NPLW WA Round 8 Review

The halfway stage of the league is now behind us, and things are getting serious as the shortened season means that every game is vital, with teams simply unable to drop points.

Round 8 was a repeat of the opening round and provided current leaders MUM FC the perfect opportunity to exact revenge on Balcatta FC, who are so far the only team to have beaten them this season. Balcatta went into the game missing one of their spearheads this season as Christiane Astorp was unavailable due to an injury she sustained in the midweek game against Fremantle. This placed additional pressure on Caitlin Doeglas as prior to this fixture the pair of them had contributed 11 of their team’s 20 goals this season.

MUM started the brighter of the two and Balcatta keeper Gabby Dal Busco was kept busy in the first 20 minutes with the MUM front three of Kat Jukic, Stacey Learmont and Ellie La Monte demonstrating why they have scored 19 goals between them. Dal Busco was unable to prevent MUM from taking the lead in the 28th minute though when a shot from outside the area by Thalia Organ bounced just in front of her and eluded her dive. On 43 minutes, MUM doubled the lead when Dal Busco’s throw only found Jukic. She wasted no time in getting the ball under control and chipped the ball back over the keeper’s head to score her ninth of the season, seriously denting Balcatta’s chances of getting back into the game.

The second half had hardly got going when MUM put the game to bed. A 47th minute corner from the left was flicked on by Learmont and Sadie Lawrence reacted quicker than the defenders to finish with a neat side-foot volley. A fourth goal then arrived in the 59th minute when Learmont was played in with a lovely ball from Charli Wainwright. The veteran striker still had work to do though, and she used her strength to hold off Alanah Veroni before sliding the ball underneath Dal Busco. To their credit, Balcatta kept trying to get something from the game and in the 65th minute Doeglas ran half the length of the pitch to score her sixth of the season and give the home team a consolation goal.

The win has consolidated MUM’s position at the top of the table and pushed Balcatta out of the top four (eight points behind the leaders). Balcatta’s trip to local rivals Northern Redbacks next week is looming as a must-win, whilst MUM can look forward to visiting bottom two side Curtin University.

Down at Fremantle, there was a sense of growing momentum as they had played two games in a week, drawing against MUM and winning against Balcatta. A win against visitors Perth could well have been a springboard for an all-out assault on the title but Perth was not going to be an easy opponent. The Azzurri defeated Fremantle in the opening game of the season and also scored a win against the highly fancied Hyundai NTC in Albany last time out.

The opening half was a cagey affair, with Perth content to absorb pressure and hit the hosts on the break. The first scoring opportunity occurred in the tenth minute when Perth’s Liana Cook got onto the end of a ball from Zoee Spadano, but Dayle Schroeder was alert to the attempt in the Fremantle City goal and pushed the ball out for a corner. The only other notable action of the half was in the 38th minute when a long-range effort from Tash Rigby grazed the top of the Perth crossbar.

The second half continued in the same vein, with Fremantle unable to break down the well organised Perth defence. On 55 minutes, Gemma Craine went on a run that took her past two defenders and into the box. Her well-struck shot was parried away by Rebecca Bennett in the Perth goal and the Perth defenders were on hand to clear the danger. In the 64th minute Perth captain Jaime Duncanson had to be substituted due to an earlier injury and she was replaced by veteran Katie Holtham. Her introduction seemed to spark Perth, as they then upped the pressure on the Fremantle defenders and chances started to be created.

A free-kick by Abbey Meakins from just outside the box in the 73rd minute struck a post and then two minutes later the visitors were awarded a penalty, as Jamie-Lee Gale was adjudged by referee Thomas Robinson to have pushed Perth’s Toni Walden in the back. The spot kick was successfully converted by Cook, and with 15 minutes to go Fremantle now had a lot of work to do to keep their title hopes alive. However it was the visitors who had the better of the last quarter of an hour and could have extended their lead further if Meakins or Holtham had been able to convert their chances.

The defeat almost certainly ends Fremantle’s hopes of the title as they are now nine points behind the leaders. Perth continues their highly successful season and sits clear in second place, just three points back from the lead. Fremantle next faces Hyundai NTC who beat them 6-1 earlier in the season, whilst Perth travels to bottom club Subiaco.

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At Celebration Park there was an intriguing clash between the Hyundai NTC Women and Curtin University, with both teams experiencing contrasting emotions in the previous round. NTC would have been favourites for the clash against Perth in Albany but was on the wrong end of the 2-1 result, whilst Curtin would not have expected to gain the point they did in their 1-1 draw against Northern Redbacks.

