Ben Gilby provides a full report from the game of the week along with all the details from the round’s other three matches along with photography from Rob Lizzi and Denyse McCulloch (15/4/24)
Above: Ella Lincoln (darker hair facing camera) celebrates after her corner ended up in the net to give Perth SC a 2-1 win over Balcatta Etna on Saturday. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Rob Lizzi.
Game of the week
Perth SC 2-1 Balcatta Etna
by Ben Gilby
Perth SC gained a vital win in the early context of the season as they put in a tactically astute display to become the first side this season to defeat Balcatta Etna in the NPLA WA.
This was a big game for so many reasons. Balcatta’s starting line-up contained a host of players who wore the Azzurri of the home side last season, along with visitors’ head coach Pete Rakic also returning to Dorrien Gardens. Perth SC conversely had Kim McCartney, Baxter Thew, and Epril Nossent in their squad – a trio who were with Balcatta last year.
After Perth SC’s reversal at home to Perth RedStar last weekend, Danielle Brogan’s side could ill-afford another loss to a team likely to be top-four rivals this season in successive weeks. Thanks to a well-organised performance across the park, there was no need to worry.
The Azzurri set their stall out from the start, and it was impressive. Not only were they looking to maintain possession at all times, but when they didn’t have the ball, they imposed a very tight press on Balcatta which limited the visitors’ potential ball-playing skills and threaded balls. It also had the impact, particularly in the first 25 minutes, of making Balcatta force the pass which earned Perth turnover ball.
The home side had a minor opportunity with a long-range shot after 12 minutes, but they would soon hit the front, and in some style too.
Just five minutes later, Ella Lincoln turned her opponent beautifully and advanced up the centre channel, and found Jess Flannery outside her. The hard-working attacker took the ball on before dispatching a powerful shot into the net with some aplomb.
Perth remained on the front foot and, just after the 20-minute mark, Charli Wainwright was denied by the tackle of Rachel Jarvis just as she was about to pull the trigger.
On the rare occasions that Balcatta were getting forward, they were well marshalled by the home side. A case in point was Monique Prinsloo’s sortie up the left flank which was rendered fruitless as she was pushed closer and closer to the touchline by the Perth defence.
With 31 minutes played, the Azzurri came desperately close to doubling their advantage as Flannery sent a vicious free-kick from left of centre outside of the box crashing off of the right-hand post.
The remaining 10 minutes of the opening period saw the visitors at their best from an attacking perspective as Liana Cook sent a header goalwards from a corner that Bailey did well to get down and hold at her left-hand post.
Former Perth star Faye Phillips was also becoming ever-prominent for Balcatta. First, she floated in a free-kick that was headed clear into the path of Jamie-Lee Gale who hit a low long ranger shot which Bailey pushed away. Then, she forced Bailey into another save with an effort from outside the box.
It was the home side that made the first telling effort in the second period. If last week the story for Perth SC was not taking chances when they came, this week they put that right with a vital early goal.
Alyssa van Heurck lost possession to Lincoln on the edge of the box. The Perth attacker dispatched a goalward effort that Bailey got down well at the right-hand post to push away for a corner. Lincoln trotted over to take the set-piece, which on first viewing, looked to curled a sensational effort straight into the net, although it was subsequently tallied as an own goal by Liana Cook.
Shortly afterwards, it could have been game over without doubt as Flannery looked up, saw Bennett well off her line, and lifted an exquisite lob over her former teammate, but also just over the bar.
Perth SC were ruthless and relentless – they were giving Balcatta no space in which to play, with the tight defensive press combined with Azzuri shirts looking to plug the channels as well.
Just before the hour mark though, the visitors did get the ball in the net as Gale’s cross from the right to the back post ended up with Prinsloo sliding the ball home, only to see the offside flag raised.
They had better luck less than two minutes later as Abbey Meakins sent a powerful low free-kick into the right-hand corner of the net against her former Perth SC teammates. It was game on.
Both teams stepped up to the plate in a hugely enjoyable last 20 minutes. Meakins played in Gale on the edge of the box which brought Bailey into the action once more to save. Moments later there was a chance at the other end as Lincoln broke through and found Flannery outside her, but Bennett held firm in the Balcatta goal.
Flannery was expending a lot of energy once more. She is an absolute machine out there week-in-week-out. With five minutes remaining, she had another opportunity from a free-kick from the right of centre just outside the box, but Bennett saved. Also impressive was Charli Wainwright who turned her marker brilliantly to race through before being beaten by the acute angle she had left herself with.
Lucy Jerram has been in sensational form for Balcatta this season, but the tight press and organised defence of Perth SC meant that she cut a largely peripheral figure in this game – until that is the final moments when she had several chances to impact the outcome of this game.
The sighter came with two minutes of normal time remaining after she was found from a ball from the right, her shot went well over the top. A minute into stoppage time, Jerram raced in on Bailey who was trying to clear the ball and got the deflection, but it wouldn’t go goalwards. Then, moments later she got the opportunity to pull the trigger at last, but Bailey saved at the cost of a corner that was cleared.
