by Ben Gilby and Ella McShane (4/5/25)
Above: Jess Flannery (15), Louise Tana, and Daisy McAllister jump for joy today with Maja Archibald coming to join them as Perth SC became the first side to defeat Football West Academy this season. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
It was a big week of action in the league with the top two facing off against each other, and the same for the bottom two. Elsewhere, there was a battle of sides placed third and fourth on the ladder, and a game between those placed fifth and sixth. It was an absolute cracker.
During the midweek, Subiaco claimed a 5-1 victory at Murdoch University Melville in a game that was originally scheduled to be played in Round One, but was postponed due to extreme heat.
UWA-Nedlands 2-0 Murdoch University Melville
The round opened on Saturday afternoon as UWA-Nedlands gained a vital victory in the battle of the league’s bottom two sides at the UWA Sports Park.
Going into the encounter, these were the only two teams in the NPLW WA yet to win this season, but there was clear daylight between the teams in this huge encounter, with the home side running out comfortable victors.
UWA-Nedlands carved out their first opportunity just 40 seconds into this match as Samara Riches hit a shot just over the top. Indeed, the hosts claimed three corners inside the first five minutes alone as they came out firing.
With 10 minutes played, Melina Franklin, who was excellent throughout, broke through to play in Riches, who hit a shot from the right of the box that trickled against the left-hand post.
Murdoch University Melville (MUM FC) attacks were few and far between. Their earliest opportunity came when Anna Denona’s free-kick curled over the top with 17 minutes on the clock.
Just before the half-hour mark, the warning signs began to flash for the visitors as Kaitlyn Mohan tipped a shot from outside the box over the top. Within 60 seconds, though, she would be beaten.
UWA-Nedlands forced back-to-back corners, and from the second, MUM FC cleared initially, but only as far as Andrea Preiato, who lifted a first-time shot from the edge of the box into the net.
There was one further opportunity before the break when Mohan was forced to save from her own defender as Jessie Ellis’ header from a UWA-Nedlands corner was flying perilously close to the goal.
Murdoch University Melville were on the back foot, finding it almost impossible to break out of their own half of the field. The home side had forced eight corners in the opening half and as many shots on target. MUM FC were looking for their first in both of those stats.
Things didn’t improve for the visitors after the break, as UWA-Nedlands continued to have the possession and territorial advantage. On the hour mark, Franklin’s turn and shot from the outside of the box to the right needed a touch from Mohan to ensure it went narrowly wide of the left-hand post.
Finally, the hosts made sure of the points with a second goal in the 79th minute. An excellent one-two along the left between Franklin and Riches saw the former cross high into the box. Elise Cleminson got a touch which took play out for Amy Hartley to return a low ball into the mix for her fellow substitute Hannah Seeley to turn home.
This was a deserved win for UWA-Nedlands. They controlled the pace, possession, and field throughout. Whilst it must be said MUM FC did come into this game on the back of a midweek game against Subiaco, it was a disappointing display from the visitors who are now bottom of the ladder and have a significantly worse goal difference record compared to their opponents.
Teams: UWA-NEDLANDS: Sauer, Gibson, Cain, Dadswell, Preiato, E.Gaspar, Shore, Riches, Rodrigo, 12, Franklin. Substitutes: Kinkaid, Hayward, Hartley, Seeley, Visic, Large, Beese.
Scorers: Preiato 28′, Seeley 79′.
MURDOCH UNIVERSITY MELVILLE: Mohan, Denona, Symons, Harding, Ascenzo-Cabello, Cleminson, Baldin, Baiamonte, Patience, Glanfield, Saraceni. Substitutes: Ellis, Klomp, Skinner, Bailey, Byrne, Bui.
Fremantle City 1-0 Subiaco
by Ben Gilby
Freo ran out winners in this crucial battle between the two sides, who went into the round just outside the top four thanks to Leyna Wood’s early goal.
With Subi’s midweek win over Murdoch University Melville pushing the hosts down to sixth on the ladder, the port city outfit knew that a victory would be important to prevent Greg Farrell’s side from putting clear daylight between the two clubs.
Fremantle built an early lead. With just over five minutes played, Abbey Green drove forward to feed Tatem Spencer, who saw her shot saved by Monique Todd in the Subi goal. City would have better luck with the very next piece of play.
