The second round of the SA WNPL and WSL Cup kicked off on Friday night with three ties and goals galore.
At Adelaide City Park, Adelaide City completely demolished lower tier side Cove FC 9-0. Daniela Di Bartolo hit four (41, 59, 79 and 90+2) and W-League star Chelsie Dawber grabbed a hat-trick (8, 17, 61) in a game which saw the goals spread out evenly across the match with City leading 4-0 at the break. Chrissie Zikos (43) and Caitlin White (75) scored the others. It was a hard night for Cove, but Adelaide City are one of the favourites to win the Cup. They will now aim to use this ruthless performance to build confidence to move back up the SA NPLW before their quarter-finals tie later in the season.
WSL side Modbury Vista made it into the last eight with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Salisbury Inter Reserves at Underdown Park. Two goals from Renee Holmes plus further strikes from Kelly Tataryn, Ailin Marshall and Sonita Phin were the difference between the sides.
Football SA NTC Reserves also earned a place in the Quarter-Finals after a 1-0 win over Adelaide University Reserves at the VALO Football Centre, thanks to a 29th minute goal from Claire Scarpin.
Saturday’s action took place at the O’Sullivans Beach Sports & Community Centre where Fulham United edged into the Quarter-Finals despite blowing a 2-0 lead against South Adelaide of the WSL. Olivia Bramley put Fulham ahead after 17 minutes with Mia Lundquist doubling their advantage on 37 minutes. However, just two minutes later, Trinity Tytler-Kelly pulled the Panthers back into the game. Within eight minutes of the re-start, South Adeaide were awarded a penalty and Jessica Goldfinch dispatched it to level the scores. With a quarter of an hour to go, Fulham finally got back ahead and it was Lundquist with the goal to send them into the final eight.
The action resumed on Sunday with the remaining four ties. First was the undoubted tie of the round between the top two clubs in the SA NPLW, West Adelaide and Salisbury Inter. Both sides went into the game unbeaten all season, and so something had to give ahead of their blockbusting league clash next weekend. After a tense and goalless first half, it all exploded in the second. Within three minutes of the re-start, Inter went ahead after Cote Rojas dispatched a penalty. Despite West’s best efforts, they couldn’t find a way back and it was the Chilean who was on target yet again to settle matters on 66 minutes when she fired home. There was still time for drama in the closing stages when West Adelaide’s Alison Atkins was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the final stages of the game.
Flinders Flames became the second WSL side to make the last eight after they made the most of a fast start to dispatch Adelaide City Reserves 2-0. Indeed, it was two goals in the opening six minutes of the match at Adelaide City Park from Flames’ Emma MacKay which decided matters.
Adelaide Comets earned their quarter-final place with a comfortable 4-0 win over Metro United Reserves at Ellis Park. Two early goals put the Comets in the ascendency as Pirrie Weeks (6) and Kate Seaton (11) were on target in the opening exchanges. Seaton added another just prior to half-time and the icing was finally put on the cake when Kiara O’Sullivan made it 4-0 deep into second half stoppage time.
Metro United’s first team had better luck and clinched the final spot in the last eight with a 2-0 win over West Adelaide Reserves. Two second half strikes from Millie Scott proved to be the difference.
THIS COMING WEEKEND:
The SANPLW returns with some huge matches. First, on Friday night, there is the battle of the bottom two as Fulham United take on Adelaide Comets at VALO Football Centre. Fulham are in real danger of being cast adrift at the bottom and avoiding defeat at the very least is vital. Then on Saturday, the game of the season so far will take place as the top two West Adelaide and Salisbury Inter, the only unbeaten sides in the SANPLW go head to head. These two teams have produced some outstanding football this season and a high quality encounter is in the offing at the VALO Football Centre. There is also a re-run of last season’s Grand Final when Adelaide City will be aiming to get their season back on the rails when they face Metro United. Defending champions Metro have also struggled to impose themselves on the league this season, and whoever loses this clash could face an uphill struggle to play Finals football this year. Finally, third placed Football SA NTC will look to take advantage of at least one of the top two dropping points to close the gap at the top when they face Adelaide University.
TABLE:
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD | |
| West Adelaide | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 16 | + 11 |
| Salisbury Inter | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 14 | + 15 |
| Football SA NTC | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 14 | 10 | + 1 |
| Metro United | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 8 | – 3 |
| Adelaide City | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 6 | + 2 |
| Adelaide University | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 6 | – 4 |
| Adelaide Comets | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 4 | – 8 |
| Fulham United | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 1 | – 14 |
