by Ben Gilby (2/9/23)
Above: Hyundai NTC celebrate with the State Cup after defeating Murdoch University Melville. Image: Football West.
Hyundai NTC 6-1 Murdoch University Melville
Hyundai NTC produced a clinical performance in front of goal to defeat Murdoch University Melville (MUM FC) at the brand new State Football Centre to clinch the State Cup on Saturday.
A hat-trick from Emily Garnett and further strikes from Louise Tana, Tanika Lala, and Klaudia Houlis sealed the win in a match played in frequent torrential downpours.
It was an action-packed first half – and the drama began from the opening minute as Violet Longmore cut in from the left and played a ball across that Tanika Lala couldn’t quite reach, but Louise Tana was on hand further back to dispatch into the net.
MUM FC tried to settle, but they couldn’t quite wrestle the initiative from Ben Anderton’s team. With 17 minutes on the clock, Lala burst through and went down in the box under Lucy Hope’s challenge, but penalty appeals were waved away.
However, just two minutes later, there was another penalty appeal, and this time with success as Charli Wainwright entered the box for Murdoch and looked to be pushed in the back by Hannah Collinson. Up stepped Clara Hoarau to hit a shot but NTC keeper Lilly Bailey saved excellently to her left.
The flurry of action continued unabated. With 22 minutes played, Grace Johnston found Tana, who laid off to Lala to fire a shot that Stacey Cavill got a hand on to block.
Within two minutes though, the NTC increased their lead. Lala’s cross from the right deflected off Hope and was headed across the area by Maja Archibald for Tana. She in turn fed possession to Emily Garnett to the left of the box to fire home.
Still the drama continued. Just before the half-hour mark, MUM FC’s young starlet Jessica Johnson picked up a loose pass deep in her own half and motored away before laying off a pass to Sophie Meaden. Meaden returned the favour as Johnson neared the box to slot home and reduce the deficit.
The NTC were not about to allow Murdoch University Melville to get any closer, and within two minutes restored their two-goal cushion. A throw-in on the left just outside the penalty area found Lala who turned and fired home. There were further opportunities for the teenage side to extend their advantage with Johnston seeing a long-range shot go over the top, and Cavill was called on again as the half edged towards its conclusion to make another save.
At the break the stats told the story with the NTC having eight shots on target to MUM FC’s one – Johnson’s goal – but David Biancuzzo’s side knew that if they could get another goal back early in the second half, it would be very much game on once more.
In a bid to do precisely that, Murdoch brought on top scorer Sam Mathers from the bench. MUM FC had the possession but would be limited to chances from outside the box as the NTC continued their stranglehold of the best opportunities. The first of which in the second 45 came via Garnett firing a shot in from the edge of the box that Cavill held.
Just before the hour mark, a free-kick around 15 yards inside the MUM FC half for the NTC was played in high by Mischa Anderson. Cavill came and punched the ball up but it could only be headed across to Garnett to spin and turn home her second and the NTC’s fourth of the afternoon.
Meaden was looking to provide an outlet for Murdoch, and with just over a quarter of an hour remaining, sent a shot curling wide of the right-hand post.
From the resulting goal kick, Mia Britton advanced up the right to feed Lala who cut in towards the box and squared for Garnett to complete her hat-trick.
The NTC were not finished, and with 10 minutes remaining, Georgia Cassidy fed Britton on the right once more and her cross caused chaos in the MUM FC box. Schubert was unable to clear, Cavill tried to palm away, but between then they couldn’t stop the ball from falling for Houlis to pounce to make it 6-1.
This was a fitting reward for the current talented crop of Western Australian teenage talent as they come towards the end of their journey together at the NTC. They now head into the Top Four Cup with silverware and real confidence to go one better than last year when they finished runners-up to Perth RedStar in the Top Four Cup Final.
For Murdoch University Melville, this will be a tough result, but they are a young team themselves at the start of their journey. This is a squad that, if they can stay together, has an exciting future, with a real chance to restore the club to its status of one who consistently competes for all trophies.
Teams: HYUNDAI NTC: Bailey, Longmore, Collinson, Anderson, Johnson, Cassidy, Archibald, Johnston, Garnett, Lala, Tana. Substitutes: Powell, Houlis, Phillips, Britton, Marwick, Healy.
Scorers: Tana 2′. Garnett 24′, 58′, 74′ Lala 31′. Houlis 80′.
MURDOCH UNIVERSITY MELVILLE: Cavill, Hope, Burdett, Lehane, McQueen, C. Wainwright, Johnson, Schubert, Meaden, Hoarau, I. Wainwright. Substitutes: Brown, Ierino, Mathers, Beretovac, Ascenzo-Cabello.
Scorer: Johnson 28′.
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