Ben Gilby and Ava-Marianne Elliott provide a full review of this weekend’s action along with photography from Rob Lizzi and Denyse McCulloch (1/7/24).
Above: Subiaco (white) and Balcatta Etna contest possession at Rosalie Park yesterday. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Denyse McCulloch (Denyse RM Photography on Facebook).
Game of the week
Fremantle City 3-2 Perth RedStar
by Ava-Marianne Elliott
Fremantle City extended their unbeaten run to five games with a superb victory over champions Perth RedStar at Hilton Park.
In a thrilling encounter between the two sides, Tanika Lala grabbed a hat-trick to increase her own superb run of form to seven goals in three games, as RedStar fell to a second defeat in their last four matches.
In the opening minutes of the fixture, the league leaders broke out strongly, but Freo remained cool under the advancing pressure. The hosts quickly resettled and took control.
In the eight minute, Fremantle created their first big chance of the half. The frontline of Lala, Alex Poad, and Abbey Green worked superbly to storm forward and bypass the RedStar defence. Lala’s cross to Green evaded Abbey Woolley, and Gabby Dal Busco was forced to ground to get a glove to the ball, putting it out of play for a Freo corner.
Despite the visitors’ efforts to keep the ball out of their own half, Fremantle struck. Green’s long-range free-kick connected perfectly with the awaiting Lala, who inevitably headed the ball into the back of the net.
The hosts kept up their relentless pace with RedStar finding few chances to source an equaliser. Lala came close to securing a second in the 16th minute, but the shot was fired wide.
The competitive battle amped up further when the port city side built up on the counter, and Dal Busco was forced to come off her line to meet an advancing Sophie Meaden. Lala was there ready to pounce on the rebound, however, her shot was just wide of the post.
RedStar looked to get a foothold on the game and Reina Kagami came close. Her shot forced Dayle Schroeder down to make a save, with the Freo shot-stopper putting the rebound out for a corner.
From the set piece opportunity, Carlos Vega Mena’s side capitalised. Although the initial shot at goal missed the mark, Renee Leota was there to fire the ball into the back of the net, securing the equaliser to pull her side back into the game.
However, as is always the case, how you respond to concerning against RedStar is the key to the development of the match. To Freo’s credit, they wasted no time in regaining control. In the 30th minute, it was Lala again who made a run into the RedStar box, bypassing Dal Busco and securing a brace when she slotted the ball calmly into the net.
Back came RedStar, ramping up the intensity, searching for an equaliser yet again. Olivia Wood capitalised on the mistakes of the Freo defence, cutting in and stealing the ball during a sequence of back passes. Much to Wood’s dismay, her shot just flew over the bar.
Fremantle continued to press and cause problems for the RedStar defence for the remainder of the half. They kept up the intensity, with several chances just missing the target and sparing the away side an even heftier task in the second half.
The second half opened dramatically, with Fremantle conceding a penalty just three minutes in after shouts for a handball. Perth RedStar captain Sarah Carroll stepped up to take the kick, but Schroeder anticipated the shot and made an incredible save to keep her side in front. In quick succession, she made another before steering the ball clear of danger.
RedStar continued to dominate for the first ten minutes of the half, with Freo grasping few chances to make a breakthrough of their own. Still, the home side were working particularly well and looking comfortable when defending the ongoing attacking threat.
Yet, one mistake from Freo when making a back pass allowed the reigning champions to capitalise. Jayna Ridley intercepted a pass with free space, and expertly slotted the ball past Schroeder. It was back to 2-2 – and normally the tale is that RedStar go on to win…
Fremantle had a good spell in the opposition half, however, nothing was able to come from their efforts after Clara Hoarau’s shot went over the bar. RedStar attempted to break out on the counter, but Maya Spatafore was there to keep the threat at bay.
The play was relatively even until disaster struck for RedStar in the 76th minute. After working so hard to catch up and recover a point, they conceded a penalty after a scramble in the box. It was again Lala who stepped up and sent the kick perfectly into the bottom left side of the goal to secure her hat-trick.
RedStar pursued a third equaliser relentlessly, but Freo were smart with their defending and managed to keep their lead. After four minutes of additional time and some stellar intense defending, the whistle sounded, officially securing Fremantle’s win and making a dent in the league leaders’ pursuit for another title.
Teams: FREMANTLE CITY: Schroeder, Leek, Adams, Spatafore, Osborne, Hoarau, Kiama, Meaden, Green, Poad, Lala. Substitutes: Powell, Siah, Tanner, Mayoe, Boyle.
Scorers: Lala 11′, 30′, 77′ (pen).
PERTH REDSTAR: Dal Basco, Woolley, Teixeira, Studman, Anderson, Sakairi, Kagami, Carroll, Ridley, Wood, Leota. Substitutes: Dunn, Ritchie, Arai, Doan, Odonohoe, Mogridge, Finnegan.
Scorers: Leota 23′, Ridley 59′.
Round Wrap
by Ben Gilby
Hyundai NTC 0-4 Perth SC
To read our full report on this game, originally published on the site on Saturday, along with Rob Lizzi’s photo gallery, click on this link: https://impetusfootball.org/2024/06/29/azzurri-see-off-ntc-with-dominant-second-half-show/
Murdoch University Melville 2-3 UWA-Nedlands
UWA-Nedlands held off a dogged display from Murdoch University Melville (MUM FC) to win this vital encounter between the sides who hold the bottom two places on the ladder.