The home side regained possession from the resulting goalkick, with Janice Kiama then picking up the play in the centre midfield. She found Catherine Adams outside her to the left, who in turn fed Wood. The American turned the ball further out to Mikayla Lyons, who returned the favour with a lovely insightful pass through to the box, where Wood hit a cool finish into the left of the goal.
The outcome of this match would prove to be even sweeter for Fremantle, who are now unbeaten in their last three matches, as results elsewhere ensured that they would climb into the top four for the first time this season.
Teams: FREMANTLE CITY: Phillips, Poad, Leek, Osborne, Spencer, Adams, Kiama, Meaden, Green, Wood, Lyons. Substitutes: Siah, Mayoe, Khiati, Reynolds, Johnson.
Scorer: Wood 6′.
SUBIACO: Todd, Burdett, Suckling, Rudd, Campos, Bailey, McCulloch, Papalia, Harvey, Zampogna, Taylor. Substitutes: Kim, Ntoumenopoulos, Silver, Edwards, Robinson, Tyne.
Perth RedStar 5-0 Balcatta Etna
by Ella McShane
Perth RedStar gained a superb victory over top-four rivals Balcatta Etna as a rich reward for Renee Leota’s landmark 300th appearance for the club.
The New Zealand international brings awe-inspiring experience and accolades to both Perth RedStar and the NPLW as a whole having won seven league titles, six State Cups, and four Top Four Cups. On top of this Leota can point to being part of the Football Ferns’ 2008 Olympic squad as part of her 15 international caps.
The half started off steady, with both sides negotiating for control. At the eighth-minute mark, Balcatta’s Lucy Jerram pulled over a promising cross from the left wing but it found the hands of a calm and collected Gabby Dal Busco in the home goal.
Leota was involved in a chance for RedStar as her pass met the feet of a steadily striding Caitlin Doeglas. Balcatta’s defence were alert to the threat Doeglas posed, and promptly entered a one-v-two. Given minimal space to work in, Balcatta may have thought they had the Perth Glory attacker covered – except this is Caitlin Doeglas we’re talking about.
A trademark stunning attempt caught Balcatta goalkeeper Rebecca Bennett off her line, and the home side were in front.
The visitors’ hunger for to hit back became evident. What started off as a steady and gradual match-up, quickly became intense, with a collective of 14 fouls and 13 shots at goal recorded in the first half alone.
Surrounded in a sea of white Balcatta shirts, it seemed unlikely that RedStar would be able to capitalise on even a small chance this close to their goal. Again, Doeglas worked her magic with a powerful shot from outside the box to put her side 2-0 up after 32.
Marking the special occasion, Leota secured what can only be described as a perceptive goal. The Kiwi skilfully intercepted a pass from Balcatta’s defence aimed towards goalkeeper Bennett. Weaving her way around would-be tackles, Leota secured a lovely goal on a such a momentous afternoon for her personally.
In steady succession, RedStar’s Sarah Carroll’s prompt analysis of positioning skillfully intercepted a loose pass from the visitors, and the number two pushed on to earn the defending champions a comfortable 4-0 lead.
Another threat from RedStar called for a rapid response from Balcatta’s backline. Balcatta’s backline positioned to defend; Frankie Murray-Hocking’s misjudged defensive efforts saw the ball find the back of her side’s goal.
Although the afternoon was far from ideal for Balcatta Etna, the squad should be commended for their ability to analyse the game and assume intentional playing positions. Balcatta’s forward speed and, more particularly, Lucy Jerram on the wing, were also noteworthy.
However, for a team that many people put into the equation as likely league champions in pre-season, too many errors were made defensively, and Perth RedStar are always going to seize on them to make a team pay. They did so yet again today, and how.
Teams: PERTH REDSTAR: Dal Busco, Teixeira, Woolley, Bennett, Doan, Dunn, Monteiro, Ridley, Carroll, Leota, Doeglas. Substitutes: Coleman, Bellanca, Continibali, Lornie, Finnegan, Gray, O’Donohoe.
Scorers: Doeglas 15’, 32’. Leota 41’, Carroll 52’, Murray-Hocking (OG) 60′.
