Ben Gilby provides a full report from the game of the week plus all the details from the other matches in Western Australia’s NPL Women’s competition (1/5/23).
Above: Maja Archibald (19) raises her hands to celebrate as Klaudia Houlis (next to goalkeeper) puts Hyundai NTC 1-0 up at Perth SC yesterday. Photo: Fotoenzo.
Game of the week:
Perth SC 1-3 Hyundai NTC
Hyundai NTC continued their 100% winning record at the start of the 2023 NPLW WA season defeating previously unbeaten Perth SC at Dorrien Gardens on Sunday.
Two goals in the final eight minutes – a period which also saw Perth SC’s Liana Cook and head coach Peter Rakic sent off, sealed NTC’s win, which sees them end the round two points clear at the summit.
The NTC made several changes with both Tanika Lala and Anna Powell on the bench plus some of their squad away on Junior Matildas Asian Cup Qualifying duty. It allowed Daisy Gronewald-Shield to enter the starting line-up.
Peter Rakic was able to welcome back Gemma Craine after several weeks on the injury sidelines and the Derbyshire-born attacker was involved in the earliest of exchanges in the period when the home side were marginally the more offensively dangerous.
As the game began to settle, the talented teenagers began to develop a foothold and show defensive solidity and organisation. This in turn allowed Mia Britton to push on and show her skill on the right-hand side.
Just before the 20-minute mark, Britton was found as a result of an excellent clearance from Lilly Bailey, and she danced up the flank and played a perfectly weighted low cross in for Klaudia Houlis to sweep into the net at the back post to make the scoresheet for the third successive week.
This was the first goal Perth SC had conceded all season in the NPLW WA, but they hit back well. Matilda Bohm found Craine in the box, but the former Perth Glory striker was crowded out.
Abbey Meakins then floated a free-kick into the mix from 25 yards for Alyssa Van Heurck, but the header was just wide. Shortly afterwards though, the Azzurri were level.
Judy Connolly showed real tenacity to try and maintain possession amidst the attention of three would-be tacklers. The ball was eventually recycled for Monique Godding who found Meakins to play a low pass into space for Ellie La Monte to beat a challenge and slide home into the far corner.
Britton continued to threaten along the right, and it was from this flank that NTC almost re-took the lead with three minutes of the half remaining as Misha Anderson’s free-kick just outside the box came back off of the bar.
There was still time for Perth to fashion one final chance for the half as Poppie Hooks found La Monte to the left-hand side of the area, but her shot sailed across the face of goal.
The second half was a real arm wrestle with chances few and far between, but for the majority of the period, the better ones fell the way of the home side. First, with four minutes played Faye Phillips fed La Monte who raced up the right flank and fed Connolly who laid a low ball across goal that Craine couldn’t quite connect with.
Then, with just under 20 minutes remaining, NTC keeper Bailey found it hard to claim a high corner from the left and van Heurck fired in a shot that Anderson did brilliantly to get a block on which caused the ball to fly high over the bar.
It was in the last 10 minutes when the match swung in the visitors’ favour. Powell drove down the wing to play a ball in that Van Heurck looked to clear only for Georgia Cassidy to regain possession and advance into the box and was brought down with a penalty awarded. The aftermath saw a second yellow card for Cook and Azzurri boss Peter Rakic was sent off before Cassidy stepped up to dispatch the penalty confidently.
Three minutes into stoppage time, the teenage side sealed the win as Maja Archibald’s cross-field pass picked out Louise Tana around the six-yard box to slot home.
The NTC now hit top spot, two points ahead of Perth SC, with RedStar just a further point behind. It’s looking like a thrilling three-way title race this season, and with Fremantle City and Murdoch University Melville starting to find some form, there are many months of fascinating action ahead in WA.
Teams: PERTH SC: Bennett, van Heurck, Hooks, Phillips, Godding, Cook, Meakins, Bohm, Connolly, Crane, La Monte. Substitutes: Lincoln, Papalia, Zampogna, Duncanson, Caceres.
Scorers: La Monte 29′.
HYUNDAI NTC: Bailey, Cassidy, Collinson, Groenewald-Shield, Johnston, Britton, Houlis, Anderson, Archibald, O’Hallaran, Collinson. Substitutes: Powell, Tana, Phillips, Tanner, Johnson, Lala.
Scorers: Hoolis 18′, Cassidy (pen) 82′, Tana 90+3′.
Weekly Wrap:
Murdoch University Melville 10-0 Curtin University
Curtin’s tough run of results continued when round five got underway on Friday night.
Murdoch University Melville hit the front with 19 minutes on the clock as Clara Hoarau played a delightful through ball into the path of Vanessa Miller who raced through unmarked, drew Curtin keeper Hanna Stoney, nutmegged her, and calmly dispatched the ball home.
They doubled their advantage four minutes later as Samantha Mathers ran onto a through ball along the right and played a low ball in that Curtin failed to clear allowing Hoarau to turn and allow Miller to score from 10 yards.
With 27 minutes played, it was 3-0 as Sophie Meaden fed Jessica Johnson who danced past three Curtin defenders before firing a shot from the edge of the box into the net. Miller completed her hattrick 10 minutes before the break as the hosts played an intelligent high ball that took out all of the Curtin outfield players and allowed Miller to run through with all the time in the world to lift a glorious chip over Stoney as the hosts went in 4-0 ahead at the break
Within 10 minutes of the re-start, Murdoch University Melville hit three further goals, with Samantha Mathers bagging a brace with skipper Charli Wainwright netting her first of the night with a super shot from the edge of the box. Claudia Hoarau made it 8-0 on the hour mark with a stunning curled effort before, both Johnson and Wainwright both grabbed their second goals to complete the rout.
Curtin are still looking for their first goal after nine games this season (five NPLW WA matches, three in the Night Series, and one State Cup) and they face a major challenge to avoid finishing bottom.
Perth RedStar 3-0 Balcatta Etna
Three second-half goals sealed maximum points for Carlos Vega Mena’s side at RedStar Arena on Sunday afternoon.
After a goalless first half, RedStar hit the front 10 minutes into the second period as they dispossessed the visitors out on the left allowing Reina Kagami to stride forward and lift the ball over Gabby Dal Bosco in the Balcatta goal.
The hosts doubled their lead four minutes later as Balcatta failed to clear a high ball that came into the box from the left with Olivia Wood heading against the bar before the rebound was played back across goal by Quyen Doan for Renee Leota to score.
In the final minute, an attempted Balcatta clearance struck Hannah Insch and fell into the path of Kagami who took the ball on before curling a superb shot into the top of the net.
Fremantle City 1-0 Subiaco
Freo claimed an important three points as their top four challenge begins to gather pace.
They racked up 24 shots, nine of which were on target and won the corner count 12-1, but the only goal of the afternoon at Hilton Park came nine minutes into the second half. A neat interplay of passing on the right ended with Kat Jukic playing in her fellow former Perth Glory player Jamie-Lee Gale to fire under Ashleigh Riddle and into the far corner.
The port city side will host the unbeaten NTC next weekend whilst Greg Farrell’s Subiaco, who are also looking to challenge the higher echelons of the ladder this season, host defending champions Perth RedStar at Rosalie Park.
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