This was an excellent victory for Perth SC, and with two big-name players with A-League Women and international experience tipped to be on their way to Dorrien Gardens, great things can happen at the club this year.
Whilst Balcatta have gone down to their first league defeat of the season, there is still plenty of time for their new-look team to gel – and with two A-League Women players thought to be coming their way in the near future too, exciting times remain at Grindleford Reserve.
Teams: PERTH SC: Bailey, McCartney, Boehm, Harvey, Marshall, Wainwright, McAllister, Mathers, Lincoln, Nossent, Flannery. Substitutes: Tulp, Stajcic, Thew, Insch, Cavill, Hannan, Caceres.
Scorer: Flannery 17′, Lincoln 51′.
BALCATTA ETNA: Bennett, Bulgaru, van Heurck, Jarvis, Cook, Meakins, Godding, Phillips, Jerram, Prinsloo, Gale. Substitutes: Davis, Comito, M. D’Opera, Hughes, Nara.
Scorer: Meakins 61′.
Further images from Rob Lizzi at Perth SC v Balcatta Etna:
Round wrap:
Fremantle City 0-2 Hyundai NTC
Hyundai NTC continued their perfect start to the season by defeating a Fremantle City side that are still looking for their first win of the campaign after a tough opening three weeks of fixtures for the port city club.
The visitors took the lead with 21 minutes on the clock as, following an excellent controlled move of passing football, Maja Archibald was released to drive through the middle and lift a superb shot over Freo keeper Dayle Schroeder from the edge of the box.
The NTC left it until four minutes before the end to secure the points when Hannah Collins fired a penalty kick high into the right-hand roof of the net.
Murdoch University Melville 1-4 Subiaco
Subiaco gained their first win of the season with success at Besteam Stadium on Sunday against a Murdoch University Melville (MUM FC) side who are still looking for their first victory for 2024.
Subi hit the front just before the quarter-hour mark as they took advantage of the home side finding it hard to clear their lines. Danielle Suckling played the ball forward towards Tayna Campos who went one on one with home keeper Manon Gebauer, with the ball coming back for Frankie Murray Hocking to sweep home from close range.
Two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half, the visitors increased their advantage in some style. Shelby Cochran, to the right of centre in midfield laid a low ball back for Danielle Suckling to let fly with a sensational shot from almost 40 yards.
The home side got a foothold back in the game five minutes into the second half when Luana Ascenzo-Cabello’s corner on the right came into the back post and after a minor scramble, a penalty was awarded for an apparent handball. Up stepped Ascenzo-Cabello to dispatch the ball into the right-hand corner.
Subiaco secured the points with two late goals. First, Frankie Murray-Hocking’s free-kick on the right wing was met by the stooping head of Dakota Van-Vugt which looped the ball up over the MUM FC defence and in. Van-Vugt got her second from the toes of teammate Campos, directing the ball goalwards.
Perth RedStar 7-0 UWA-Nedlands
Perth RedStar went top of the NPLW WA ladder with a comprehensive win over league newcomers UWA-Nedlands at RedStar Arena on Sunday.
The home side went into the lead just after the half-hour mark when Reina Kagami played a short pass to Renee Leota who in turn found Lauren Continibali outside her on the right wing. The former Balcatta player ran up the line and played in a low ball for an unmarked Caitlin Doeglas who was centrally positioned on the edge of the box to lift a glorious first-time lofted shot into the net.
The hosts ultimately secured the points with a further two goals in two minutes before the break. Just six minutes after Doeglas’ goal, the hosts doubled their advantage. Some classy quick-footed passes on the right wing found Kagami just inside from the flank and over 25 yards from goal. The Japanese star looked up and lifted a sumptuous lob which, despite Morgan Springer’s best efforts to get a hand to, nestled into the back of the net.
Continibali and Doeglas combined with deadly effect once more for RedStar’s third. Some superb footwork along the right once more from the former led to a centimetre-perfect ball played in for Doeglas who escaped from the attentions of the visiting defence to head home.
RedStar went on to add a further four goals to establish themselves as the new league leaders. First, 11 minutes into the second period, Doeglas was found on the left flank and crossed in for Jayna Ridley towards the back of the box who couldn’t quite get an effort in on goal, but was able to direct the ball for Olivia Wood to volley over Springer.
With 66 minutes played, it was 5-0 when a long-range shot from Carroll bounced its way into the bottom right corner of the net. Two minutes later, the scoring was completed as Ridley was brought down on the edge of the right-hand side of the box. Up stepped Carroll to curl the resulting free-kick into the near side corner of the net.
There was a quarter of an hour remaining when Arai Manami laid off to Ridley who played the ball straight across to Kagami outside her. It was another brilliant finish from Kagami who hit a first-time sidefooted shot into the right-hand corner of the net.
NPLW WA Ladder:
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