NPLW WA 2024 Round Two Review

Ben Gilby and Ava-Marianne Elliott provide a full report from one game each with all the details from the round’s other game this week along with Rob Lizzi‘s photography (8/4/24).

Above: Perth SC’s goalkeeper, Lilly Bailey flies across her goal at Dorrien Gardens yesterday. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Rob Lizzi.

Game of the week:

Perth SC 1-2 Perth RedStar

by Ben Gilby

Perth RedStar were at their ruthless best yesterday at Dorrien Gardens as they came from behind to defeat Perth SC.

The Azzurri had a number of excellent chances to build a first half lead of more than one goal, and another golden opportunity to retake the lead after the break, but the moral of the tale when facing Carlos Vega Mena’s side is ‘always take your chances when they come, or you’ll live to regret it’.

Perth SC handed a debut to Lilly Bailey in goal. The youngster had been a standout performer for Hyundai NTC in 2023, earning a contract with Perth Glory for the A-League Women season. With the Glory’s season over, the talented teenager was available and will prove to be an excellent signing for the Dorrien Gardens club.

RedStar also brought in a former NTC player ahead of the game, with Mischa Anderson taking her place on the bench alongside the club’s two newest arrivals from Japan – Arai Manami and Momoko Sakairi – the latter of whom would have a major influence on the outcome of the game.

The home side were resplendent in pink shirts for this game as part of the club’s annual fundraising day in aid of breast cancer awareness and research in support of Breast Cancer Care WA. Driving forward from the off, Perth SC made a dream start. With less than 30 seconds on the clock, Jess Flannery’s cross in from the left was met by Ella Lincoln’s low shot which beat Gabby Dal Busco in the RedStar goal.

The Azzurri continued their strong opening. With three minutes on the clock, Sophia Papalia forced a corner from Katie Ritchie. Kimberley McCartney’s flag kick came into the box high for Epril Nossent to direct goalwards, but the visitors cleared.

Moments later, Sam Mathers, who came across to Perth SC following a superb season with Murdoch University Melville last year, developed a move along the right and found space to advance into before finding Flannery ahead of her. The attacker’s first effort was saved by Dal Busco at the right-hand post but spilled out for Flannery to have a second bite of the cherry, but she couldn’t get it on target. The hard-working attacker would force Dal Busco into another save just after the quarter-hour mark with a curling shot.

It took 20 minutes for Perth RedStar to stem the tide – but, crucially they did so without conceding a further goal.

They then set about their own offensive game. Renee Leota released Sarah Carroll along the right. The former A-League Women player advanced into the right-hand side of the box before letting fly, but Bailey denied her at the cost of a corner. Shortly afterwards Carroll hit another effort from the left this time which was wide.

Sarah Carroll is almost a bell weather for Perth RedStar – when she gets the time to be creative, then you know Carlos Vega Mena’s side are approaching top gear. Four minutes after her last shot on goal, she popped up on the right once more to play a low ball across for Caitlin Doeglas who couldn’t get her shot on target. But it was a sight setter.

With Carroll on the prowl and Reina Kagami getting more possession the warning signs were there, and to their credit, Perth SC worked hard to raise themselves once more. Ella Lincoln became influential once more.

With 25 minutes played, Lincoln was in and tried to take advantage of an error at the back, but was denied by Dal Busco. Six minutes later, she got away and turned to fire in a shot which Dal Busco turned away brilliantly.

Perth SC would live to rue failing to increase their lead. The warning signs had been there, but less than a minute after Lincoln’s effort on goal for the home side, Ritchie gained possession on the right at the back and found Kagami in centre midfield.

The Japanese star played in Bronwyn Studman outside her on left who in turn played a brilliantly judged lofted ball forward into the path of Doeglas ahead of her on the edge of the box. The former A-League Women player coolly lifted a shot over Bailey and into the net. It was a classy finish.

Chances were few and far between in the period between the goal and the interval, but there was no doubt that RedStar had the momentum now.

The second half became more akin to a tactical chess battle, but there were still opportunities for both sides.

There was a flurry of chances just after the hour mark, First, RedStar’s Kaitlyn Bellanca got away from Daisy McAllister, but fired wide. Then, for the home side, Papalia found Lincoln on the edge of the box, but her low shot went wide of the left-hand post.

