Fremantle City.
PERTH REDSTAR 3 – 4 PERTH SC
The game of the round lived up to its promise with a match full of incidents, drama, excitement and good football. When the full-time whistle blew the Azzurri had ended RedStar’s unbeaten start to the season, won their first-ever league game against their opponents and inflicted the third defeat in RedStar’s NPLW history.
It didn’t take long for the game to burst into life as Ella Lincoln opened the scoring for the Azzurri with a superb left-footed strike in the 4th minute. Controlling a ball from Ruby Marshall she hit the ball early towards the top left. Gabby Dal Busco got a hand to it but couldn’t prevent it from hitting the back of the net to make it 1-0. This was Lincoln’s 10th of the season and one of her best.
Stung by being a goal down so early, the leaders worked their way back into the game and scored an equaliser in the 12th minute. They forced a turnover in midfield and fed Renee Leota who turned her marker and then tried to find Caitlin Doeglas. It looked as though the ball was too long and that Kimberly McCartney and Stacey Cavill would clear it, but neither took charge and Doeglas capitalised on the error to roll it into an empty net to make it 1-1.
Perth SC regained the lead in the 18th minute and it again started with a turnover in midfield. RedStar lost the ball due to some intense pressure from Perth who quickly released Lincoln on the left wing. She crossed into the box where Ruby Marshall was lurking and she turned it in to make it 2-1.
There was a real ebb and flow to the game and RedStar nearly forced an equaliser in the 25th minute when Cavill saved smartly from Manami Arai.
Perth struck a psychological blow three minutes before the break, and Lincoln was again in the centre of the action. She fed a ball out to Jess Flannery on the left wing and with the RedStar defenders scrambling to cover she fired a cross into the unmarked Daisy McAllister at the far post who made it 3-1 to the visitors.
Even though it was only halftime, there was a sense of momentum shifting towards the visitors and they came out with plenty of aggression and intent early in the second half as they sought to finish the game. However, the leaders were not prepared to lie down and they struck in the 53rd minute through Doeglas. She pounced on a miscontrolled pass on the halfway line and then sped past two Perth defenders into the penalty area. Cavill blocked her first effort but she tucked the rebound away to make it 3-2 for her tenth of the season.
Almost immediately from the restart Perth had a chance to restore their two-goal lead when Lincoln released McAllister and she raced through to be one one-on-one with Dal Busco, but the RedStar stopper was equal to the task and the score remained 3-2. Dal Busco was required to make another important save in the 59th minute when she pushed a flick from McAllister away.
The Azzurri then scored the decisive goal in the 66th minute when Lincoln was adjudged to have been fouled 20 metres outside the box. From the resultant free kick, McCartney fired a beauty over the wall and into the far corner to make it 4-2. A tough task for the leaders had now become even more challenging.
They gave themselves a sniff of a chance in the 83rd minute when Reina Kagami struck following a corner. Cavill couldn’t claim the ball in traffic and it dropped to the midfielder who fired it into the roof of the net to score her 11th of the season and make it 4-3.
There was still time for more drama when Perth earned a corner in the 89th minute. The ball was cleared off the line by RedStar and Dal Busco then made yet another save from the resulting follow-up shot. RedStar may count themselves fortunate with this one, as replays suggest the ball had crossed the line, but the referee and his linesman deemed otherwise. Just a minute later Sarah Carroll had a chance of an equaliser but her shot went over the bar.
With Carlos Vega Mena urging his players forward the home team threw the ball forward at every opportunity. The visitors defence stood firm and they were justifiably delighted when the final whistle blew.
The win for Perth closes the gap to just two points between them and the leaders and will give them an enormous boost in confidence for next week’s big clash against third-placed Balcatta. Lincoln was again hugely impressive for Perth, as was the returning Baxter Thew who marshalled her defence superbly. McAllister and Flannery were also influential. With goalkeeper Lily Bailey away on holiday, and both Tijan McKenna and Grace Johnston injured there is depth in the squad. Coach Danielle Brogan will keep everything crossed for Lincoln to remain injury-free for the rest of the campaign, as she holds the key to Perth’s title challenge.
For RedStar, this was only their third loss in the NPLW era and there is no need for any panic measures. The relentless pressure from Perth stilted their play and they lacked their usual fluid movement in the final third, but they still managed to score three and remain the team to beat. With their main challengers playing each other next week, their lead could increase again, depending on the result.