All eyes before kick-off at Besteam Stadium were on Western Australian footballing icon Ella Mastrantonio, who was making her return to the NPLW WA having signed for Steve Atkins’ side during the week.
However, it was UWA-Nedlands who got jump on the home side to build a two-goal advantage.
The visitors hit the front with 33 minutes on the clock. An excellent pass and move build-up allowed UWA-Nedlands to carve their way through the MUM FC midfield and resulted in Michaela Thawley gaining possession centrally, around 30 yards out. The American slotted a low ball through, and Emily Dinsdale took advantage of hesitancy in the home defence to slot home from just inside the box.
UWA-Nedlands doubled their advantage less than two minutes after the break as more excellent approach play – this time along the left ended with Thawley curling a shot from the right-hand edge of the box which MUM FC goalkeeper Manon Gebauer could only palm out into the path of Samara Riches whose follow up effort Gebauer helped onto the bar, but the ball fell perfectly for Andrea Preiato to head home from almost on the goal line.
Ten minutes into the second period, the home side grabbed a foothold in the game as Mastrantonio lofted a perfectly weighted ball from her own half through for Ellis Glanfield to run onto. She held off defender Mackenzie Rastatter and the ball rolled on through beating keeper Anna Watkins who had come out, allowing Glanfield the easiest of tasks to slot home.
However, the joy was shortlived for Murdoch University Melville, as less than two minutes later, the visitors were two ahead once more. Preiato won back possession in the centre of the park and released Thawley who found Dinsdale on the right flank. Her cross found Riches at the back post to hit a first-time low shot into the net.
MUM FC hit back a second time with 67 minutes on the clock when Sophie Patience lifted a first-time shot high into the net.
The hosts then had a potentially equalising goal disallowed for offside from Taylor Reid and the visitors held on for the three points.
This was a huge win for UWA-Nedlands and they now move off the bottom, three points above their opponents.
Subiaco 3-3 Balcatta Etna
Subiaco came from two goals down twice to claim an excellent point against championship-chasing Balcatta Etna at Rosalie Park in Sunday’s late game.
With league leaders Perth RedStar having fallen to defeat at Fremantle City earlier in the day, Pete Rakic’s charges knew that they could have moved to within three points of the top-placed side with a game in hand with victory at Subi.
Indeed, it all started so well for the visitors as they hit the front with a quarter of an hour on the clock. Abbey Meakins received the ball to the right of centre around 25 yards out and exchanged passes with Kat Jukic before firing a shot that bounced in front of Subiaco keeper Isobel Robinson and fell perfectly for Jamie-Lee Gale to sweep home from close range.
Less than five minutes later the visitors increased their lead. Andrea Bulgaru’s cross from the right was aimed towards Liana Cook in the centre of the box. Shelby Cochran tried to clear and in the resulting scramble, Rachel Jarvis directed the ball into the net.
There were 23 minutes played when the home side hit back thanks to some sensational play from Stella Zampogna. Receiving the ball on the left-hand touchline from Tayna Campos, Zampogna with her back to goal, turned Bulgaru twice and played in a cross that curled its way over Rebecca Bennett and in.
However, a minute from the break, Balcatta restored their two-goal cushion. After excellent work from Jarvis on the left flank, Gale gained possession just outside the box and poked a pass square for Meakins, positioned centrally to crash a stunning first-time strike into the top of the net.
The see-saw nature of the encounter swung back the other way less than two minutes into the second period as they imposed a rapid press on the visitors, forcing them to play the ball back to Bennett in goal. The keeper’s attempted pass out fell kindly for Zampogna to run onto and square for Marianna Tabain outside her to side-foot home from just outside the six-yard box.
Then, with 51 minutes played, Subi grabbed a leveller with a moment of class from Tabain. Bennett’s pass out from the back was seized upon by Cochran on the right of centre, around 30 yards out. She found Greta Bailey inside her who in turn played a pass for Tabain just outside the box, she played a one-two of sorts with Cass Harvey that allowed the former A-League Women star to take a touch 25 yards out and lift a glorious shot into the net.
This was a major statement of character from Subiaco. To come back from an eight-goal mauling at Fremantle City last weekend and repair two-goal deficits here twice against Balcatta are achievements worthy of high praise.
Balcatta’s showdown at home to Perth RedStar next week was always going to be a huge game – but this result now makes it even bigger. Victory for them over the defending champions would put them just two points behind Carlos Vega Mena’s team with a game in hand. A defeat could prove an insurmountable hurdle to finishing the end of the regular season top of the ladder – but after a sensational weekend of results, the destination of silverware this season appears to be more open than ever before.
More of Denyse McCulloch’s photos from Subiaco v Balcatta Etna:
NPLW WA Ladder Round 12
ROUND 13 FIXTURES:
Saturday: Perth SC v Murdoch University Melville. Sunday: Balcatta Etna v Perth RedStar, Subiaco v Hyundai NTC, UWA-Nedlands v Fremantle City.
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