Then came the golden chance for The Azzurri. With 66 minutes played, Lincoln advanced to be one-on-one with Dal Busco. The RedStar goalkeeper has long been one of the best shot-stoppers in the league, and she proved herself once more by diving at Lincoln’s feet to deny the Perth SC attacker. Had Lincoln rounded Dal Busco, it would have been a certain goal.

As the game edged into its final 10 minutes, the influence of RedStar substitute Sakairi grew. The club’s latest arrival from Japan is technically adept with great vision, excellent footwork, and close control. Sakairi started a move that found compatriot Kagami, who in turn supplied Carroll along the left. Her cross found Jayna Ridley in space at the back post, who couldn’t quite get a telling shot away.

Six minutes before the end of normal time, Sakairi’s vision shone by playing a superb ball to Doeglas inside her. The attacker needs no second invitation in these situations and she curled a glorious shot into the top right-hand corner to seal victory for Perth RedStar.

This was a game that Perth SC will feel they could have won. However, you cannot help but take your hat off to RedStar – they always find a way to punish opponents not taking chances to defeat them with ruthless efficiency.

To support Breast Cancer Care WA, visit: https://www.breastcancer.org.au/

Teams: PERTH SC: Bailey, Marshall, Boehm, Nossent, McCartney, McAllister, Wainwright, Papalia, Lincoln, Flannery, Mathers. Substitutes: Cavill, Thew, Harvey, Hannan, Tulp, Ottobrino.

Scorers: Lincoln 1′.

PERTH REDSTAR: Dal Busco, Teixeira, Doan, Dunn, Studman, Kagami, Ritchie, Bellanca, Carroll, Doeglas, Leota. Substitutes: Woolley, Ridley, Continibali, Odononhoe, Manami, Sakairi, Anderson.

Scorers: Doeglas 32′, 84′.

Referee: Alex Novatskis.

In-depth review:

Balcatta Etna 3-1 Fremantle City

by Ava-Marianne Elliott

Balcatta’s strong start to the NPLW WA season continued as they cemented their position as early leaders with victory over Fremantle City at Grindleford Reserve, now known as Home Group Stadium.

Right off the bat, the home side pushed forwards with intensity. Despite the pressure, Freo had a promising start to the half as Anna Powell went toe to toe with Andrea Bulgaru, but efforts to source an early goal came to a stop when the flag was raised for offside.

Just mere minutes later, the action had diverted down to the opposite end of the pitch, with Balcatta’s goal threat coming in hot. Lucy Jerram produced a stunning strike, which hit the crossbar, the woodwork preventing Fremantle from facing an early setback.

An opportunity arose for the visitors during the 17th minute when Olivia Trueman had a golden chance to put her team ahead. Her work to outpace and storm past Bulgaru forced Comito to come off her line, leaving the goal wide open. However, to Freo’s misfortune, the shot just hit the far post.

Another glimpse of Balcatta’s quality shone through in just the fifth minute of play when Rachel Jarvis made an excellent pass to Monique Prinsloo. Much to the frustration of the home side, nobody was able to find the end of the following cross from Prinsloo that could’ve easily resulted in an early lead.

Balcatta’s passing sequences were a huge factor in their dominant style of play, particularly in the first half of the fixture. The intelligent passes across the field from the home side to cut open Freo’s midfield and backline worked seamlessly to bypass defensive reinforcement, especially down the left wing.

Just before the half-hour mark, Kat Jukic’s perfectly picked pass across the field to find Jerram looked like an assist to the first goal of the half. Fremantle keeper Dayle Schroeder came off her line in an attempt to retain the ball, but instead, the net was left open, only for Jerram’s shot to fall wide.  

Shortly afterwards, the visitors came close, when Annabelle Leek’s superbly executed free kick from distance forced Isabella Comito to push the ball up over the bar. The resulting corner saw three close calls for Balcatta, as Comito managed to keep the ball out of the net after a string of shots.

Following several close calls, the scoring was opened in the 35^th minute. After an incredible piece of movement to push past the advancing Freo defence, Jerram found the back of the net with a trademark aplomb. Played through, the Balcatta star pushed the ball on between two defenders before driving a spectacular curled finish across Shroeder and in.