It was the NTC who came out aggressively at the start of the game, racing to a 2-0 lead inside the first ten minutes. A shot in the fourth minute from Hana Lowry proved too hot to handle for Stacey Cavill and she spilled the ball to Monique Prinsloo, who put the rebound away. NTC then doubled their lead in the seventh minute when Cavill again spilled the ball – it was Taneesha Baker on hand this time to finish.

Earlier in the season, losing two quick goals may have been the catalyst for a collapse from Curtin, but they have become a much more resilient unit over the last few weeks and they slowly made their way back into the game. Working together, they denied their opponents time and space and started to create chances of their own. On 24 minutes a looping cross caused Miranda Templeman difficulties and very nearly saw Abena Selormey capitalise on the loose ball. A long clearance from a corner in the 42nd minute saw Curtin break into the NTC half, and the dangerous Selormey was eventually brought down in the box by Templeman. Referee Sailota Phiri pointed to the spot – the resulting penalty was despatched by Penelope Clayton, making the score 2-1 at the break.

The second half was a bit of an arm wrestle for the first 15 minutes with an Aliesha Bennett strike from range in the 55th minute providing NTC with a reminder that the game was far from over. On the hour mark, Tijan McKenna was introduced by the NTC and this seemed to provide them with a lift as they began to dominate possession and chances. Only a superb last-minute tackle on the line by Alyssa Van Heurck denied Abbey Green a certain goal in the 80th minute, and Green had further chances to score late in the game.

NTC held firm for a 2-1 win which has lifted them back into the top four. Curtin stays second from bottom, but their performances in the last three weeks have shown great improvement and teams will underestimate them at their peril for the rest of the season. NTC host a desperate Fremantle next week, whilst Curtin entertains MUM in a game which will be a real test for them as they lost 6-0 in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

The final game of the round was at Rosalie Park, where home team Subiaco were coming off an eleven goal mauling in the previous round and Redbacks were licking their wounds after dropping points at home to Curtin.

Subiaco was missing goalkeeper and captain Marissa Pidgeon, as well as having a number of other injuries to their squad. Redbacks meanwhile welcomed their keeper Morgan Aquino back from a three-game injury absence. They were still without winger Larissa Walsh and striker Jayna Ridley, whilst midfielder Carla Bennett was out injured.

From the kick-off, it was clear that Subiaco was determined not to let a repeat of last week occur again and they put as many players behind the ball as possible. Redbacks couldn’t afford to drop any points at all, and were looking to boost their goal difference to try and keep within touching distance of the top two.

Inside the first ten minutes, they had created three good chances, with Sarah Carroll narrowly missing on two occasions and Lauren Continibali just shooting over, but it was through an unlikely source that the visitors opened the scoring in the 20th minute. Full back Katie Moth capitalised on a through ball from Emily Dunn, and as the keeper advanced Moth dinked the ball past her for her first of the season. There were more chances for Redbacks until they extended their lead in the 42nd minute. Good work by Emma McMurdo in midfield took her past three defenders before feeding the ball wide. Sophia Neal crossed into the box and Melanie Doeglas steered her first time shot wide of young Subiaco goalkeeper Annaleisha Pickering to make it 2-0.

It was more or less one-way traffic in the second half as Redbacks searched for more goals. They had one chalked off for offside in the 61st minute before finally managing to get their third on 85 minutes, and when it arrived it seemed to take everyone by surprise. A corner taken by Kizanne Mulder sailed directly into the net and referee Stephen Knight blew for the goal. Quite a few players thought he may have blown for a foul and for a couple of seconds there was confusion until Knight explained what was happening. All of this resulted in very muted reactions from goalscorer and team mates!

The fourth and best goal arrived in the 87th minute, when a fine cross from Mulder was expertly volleyed into the roof of the net by the lively Continibali. There was still time left for Subiaco to try and get a consolation, and Gabrielle Morrisey disposed Doeglas inside the Redbacks half but her shot was straight at Aquino.

The win lifts Redbacks into third spot and they host Balcatta in a local derby next week, whilst Subiaco is firmly rooted at the foot of the table and entertains Perth in round 9.

LADDER

Round 8 Fixtures (30th Aug)

Football West Hyundai NTC vs Fremantle City
Northern Redbacks vs Balcatta FC
Subiaco vs Perth SC
Curtin University vs MUM FC