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‘s photo gallery from Perth RedStar against Perth SC (31/7/23).
Above: Sarah Carroll’s stunning free-kick flies into the net despite the best attempts of Perth SC goalkeeper Rebecca Bennett. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Rob Lizzi.
Main report of the week
Perth RedStar 4-2 Perth SC
Perth RedStar took a potentially decisive step towards retaining the NPLW WA championship with this victory over second-placed Perth SC at RedStar Arena yesterday.
Going into this match, the defending champions held a three-point lead at the summit over The Azzurri with a game in hand, and the visitors knew that if they could get something out of this game, then the title race was on.
Peter Rakic’s Perth SC went into the match in fine form. Despite suffering from injuries all season long, they were on an eight-match unbeaten run, which included five straight wins. However, RedStar were on an imperious sequence of results of their own – unbeaten in 15 matches since their opening-day defeat to the NTC – a run that has seen 12 wins.
The visitors looked good in the earliest of exchanges with some dangerous balls into the box with both Ella Lincoln, captaining the side on the day, and Gemma Craine heavily involved.
However, it would be the hosts who went in front with just five minutes played. Perth SC’s Monique Godding played a pass back to Rebecca Bennett, but the goalkeeper’s clearance went straight to Renee Leota on the edge of the box, to the right of centre, and the Kiwi curled a beautiful shot into the net for her 10th goal of the campaign.
The action remained even after this early goal, albeit with RedStar looking to impose a passing game on the encounter, but Perth were resolute at the back. They also showed their prowess offensively as they levelled on 26 minutes.
Poppie Hooks sent a crossfield ball from the left across to Jaime Duncanson who advanced into the box and rolled an inviting pass across the box for Lincoln, running in towards the back post, to slot home.
The visitors continued to press and Craine beat both Teixeira and Carroll on the left and squared for Duncanson who repaid the favour, for Craine to have a shot that was blocked. The ball rebounded to Lincoln whose effort was also charged down.
However, as is so often the case against RedStar, if you don’t take a chance when it comes, you live to regret it. There was a warning sign with nine minutes of the half remaining as Reina Kagami curled in a shot that Bennett did brilliantly to push over the bar.
Then came the telling period at the very end of the first half as RedStar hit two goals in quick succession from free-kicks. As the clock ticked towards stoppage time, Leota was fouled just outside the ‘D’ to the right of centre. Up stepped Sarah Carroll to curl an absolutely sensational free-kick right into the top right corner of the goal.
Three minutes later, Jessica Flannery conceded a free-kick on the left, around 10 yards outside the box. This time, Bronwyn Studman lifted a high ball into the box for Jay Coleman to loop a header over Bennett and in. The halftime whistle blew shortly afterwards with RedStar 3-1 up.
The hosts could have extended their lead further within three minutes of the re-start as Leota flicked on a ball in the box for Abbey Woolley who saw her effort go over the top. Yet it was The Azzurri who began to grow into the ascendency with Craine increasingly influential.
With 52 minutes played, the Derbyshire-born attacker drove up the left and squared a pass for Lincoln who put her shot over the top. Yet less than 60 seconds later, Perth reduced the deficit when Flannery’s low ball from the left found Lincoln who pounced from close range for her second of the afternoon. Despite working hard, this was as close as the visitors would get.
RedStar created several golden opportunities as Woolley had two one-on-ones saved by Bennett. Then, with 12 minutes to go, the same player put in a cross from the right that was met first time by Coleman on the volley, but the shot went wide.
With nine minutes remaining, the home side confirmed the victory after profiting from a superb sweeping team move. Chiori Ikeda was in possession on the left and found Quyen Doan outside her who in turn fed Carroll. The ball was then played out to the right flank where Woolley pulled over the cross which was met first time on the volley by Kagami, positioned near the penalty spot, and hit the net.
Perth SC had one final attempt to try and hit back with a drive from Gemma Craine who looked up and saw Jayde Odonohoe off her line, but the RedStar custodian got a hand to the shot to deny the Azzurri attacker.
