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 and Rob Lizzi provides images from Perth SC’s win at Balcatta Etna (17/7/23).
Above: Poppie Hooks heads home for Perth SC at Balcatta Etna yesterday. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
Main report of the week
Fremantle City 1-2 Perth RedStar
Perth RedStar took a major step towards retaining their NPLW WA title after victory at Hilton Park in the battle of the sides who went into the game as the top two placed sides in the league.
Leaders RedStar came into the match having not played for a fortnight with last weekend’s scheduled clash with Hyundai NTC postponed due to the teenage side’s National NTC Challenge duties. Conversely, Freo were playing their third game in seven days, having met Murdoch University Melville in the league last Sunday, and then losing to them in the midweek State Cup semi-final.
It was a thrilling first half and one which was effectively divided into two halves within it – either side dominating a period.
Freo came out firing from the off and Tash Rigby used her pace and guile to advance along the right, forcing Andreia Teixeira to concede a corner. From Jamie-Lee Gale’s resulting set-piece, Carys Hawkins sent a header goalwards that Shivani Battaglia had to deal with in the RedStar goal. The ball came out to Laura Waltman who saw an effort go narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
Within three minutes Rigby and Waltman, two of Fremantle’s consistently best players all season, combined again with the latter being played through, but Battaglia saved once more.
It was another set-piece that provided the port city team with their next opportunity as Gale’s free-kick on the right, parallel with the 18-yard line went in high towards Olivia Trueman at the back post, but Kim Carroll volleyed clear.
Freo would generate one further golden opportunity as Rigby smashed a shot from distance that cannoned back off of the post. However, the unwritten rule when playing RedStar is to always score when you get a chance, because the champions always find a way to hit back. They would take hold of the game and dominate the remaining 22 minutes of the half.
A delightful interchange of one-touch passing allowed Carroll to play in Olivia Wood who, in turn, found Chiori Ikeda and the Japanese star hit a side-footed curler just over the top.
Wood began to increase her influence in the match, and within three minutes broke through. Danelle Cornish came out to meet her, but Wood steered the ball past the onrushing Freo keeper only to see her shot hit the side netting.
RedStar went ahead on the half-hour as a long ball through looked to be being dealt with by Cornish. However, the goalkeeper hesitated fatally allowing former New Zealand international Renee Leota to pounce and guide the ball into an empty net to put the visitors ahead.
It could have got a lot worse for Fremantle four minutes later. Ikeda send a header goalwards and then ran in to direct it over the line. Joyful celebrations from the visitors were cut short by the assistant’s flag. Moments later, Freo had another let-off as Leota’s shot bounced back off of the post. It remained 1-0 to the visitors at the break.
There were fewer chances in the second 45, but it was the hosts who conjured up the first opportunity five minutes in as Waltman’s strike from the right came back off of the bar. Gale couldn’t quite sort out her feet to direct the rebound goalwards, but she was flagged for offside in any case.
Freo’s hopes of getting back into the game were constantly thwarted by well organised RedStar defence that saw the visitors get large numbers behind the ball whenever the hosts got over the halfway line.
With 10 minutes remaining, the visitors added a second as the excellent Wood looked up on the right and sent a cross-shot flying into the far corner of the net.
Fremantle forced a flurry of corners in the final five minutes and chances came as a result. There was a major goalmouth scramble around the RedStar goal line in one such spell, and shortly afterwards after winning a corner, Rigby saw a header flash across goal that Quyen Doan had to turn away for another flag kick.
It was from another corner three minutes into stoppage time that the hosts finally got on the scoreboard with Kim Carroll diverting the ball into her own net after huge Freo pressure.
It was too little too late for the port city side. Their title hopes are now, barring a miracle, over. This defeat, coupled with Perth SC’s red-hot form at present, sees Freo drop to third.
For RedStar – a win at home to Perth SC in yet another first-against-second clash next weekend will pretty much wrap up the NPLW WA title.
Teams: FREMANTLE CITY: Cornish, Leek, Adams, Spatafore, Kiama, Rigby, Waltman, Hawkins, Osborne, Gale, Trueman. Substitutes: Lyons, Boorman, C. Gaspar, Tyne.
Scorers: K. Carroll (OG) 90+3′.
PERTH REDSTAR: Battaglia, Teixeira, Studman, K. Carroll, Dunn, Coleman, S. Carroll, Kagami, Wood, Leota, Ikeda. Substitutes: Ridley, Diederichsen (GK), Doan, Neal, Woolley, Modridge, Ritchie.
Scorers: Leota 30′, Wood 80′.
Weekly Wrap
Balcatta Etna 1-4 Perth SC
In-form if injury-hit Perth SC wrapped up another big win to climb up to second in the ladder after this success at Grindleford Reserve.
All five goals were scored in the second quarter of the match, with The Azzurri hitting the front with 20 minutes on the clock. Jaime Duncanson’s corner from the left was headed home at the back post by Poppie Hooks.
Just under a quarter of an hour later, the visitors doubled their advantage with a repeat of their first. This time it was Ella Lincoln’s corner from the right that Hooks comfortably headed into the net. Within five minutes, it was 3-0 as Jess Flannery was found and advanced through the middle of the park before curling a beauty into the net from outside the box.
Four minutes before the interval, Balcatta grabbed a lifeline when Tia Stonehill was pushed over on the right-hand side of the box. Kim McCartney stepped up and dispatched the spot kick under the dive of Perth SC goalkeeper Rebecca Bennett into the left-hand side of the goal.
As the half ticked into stoppage time, Gemma Craine broke through right of centre, going past would-be tackles as if they weren’t there, and squared for Duncanson to sweep home.
Despite suffering from an extensive injury list, Perth SC have now hit 24 goals in their last five matches. Their tricky trip to Fremantle City next week is a must-win game in their hopes to catch Perth RedStar at the top of the table before they face the defending champions the following week.
Subiaco 3-2 Murdoch University Melville
There was late drama heaped upon late drama at Rosalie Park in the late Sunday game as Subiaco hit a winner six minutes into stoppage time to claim only their third win of the season.
This victory was achieved after the hosts had seen a 2-1 advantage wiped out just two minutes earlier in added-on time.
Murdoch University Melville (MUM FC), who reached the State Cup Final in midweek thanks to Sam Mathers’ brilliant goal in their win over Fremantle City, went ahead just before the half-hour mark as Clara Hoarau fired high into the net.
Within four minutes, Subi were level as Savanna Olsthoorn added to her ever-increasing number of assists this season as she found former Perth Glory legend Marianna Tabain who lifted the ball over Stacey Cavill in the MUM FC goal.
The home side hit the front seven minutes into the second half with Olsthoorn involved again. She supplied a pass for Frankie Murray to find Dakota Van-Vugt who slid in to score.
That is how the scoreline stayed until four minutes into stoppage time. Murdoch University Melville’s Charl Wainwright played in a free-kick from the right and substitute Nicolina Ierino was on hand to lift the ball into the top right corner of the net.
The drama was not over – there was time for one further, sensational twist. Two minutes later, Subi had a free kick on the right, parallel with the 18-yard line. Tabain’s set-piece was deflected out for a corner on the same flank. Over came Danielle Suckling’s flag kick and substitute Ingrid Gomez Basallo took a touch and then fired home.
Whilst this was a cruel way for a major dent to be put into MUM FC’s top-four hopes, it shows the spirit and determination of Greg Farrell’s Subiaco side. This was a superb win for them for so many different reasons and allows them to go into the final third of the season with renewed hope of breaking out of the bottom two.
Curtin University P-P Hyundai NTC
This match was postponed due to Hyundai NTC taking part in the National NTC challenge.
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