20/4/25
Above: Daisy McAllister (next to referee’s outstretched arm) shows her joy as Perth SC celebrate their win over Perth RedStar on Saturday. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
It was a truncated round on the Easter weekend with only two matches taking place. Ben Gilby and Ella McShane report on all the action.
Perth SC 2-1 Perth RedStar
by Ben Gilby
The Azzurri got back to winning ways after conceding a late equaliser last week and recorded a vital victory over the defending champions at Dorrien Gardens thanks to an own goal and a strike from Jess Flannery in a game that saw all three goals scored in an nine minute spell.
RedStar started strongly and created the first two chances. With four minutes played, Abbey Woolley’s throw on the right fell for Jay Coleman who hit an effort over the top. Just over 10 minutes later, Dayle Schroeder produced a superb diving save to deny Lauren Continibali.
Perth SC settled, and as the half approached the quarter hour mark began to assert themselves as an attacking threat.
The Azzurri hit the front with 20 minutes played when Sam Mathers’ corner on the right came in towards the near post and was headed into her own net by Quyen Doan.
Making the most of momentum in matches between these two sides is always vital to the outcome, and crucially, the home side grabbed a second just five minutes later.
The move started with Schroeder rolling the ball out, and Perth advanced up the right for Mathers to lift a ball forward that bounced in the box between RedStar defenders for Flannery to send a first-time strike into the right-hand corner of the net.
RedStar looked to respond, and Schroeder produced another great save to push over Continibali’s lofted shot.
Shortly afterwards, the visitors gained a lifeline as Jayna Ridley’s ball to the near post was met with a piece of great skill from Renee Leota, who lifted a first-time shot into the net.
Ridley was at the heart of everything good about RedStar yesterday. She was busy and enterprising in looking for incisive runs and passes.
The final chance of the half came for the hosts. A cross in from the right produced a spectacular scissors volley from Violet Longmore, but Dal Busco held on.
Longmore was putting in another excellent shift for the Azzurri. For one so young to tidy up so calmly and expertly against such experienced opponents, as well as be an integral part of her side’s offensive play, was extremely impressive.
The second half saw fewer out-and-out goal-scoring opportunities in an increasingly physical battle, which saw RedStar’s Doan and Perth’s Maja Archibald both need spells of lengthy treatment after collisions.
The visitors created two opportunities to equalise for Leota – first, a teasing free kick from Carla Bennett came in from the right which the 14 headed just wide, and then Woolley played a superb ball in which Leota put narrowly the wrong side of the post.
Perth saw out the remaining minutes largely comfortably, marshalled by a strong and well-organised defence. They had one opportunity to add to their lead with nine minutes remaining as Daisy McAllister broke free and hit a shot from the edge of the box that Dal Busco held.
This was a hugely important win earned by a hard-working and skilful Azzurri side who did the key things that you have to do when playing RedStar – strike as often as you can when you have the momentum, and then stay focussed and measured in the face of the pressure that comes.
Teams: PERTH SC: Schroeder, Nossent, McCartney, Boehm, Longmore, McAllister, Collins, Archibald, Flannery, Tana, Mathers. Substitutes: Ottobrino (for Marshall 90+4’), Marshall (for Tana 46’), Hannan (for Flannery 90’), Hope (for Nossent 81’), Cavill, Insch.
Scorers: Doan (OG) 20’, Flannery 25’.
PERTH REDSTAR: Dal Busco, Woolley, Bennett, Teixeira, Doan, Ridley, Continibali, Bellanca, Coleman, Leota, Carroll. Substitutes: Lornie (for Bellanca 76’), Monteiro, Finnegan, O’Donohoe, Devitt, Gray (for Continibali 76’).
Scorer: Leota 29’.
Check out our Instagram feed for more images from Rob Lizzi at Dorrien Gardens – go to @ImpetusFootball
UWA-Nedlands 1-4 Football West Academy
by Ella McShane
The Football West Academy (FWA, formerly Hyundai NTC) extended their 100% start to the NPLW WA season to a fifth week with this come-from-behind win at UWA-Nedlands.
UWA Sports Park was alive as the home side managed to gain a lead at only two minutes in. Following a late challenge inside the box from the NTC’s Lacey Hayes, UWA-Nedlands were granted an early penalty kick.
Chloe Rodrigo strode up from outside the penalty area. Her shot was initially caught by goalkeeper Sofia Borg, but an unlucky slip of the ball meant the rebound fell to the feet of an open Emily Dinsdale, giving the hosts the early advantage.
The pressure of the home side’s advantage had an immediate impact on the talented teenage visitors. They pushed forward, earning them the first of their seven corners in the first half alone.
Forward Theodora Mouithys was an omnipresent threat with her outstanding long balls from the wing, exemplifying the skill that earned her a call-up to the CommBank Junior Matildas training camp in Canberra this coming week.
Although determined, the visitors demonstrated a lack of clinical composure. The young team was caught in the offside position on three occasions within the span of 20 minutes.
The FWA’s increase in intensity was responded to by exceptional goalkeeping, executed by UWA-Nedlands Janina Sauer, who made two composed saves from challenging set pieces in the first half. One being a penalty kick, a result of UWA-Nedlands Rhiannon Short’s shirt pull.
The lively tempo continued into the second half of the game. FWA’s Klaudia Houlis’ pace on the attacking wing being exquisitely swift and proved extremely difficult for UWA’s backline to keep up with.
The visitors deservedly levelled at 62 minutes with Mouithys’ smooth cross from the left wing meeting the net.
The youngsters then stepped on the accelerator, hitting further goals in rapid succession following the equaliser. Houlis was excellently positioned to secure a goal from Cate McAuliffe’s cross from the right wing at 68 minutes.
A successful calm penalty taken by Mouithys following a handball in the box at 73 minutes put the visitors ahead before a great exploitation of space by Houlis determined the ultimate 1-4 score line at 78 minutes.
Despite the outcome, the hosts displayed great composure – and indeed were not caught offside, and all six shots of their shots taken were on target. In comparison, the FWA recorded one offside goal, were caught offside seven times, and of their 30 shots, 14 were on target.
All in all, it a lively Easter Sunday afternoon at UWA Sports Park.
Teams: UWA-NEDLANDS: Sauer, Rodrigo, Dinsdale, Franklin, Riches, Kinkaid, C. Gaspar, Short, E. Gaspar, Gibson, Cain. Substitutes: Visic, Hartley, Seeley, Muller, Beese, Dadswell, Large.
Scorer: Dinsdale 2’.
FOOTBALL WEST ACADEMY: Borg, Wainwright, Dalton, Heys, Mouithys, Houlis, Dumont, Santos, Santich, Johnson, Leong. Substitutes: McGreadie, Cole, Kuzamba, Williams-Jones, McAuliffe, Brady, Barlow.
Scorers: Mouithys 62’, pen 73′. Houlis 68’, 78’.
Ladder
- Football West Academy P5 Pts 15 GD +13
- Perth SC P5 Pts 13 GD +9
- Perth RedStar P5 Pts 7 GD +7
- Balcatta Etna P4 Pts 7 GD +6
- Subiaco P3 Pts 4 GD -2
- Fremantle City P4 Pts 2 GD -3
- Murdoch University Melville P3 Pts 0 GD -12
- UWA-Nedlands P5 Pts 0 GD -19
Round Six Fixtures
SUNDAY: Fremantle City v UWA-Nedlands, Murdoch University Melville v Perth RedStar, Balcatta Etna v Perth SC, Subiaco v Football West Academy.
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