BALCATTA ETNA: Bennett, Murray-Hocking, van Heurck, St. Pierre, Davis, Meakins, Marwick, Jarvis, Duncanson, Jerram, Gale. Substitutes: Cook, Britton, Hargreaves, Comito.
Perth SC 3-0 Football West Academy
by Ben Gilby
The Azzurri scored three stunning goals to see off the Football West Academy (FWA) in Sunday’s battle between the only two teams in the competition who were unbeaten going into this round.
Perth were on the front foot from the start, and earned their first corner with just three minutes played. It would take just a further two minutes for them to take the lead.
Epril Nossent played a teasing through ball from the right flank for Daisy McAllister to chase between FWA defenders Daniella Santich and Marley Barlow. McAllister showed great pace and skill to beat the pair and lift a stunning shot from just outside the box into the right-hand corner of the net.
The home side’s forward momentum, allied with crisper passing and tactics, ensured that the visitors had minimal time when on the ball, and ensured that they remained on top.
Perth were working hard to keep the visitors’ key attacking weapons of Klaudia Houlis and Xuri Dalton at arm’s length. Indeed, Houlis had just the one opportunity during the opening 45.
It came just before the half-hour mark, when she used her pace to beat Hannah Collins on the left-hand edge of the box and fired a shot just over the top from an acute angle.
There was one further chance before the break when Azzurri keeper Dayle Schroeder looked to play the ball out, but Dalton was in the way for the FWA, and the ball fell for Lacey Heys, who was denied by an excellent diving save by the Perth shot stopper.
Perth reasserted their control early in the second half, as they forced three successive corners.
From the first, which came in high from Mathers from the left, Matilda Boehm saw her header at the back post pushed away by Daisy McGreadie Cole in the FWA goal. Flannery curled the resulting flag kick from the right, which saw Mathers’ effort from close range repelled by the visiting keeper for the third attempt that came to nothing.
Then, just before the hour mark, the Azzurri doubled their advantage with another outstanding move.
Maja Archibald took possession inside her own half and fed McAllister to the right of centre. Her sublime touch with the outside of her foot was measured to perfection for Louise Tana to run onto to lift a shot into the net from outside of the box.
Whilst the FWA had a glimmer with 20 minutes remaining when Dalton’s free-kick from 30 yards out was pushed out by Schroeder at the right-hand post, they still couldn’t get any sort of foothold in the match.
Perth punished them again in the 79th minute – again in some style. A perfectly weighted ball from Mathers released Flannery, who raced to the edge of the box and let fly with a stunning effort which flew into the left-hand corner of the net.
The visitors had a greater percentage of possession in the closing period, but they could only really muster a handful of half-chances, which saw Schroeder comfortably repel efforts from Houlis and Nelli Johnson.
PERTH SC: Schroeder, Nossent, McCartney, Boehm, Marshall, McAllister, Collins, Archibald, Flannery, Tana, Mathers. Substitutes: Ottobrino (for Tana 78’), Ingrey, Warburton, McCready, Rennie, Longmore.
Scorers: McAllister 5’, Tana 57’, Flannery 79’.
FOOTBALL WEST ACADEMY: McGreadie Cole, Johnson, Barlow, Leong, Santich, Houlis, Kuzamba, Heys, Brady, Dalton, McAuliffe. Substitutes: Dumont (for Barlow 73’), Williams-Jones (for Brady 13’), Santos (for Dalton 81’), Garnett (for McAuliffe 81’), Collinson (for Kuzamba 83’), Speakes, Borg.
Referee: Stephen Knight.
Ladder
- Football West Academy P 7 Pts 18 GD +12
- Perth SC P 6 Pts 16 GD +12
- Perth RedStar P7 Pts 13 GD +19
- Fremantle City P6 Pts 8 GD =
- Balcatta Etna P 5 Pts 7 GD +6
- Subiaco P 6 Pts 7 GD -1
- UWA-Nedlands P7 Pts 3 GD -18
- Murdoch University Melville P6 Pts 0 GD -25
Round Eight Fixtures
SUNDAY: Balcatta Etna v Football West Academy, Perth RedStar v UWA-Nedlands, Perth SC v Fremantle City, Subiaco v Murdoch University Melville.
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