Despite Fremantle City’s relentless efforts to keep Balcatta from doubling their lead, their former player Jukic was able to net a goal in the 44^th minute. Her positioning in the box was excellent as the hosts went 2-0 up just before the break.

The second half started with the port city side arguably coming out on the stronger foot. Trailing by two and walking away with zero points in their opening fixture of the season at Perth SC, it was crucial they found a way to break through Balcatta’s backline. For the first 10 minutes of the half, both sides resettled into the game and the possession remained relatively even.

However, disaster struck for Fremantle in the 58^th minute, when Alex Poad fouled Abbey Meakins in the box. The referee instantly pointed to the spot and offered Balcatta the opportunity to expand their lead to three. Meakins stepped up to take the kick, sending the ball confidently into the back of the net, only for the referee to gesture for a retake. Yet again, Meakins calmly converted from the spot – her second successful penalty in two games this season, sliding the ball into the bottom left corner of Schroeder’s goal.

Balcatta worked well to defend the surge in energy from the Fremantle forwards in a bid to get back in the game, keeping several shots at bay and a free kick out of their net.

With attempts to add a fourth to their tally as the last seconds on the clock ticked by, Balcatta’s attempts to secure another goal proved unsuccessful as tired legs neared the end of a competitive fixture played in searing heat.

There was just time for some limited consolation for Freo ten minutes into added time at the end of the game. After an excellent cross, Janice Kiama’s header was cleared just before it reached the line, but Tiana Boots was ready to pounce on the rebound, sending the shot past the crowd in the box and into the bottom right corner of the net.

Securing a win in match day two of the season, Balcatta have started as they mean to go on, currently sitting on top of the table on goal difference with two wins in their arsenal.

Teams: BALCATTA ETNA: Comito, Cook, van Heurck, Bulgaru, Jarvis, Meakins, Godding, Jukic, Jerram, Prinsloo, Gale. Substitutes: Davis, Hocking, Phillips, M. D’Opera, J. Gibbons.

Scorers: Jerram 35′, Jukic 45, Meakins (pen) 58′.

FREMANTLE CITY: Schroeder, Poad, Boots, Adams, Osborne, Meaden, Kiama, Leek, Powell, Siah, Trueman. Substitutes: Lyons, Iriks, Anderson, Yeo, Antunes.

Scorer: Boots (90+10’).

Round wrap:

by Ben Gilby

UWA-Nedlands 2-2 Subiaco

Round Two opened on Saturday afternoon with an intriguing clash at the UWA Sports Park which saw UWA-Nedlands claim their first-ever NPLW WA point in just their second match

Both these sides could point to positives in defeats during round one with UWA-Nedlands being extremely well organised and disciplined in their first game against Hyundai NTC, and Subiaco had plenty to be proud of despite going down to Perth RedStar.

It was the visitors who had the best of the early chances when Tayna Campos’ viciously curling cross-shot only just went over the bar.

Yet the hosts hit the front with 17 minutes on the clock as an excellently judged through ball from Serena Lin found Emily Dinsdale who ran into space and directed a shot into the net across Ash Riddle from an increasingly acute angle.

The goal saw the Subi come out more as an attacking force, and they were level within 10 minutes. Savannah Olsthoorn’s effort was spilled by UWA-Nedlands goalkeeper Morgan Springer into the path of Cass Harvey who couldn’t miss from close range.

Just two minutes later, Harvey was on hand to put the visitors in front when Campos threaded a perfectly weighted pass through to her between two defenders. Harvey went on and held off would-be tacklers to cooly slot home.

UWA-Nedlands earned their first point with a goal in the 69th minute. Michaela Thawley supplied a centimetre-perfect pass out to Charlotte Swan who lifted a stunning shot over Riddle from the angle of the box on the right.

The round’s final game, Hyundai NTC v Murdoch University Melville will take place at Sam Kerr Football Centre on Wednesday. Impetus provide a review of that game once it has been played.

Each week Ben Gilby will be on the Impetus TikTok platform with his take on the week’s NPLW WA action. Visit @impetusfootball on TikTok to view the video.

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