Ben Gilby provides a full review of this weekend’s action, including a photography gallery from Rob Lizzi (26/8/24).
Above: Perth RedStar celebrate their third successive NPLW WA championship after their 3-3 draw with Balcatta Etna yesterday. Photo: Football West/Fotoenzo.
Perth RedStar 3-3 Balcatta Etna
Photo: Denyse RM Photography.
Balcatta Etna continued their excellent run of form by coming from 3-1 down to earn a point at RedStar Arena against the newly crowned NPLW WA champions.
Pete Rakic’s side gave RedStar a real run for their money, particularly in the last 20 minutes of this encounter which once again bodes well for the most competitive Top Four Cup so far in the coming weeks.
RedStar took the lead with only 150 seconds on the clock as Momoko Sakairi played a long ball forward from the centre of the pitch towards Caitlin Doeglas on the left-hand side. Doeglas turned New Zealand international Liz Anton and turned a low ball into the six-yard box for July’s Impetus NPLW WA Player of the Month, Olivia Wood to sweep home.
It got better still for the home side as they doubled their advantage 10 minutes before the break with a sublime piece of individual skill from Doeglas. A free kick was pumped into the mix, and after a bout of head tennis in the area, Doeglas side-footed a sensational volley into the net.
The second half opened with a bang as the visitors halved the deficit with only 48 seconds played. Kat Jukic found Nikayla Hughes with a well-judged ball between two red shirts. Hughes’ perfectly weighted side-footed pass forward for Carys Davis was stopped by the on-rushing RedStar keeper Gabby Dal Busco, but the ball fell perfectly for Monique Prinsloo to lift over her former Balcatta teammate and into the top left corner.
The champions restored their two-goal cushion with 25 minutes remaining as excellent work on the left between Sakairi, Jayna Ridley, and Wood saw the ball crossed in. Balcatta initially cleared, but only as far as Doeglas on the edge of the box who turned and lifted yet another sensational goal into the net.
But Balcatta were not beaten. With six minutes to go they received renewed hope as Prinsloo pounced on a misplaced pass to take a touch, turn Mischa Anderson, and guide a side-footed finish into the left-hand corner from the edge of the box.
Then, with just over a minute of regular time remaining, Balcatta were awarded a free-kick in the ‘D’. Up-stepped Abbey Meakins to add to her collection of superb free-kick goals with a powerful finish flying into the right-hand side.
Murdoch University Melville 0-5 Perth SC
Click here to read our in-depth report of the game, published yesterday: https://impetusfootball.org/2024/08/25/five-star-show-from-the-azzurri-leaves-mum-fc-looking-over-their-shoulder/
Photo gallery from the match supplied to Impetus by Rob Lizzi
Fremantle City 0-0 UWA-Nedlands
UWA-Nedlands gained a superb point at Fremantle City in their bid to avoid bottom spot on the ladder.
It was a game of few clear cut chances, but the ones that did come fell Freo’s way.
With less than eight minutes on the clock, Abbey Green broke through several attempted tackles but couldn’t beat Morgan Springer in the UWA-Nedlands goal.
With half an hour played, Green escaped again along the left flank and pulled a low ball across for Tanika Lala, but the striker saw her shot roll agonisingly wide of the right-hand post.
Much of the first half was channelled into the middle third of the park. Janice Kiama, Green, Tanika Lala, and Alex Poad were the key influencers for the home side, but they couldn’t find the breakthrough. UWA-Nedlands were exceptionally well disciplined and organised at the back. Their work ethic and desire on top of ability were reaping rewards.
In the second period, the home side dominated the territory, but chances remained few and far between. On the hour mark, from a corner on the right, Sophie Meaden saw a shot from the edge of the box go wide.
Green conjured up one final golden opportunity two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the game when she broke through to be one-on-one with Springer, but the American denied the Fremantle attacker with an excellent save.
There were several knocks sustained in the second half for players on both sides that saw them have to leave the field – and with hugely important games still had for these teams at either end of the ladder, it is to be hoped that these do not turn out to be serious. Lala was led off in the final 10 minutes for the home side, with the UWA-Nedlands pair of Franca Dobbin and Andrea Preiato also substituted off in pain.
Subiaco 3-7 Hyundai NTC
Six second-half goals saw the NTC come from behind to gain a big win at Rosalie Park in an incredible game.
The visitors hit the front with 26 minutes played as Klaudia Houlis received the ball in a central position on the edge of the ‘D’ to turn and send a low shot into the right-hand corner of the net.
Subi levelled just three minutes later. Stella Zampogna pressured the NTC defence who had possession on the left flank and squared for Marianna Tabain in the middle of the park on the edge of the box to hit a superb finish into the left of the net.
The home side took the lead six minutes before the break as Zampogna again won possession from the visitors’ defence and squared to Cass Harvey who hit a first-time screamer from over 25 yards into the left-hand side of the goal.
Ben Anderton’s side soon levelled after the re-start after the break thanks to Ischia Brooking netting with 50 minutes played.
Back came Subiaco, and with 25 minutes to play, took the lead once more with Tabain chasing down a backpass that didn’t have enough weight on it to get in first before the onrushing NTC keeper Jess Skinner, take it past her and direct the ball into the net.
That was as good as it got for the home side, within four minutes the NTC were on level terms at 3-3. Hannah Collins took up possession in the centre of the park and lifted a perfectly weighted pass out to Emily Garnett on the left flank. Garnett controlled the ball, turned, and lifted a sensational shot into the net from the left-hand edge of the box.
It was the final 20 minutes that saw the NTC put their foot on the pedal hard to take control with four goals. They hit the front when Brooking’s corner from the left came in high and was met with a thumping header on the edge of the box from Violet Longmore.
Just five minutes later Brooking was involved again and secured her brace after Garnett popped up on the left and squared a ball to the A-League Women’s youngest-ever player who rocketed in a first-time shot from just outside of the area that flew into the left-hand corner.
Into the final six minutes, the teenage visitors added their sixth as Theodora Mouthiys was played through and used a combination of her pace and upper body strength to hold off two players and direct a classy finish into the right-hand side.
The tenth of the afternoon came moments later with Violet Longmore’s throw-in on the left just outside of the area finding Nelli Johnson on the edge of the box. Johnson won the ball under heavy traffic, brought it under control, and fired a shot into the right-hand corner.
NPLW WA Ladder Round 20
Midweek catch-up Fixtures: Perth SC v Hyundai NTC (Tuesday 7:30pm).
Round 21 Fixtures:
FRIDAY: Murdoch University Melville v Fremantle City (8pm). SATURDAY: UWA-Nedlands v Balcatta Etna (1pm), Perth RedStar v Hyundai NTC (3pm), Perth SC v Subiaco (7pm).
Hyundai Women’s League Division One:
Round 18 of 21: Fremantle City W-L Sorrento, Murdoch University Melville 0-4 Perth AFC, Hamersley Rovers 1-1 UWA-Nedlands, Subiaco 2-1 Mandurah City.
Ladder: Mandurah City P: 18 Pts: 35, Perth AFC P:18 Pts: 35, Subiaco P:18 Pts 45, Fremantle City P: 18 Pts: 34, Hamersley Rovers P: 18 Pts: 34, UWA-Nedlands P: 18 Pts: 19, Sorrento P: 18 Pts: 9, Murdoch University Melville: P: 18 Pts: 4.
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