Perth RedStar lifted the 2024 NPLW WA Night Series trophy at the Sam Kerr Centre on Saturday evening with a clinical display against Balcatta Etna.
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Going into the game the 2023 League Champions were considered underdogs by many, but RedStar showed that they shouldn’t ever be underestimated when trophies are on the line.
After weathering an early period of pressure by Balcatta, RedStar struck first with a nicely worked goal in the 11th minute that saw four players use just four touches to move the ball from inside their half, into the back of the net. Andreia Teixeira cushioned a clearance from Balcatta to Katie Ritchie, who moved the ball onto Renee Leota. The ex-Kiwi International swept the ball out to Jayna Ridley on the right wing and her first-time cross was met by Caitlin Doeglas, who made no mistake from the 6-yard box to score her sixth goal of the Night Series campaign.
RedStar doubled the lead on the half-hour when Kaitlyn Bellanca released the overlapping Quyen Doan on the right wing. Balcatta goalkeeper Rebecca Bennett missed her deep cross, and the ball then struck Andrea Bulgaru on the back to end up in the net. This was the first time in the night series that Balcatta had conceded two goals and they looked a little shell-shocked.
Peter Rakic’s team then had a golden opportunity to pull a goal back when Lucy Jerram was played in for a one-on-one with RedStar goalkeeper Gabrielle Dal Busco, but the shot stopper was equal to the task and pulled off a fine save.
Not long after that Balcatta managed to halve the deficit through a corner in the 37th minute. Katarina Jukic headed the ball towards the goal, where Monique Godding swivelled to hit a right-footed volley past the RedStar defence to make it 2-1.
RedStar then struck for a third time in the 48th minute when Leota released Doeglas on the left wing just inside her half. The ex-Perth Glory striker showed a clean pair of heels to two Balcatta defenders as she drove into the box, before cutting the ball back across the 6-yard box for an unmarked Sarah Carroll to fire home.
Balcatta now had a mountain to climb and no matter what they tried they found the RedStar defence to be in no mood to let them back into the game. If they did manage to breach the backline, they found Dal Busco determined not to concede anything and she pulled off several excellent saves.
The game was finally sealed in the 90th minute when Doeglas shaped up to take a free kick just outside the Balcatta defence, before cleverly passing the ball to an unmarked Olivia Wood to her left, whose right-footed shot left Bennett with no chance.
A disappointed Balcatta coach, Peter Rakic, spoke after the game:
“I was hoping that we were going to put in more than that. I’m pretty disappointed with the performance and I think RedStar wanted it more than we did and they took their chances and we didn’t,” he said.
For RedStar, the win means the club has now won every trophy in Senior Women’s football and their captain Sarah Carroll was very happy with her team when she spoke before the trophy presentation.
“We were disappointed with our performance against Balcatta a couple of weeks ago and so tonight was about putting in a better one, and whenever there’s a trophy on the line we want it and I’m proud of the girls,” she said.
With a goal and two assists, it was no surprise when Doeglas was named as player of the match and she was presented with the Tracey Wheeler medal by the ex-Matilda goalkeeper herself.
Earlier in the evening, Perth RedStar also won the Hyundai Women’s League Night Series when their combined U21/U18 side beat last season’s Hyundai League Cup Champions, Fremantle City, 1-0 in a tight game. The only goal of the game arrived in the 27th minute when Mikayla Ingrey fired past Fremantle goalkeeper Tessa Cliff.