SUBIACO AFC 3 – 0 UWA NEDLANDS
With the postponed Fremantle City and Balcatta game, this fixture presented Subiaco with an opportunity to leapfrog Fremantle if they could secure the three points. However, their last three games had seen them concede 15 goals without scoring so their form was not great. UWA Nedlands were in a similar position conceding 15 in their previous three games but had at least scored three. A win for them would open up a valuable four-point gap on bottom-placed MUM FC.
Subiaco opened the scoring in the 6th minute when Marianna Tabain took advantage of the windy conditions to send a looping free kick over Morgan Springer in the UWA goal to make it 1-0 for the home team and settle any early nerves. This was also their first goal in 189 minutes of football, so the team’s relief was palpable.
They doubled the lead in the 14th minute when Cassandra Harvey scored her fourth goal of the season to make it 2-0. Her perfectly timed run was well-found by a delightfully weighted through ball from Tanya Campos and she lifted the ball over the onrushing Springer.
There was a major scare for Subiaco in the 35th minute when Monique Todd sent her goal kick straight to UWA Nedlands Andrea Preiato on the edge of the box. The striker took a touch but couldn’t keep her shot down and the ball went over for a goal kick.
Just a minute later Subiaco could have made it 3-0 when they worked some space down the right flank and cut the ball back to Tabain but she fired just over.
UWA came out strongly for the second half and pressed Subiaco back into their half for long periods, but couldn’t find a cutting edge to complement their hard work. Subaico’s coach, Greg Farrell, must have worked hard on his side’s defensive discipline on the training pitch as they continued to keep UWA at arm’s length as the half wore on, and with weather conditions worsening they seemed content to protect what they had.
Subiaco’s third goal in the 78th minute secured the points and allowed them to finish the game comfortably. Tabain capitalised on a poor clearance to send Frankie Murray-Hocking clear on the left wing. Her cross into the box found a completely unmarked Dakota Van-Vugt in the six-yard box and she had the easiest of tap-ins to make it 3-0.
UWA nearly scored a late consolation goal in the 9th minute of injury time when captain Emily Dinsdale won the ball inside the Subiaco half but her shot crashed against the bar with Todd well beaten.
This was a gritty performance from Subiaco who have been shipping goals at an alarming rate recently, so getting a clean sheet and three points would have been satisfying for Farrell. They next face MUM FC and if they play in a similar vein again they will be favourites for another win.
UWA worked hard all game but lacked the cutting edge in the final third to hurt their opponents. They have a tough task in their next game as they host Perth RedStar but if they can maintain the energy levels displayed in this game, they will be capable of making life difficult for the leaders.
Performance of the Round
It’s no surprise that Perth SC take the honours this week. They worked incessantly to deny Perth RedStar any time or space and used the ball to tremendous effect when they were in possession. In Ella Lincoln, they have the league’s form player and she must surely be on Perth Glory’s radar now. Baxter Thew was also impressive and her presence seemed to lift her fellow defenders who ran and tackled as ferociously in the 90th minute as they did in the 1st.
Click here for the Round 9 goal highlights!
League Standings after NPLW WA Round 9
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Form | ||
| 1 | Perth RedStar FC | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 10 | +33 | 24 | LWWWW |
| 2 | Perth SC | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 10 | +21 | 22 | WWWWW |
| 3 | Balcatta Etna FC | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 13 | +18 | 18 | WWLWW |
| 4 | Hyundai NTC | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 25 | -6 | 15 | WWLLL |
| 5 | Subiaco AFC | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 27 | -12 | 10 | WLLWL |
| 6 | Fremantle City FC | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 17 | -2 | 7 | DWLLW |
| 7 | UWA Nedlands FC | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 36 | -26 | 4 | LLLWL |
| 8 | MUM FC | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 35 | -26 | 3 | LLLLW |
Round 10 Fixtures
Saturday 15th Jun
HYUNDAI NTC vs FREMANTLE CITY FC – Sam Kerr Football Centre 1:00 pm
Sunday 16th Jun
UWA NEDLANDS vs PERTH REDSTAR – UWA Sports Park 1:00 pm
BALCATTA ETNA vs PERTH SC – Home Group Arena 3:00 pm
SUBIACO AFC vs MUM FC – Rosalie Park 3:45 pm
GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS
11 – Abbey Meakins (Balcatta Etna FC)
11 – Reina Kagami (Perth RedStar FC)
10 – Caitlin Doeglas (Perth RedStar FC)
10 – Ella Lincoln (Perth SC)
10 – Lucy Jerram (Balcatta Etna FC)