Teams: PERTH REDSTAR: Odonohoe, Studman, Teixeira, K. Carroll, Dunn, S.Carroll, Coleman, Kagami, Woolley, Leota, Ikeda. Substitutes: Ridley, Wood, Doan, Mogridge, Ritchie, Neal.
Scorers: Leota 5′, S. Carroll 45, Coleman 45+3, Kagami 81′.
PERTH SC: Bennett, Godding, Hooks, Boehm, Marshall, Connolly, Papalia, Craine, Lincoln, Duncanson, Flannery. Substitutes: Meakins, van Heurck, Phillips, Cook, Zampogna, Henderson.
Scorers: Lincoln 26′, 53.
Weekly Wrap
Hyundai NTC 1-1 Murdoch University Melville
The battle between two top-four hopefuls ended all square at E&D Litis Stadium, a result that does far more to assist the NTC’s chances of playing post-regular season football than it does for MUM FC.
The two goals came in an eight-minute spell either side of the break. It was Ben Anderton’s teenagers who hit the from six minutes before half time. Georgia Cassidy found Tanika Lala and the Goldfields star broke through, only to see her shot repelled by Stacey Cavill in the Murdoch University Melville goal, but the ball rebounded perfectly for Louise Tana to turn the ball home.
Two minutes into the second half, MUM FC were level when Charli Wainwright’s corner from the left went into the net off of the back of the NTC’s Nelli Johnson.
The outcome sees MUM FC four points outside the top four, having played two games more than the fourth-placed NTC.
Fremantle City 5-0 Curtin University
Freo kept alive their hopes of a top-two spot after defeating bottom side Curtin University on Sunday.
The hosts went ahead 10 minutes into the game. Laura Waltman found Carys Hawkins on the left who provided the ball into the box for Olivia Trueman to pounce.
Within seven minutes Fremantle doubled their lead. Catherine Adams’ free-kick from the right then flew straight in to double the host’s lead. Just before the half-hour, it was 3-0 as a long ball was played through, and the clearance header from the Curtin defence fell perfectly for Alex Poad to gather, turn, and roll a shot in. With a minute of normal time to play, the port city side went further ahead when Laura Waltman scored from a cross in from the right.
There was only one further goal in the second half, and that came in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes. Hawkins played a high cross in from the left. A Curtin defender swung at the ball and missed, allowing Waltman to wrap the game up with her second.
Balcatta Etna 6-1 Subiaco
Balcatta, restored to full strength, racked up a big win in their bid to claw their way into the top four.
It took the home side 10 minutes to hit the front as Tia Stonehill provided a low ball in from the right which was turned home by Monique D’Opera. Just before the half-hour mark, Balcatta grabbed their second as Stonehill profited from a long ball out to her on the left from Elizabeth Doust, before the deadly striker cut inside and curled a shot into the net.
There were two goals within moments of each other just before the break. First, the hosts increased their lead as Stonehill fed Kim McCartney who saw her efforts cleared, but only as far as Stonehill who slammed home from the edge of the box. However, seconds later, Subiaco reduced the deficit back to two goals as Marianna Tabain skipped her way through three Balcatta tackles to roll home a lovely goal.
The game took a crucial turn just after the hour mark, and it was Stonehill involved once more. The attacker broke through and hit a shot that came back off of Subi keeper Annie Leyland, with the ball falling perfectly for McCartney to turn the ball into the net.
Two goals in the final six minutes wrapped the points up for Balcatta. First, substitute Lucy Bricklebank won an intervention and broke through to find Stonehill who in turn found Emily Roach who repaid the compliment for Stonehill to then lay off for McCartney to slam a shot into the goal for her second of the afternoon.
Then, Stonehill completed her hat trick when she broke through the middle and calmly rolled the ball home.
With this result, Balcatta are up to fifth, just three points behind NTC who hold the final top-four spot, albeit with the NTC having a game in hand.
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