by Ben Gilby and Ella McShane (13/7/25)
Above: Theodora Mouithys (7) breaks through en route to scoring Football West Academy’s dramatic late winner yesterday. Photo: U18sNPL.
Football West Academy 1-0 Balcatta Etna
by Ella McShane
The Football West Academy (FWA) hit a late winner to bring Balcatta’s run of eight league wins in a row to an end, and reignite their own top-two hopes.
Theodora Mouithys’ goal as the clock entered the 90th minute ensured that the teenage side got back on the horse after losing their first against second clash 4-0 to Perth SC last weekend.
This fiercely contested Saturday afternoon encounter was defined by intensity in every area of the pitch. Sturdy defensive lines and a congested midfield made progression into the final third a challenge for both sides throughout the match.
The first breakthrough for the FWA came at the 17-minute mark when the midfield congestion was released by Xuri Dalton, the ball crossed to Lacey Heys on the charge was then passed to Klaudia Houlis on the wing. The home side’s captain made a break into the box, crossed it to Heys, now in prime shooting position, but the effort found the hands of Balcatta keeper Rebecca Bennett rather than the net.
Equally applicable to both teams, the remainder of the half saw many long balls in attempts to disperse a congested midfield and create attacking chances, which often broke down due to tight marking or were intercepted following careless passes.
The second half was introduced with the same intensity, but both sides were calmer and more collected in their approach. Balcatta initiated a threat within two minutes when an ever-busy Alyssa van Heurck cleared a high cross from the left wing. The ball found the head of a lurking Jaime Duncanson, whose attempt struck the crossbar.
With the game still neck and neck in the final quarter of an hour, the hunger for three points became palpable. This part of the game produced more chances than the previous 75.
In the end, it was Theo Mouithys who put the game to bed in the FWA’s favour. In possession, Emily Garnett’s surging run down the right wing created space for a dangerous Mouithys to charge down the midfield and struck the ball clean into the top of the net to seal a huge three points for the teenage side.
Teams: FOOTBALL WEST ACADEMY: Borg, Santos, Johnson, Santich, Dumont, Heys, Kuzamba, McAuliffe, Houlis, Garnett, Dalton. Substitutes: Williams-Jones, McGreadie Cole, Wainwright, Price, Leong, Mouithys, Barlow.
Scorers: Mouithys 90’.
BALCATTA ETNA: Bennett, van Heurck, Davis, Murray, Foletta, Marwick, Phillips, Jarvis, Meakins, Duncanson, Gale. Substitutes: Spadano, Comito, Cook, Hargreaves, Britton, M. D’Opera.
Fremantle City 0-2 Perth SC
by Ben Gilby
The Azzurri are two points clear at the top of the NPLW WA after a hard-earned 2-0 victory at Hilton Park this afternoon.
Both teams were without key players, with Abbey Green out for the home side and Tijan McKenna for Perth.
It was a real attritional battle of an opening half, and clear-cut chances remained at a premium with neither goalkeeper called into direct action often during the opening half.
The best chance of the opening 45 came in the 14th minute when Ella Lincoln was played in, but just as she was about to pull the trigger, a superb last-gasp tackle from Freo defender Annabelle Leek denied the Azzurri hotshot.
However, it would take just two minutes of the second half for Perth to hit the front. Lincoln dispossessed Janice Kiama on the edge of the box and curled a shot that came crashing down off the crossbar. Flannery followed up with a header that Megan Phillips in the Fremantle goal repelled, but the rebound came back to the Azzurri attacker, who placed a side-footed volley into the net from close range.
They would double their lead on 56 minutes when, after a Fremantle throw in on parallel with the penalty area, a long clearance from the Perth defence eventually fell for Daisy McAllister to beat a group of three Freo defenders and play a perfectly weighted pass through for Lincoln to dispatch the ball into the top left hand corner.
There were two further opportunities for the Azzurri to extend their lead further. First, when Flannery turned on the edge of the box and hit a shot that Phillips held, and then with six minutes remaining, when substitutes Ruby Marshall and Maja Archibald combined, with Archibald hitting a shot that Phillips did well to get a glove to and push out for a corner.
This would be a pleasing three points for Perth, who had to work their way through the first-half challenges that Fremantle posed. They never looked back once Flannery put them ahead and earned the reward of another week at the top of the NPLW WA ladder.
Teams: FREMANTLE CITY: Phillips, Leek, Spatafore, Osborne, Spencer, Adams, Kiama, Meaden, Reynolds, Poad, Wood. Substitutes: Khiati, Nolan, Stiles.
PERTH SC: Schroeder, Nossent, McCartney, Boehm, Longmore, McAllister, Cassidy, Mathers, Lincoln, Flannery, Tana. Substitutes: Ottobrino, Ingrey, Collins, Archibald, Marshall.
Scorers: Flannery 47’, Lincoln 56’.
Around the grounds
by Ben Gilby
UWA-Nedlands 0-7 Perth RedStar
Perth RedStar returned to winning ways with this comprehensive victory at a UWA-Nedlands side who are now without a win in five games.
The defending champions were red hot out of the blocks, hitting the front after just two minutes when they won turnover ball along the right, allowing Sarah Carroll to cross in for Renee Leota to tap in.
Just five minutes later, it was 2-0 as Caitlin Doeglas looked up to see home goalkeeper Madison Large off her line, and curled a stunning lofted shot in from over 30 yards.
There were 43 minutes played when RedStar got their third of the afternoon. UWA-Nedlands found it hard to complete a defensive clearance, allowing Doeglas to lay a pass off for Jay Coleman, who put in a low cross for Leota to beat Ginger Cain and lash the ball home from close range.
The visitors stepped on the gas in the middle part of the second half – a spell which saw them score four goals in just six minutes.
First, with 66 minutes on the clock, Carroll pounced after a UWA-Nedlands mis-hit free-kick fell at her feet and the former Perth Glory star advanced to fire home from a central position on the edge of the box.
The home side presented RedStar with another opportunity three minutes later as a throw out from Large went straight to Doeglas, who laid a pass off to Carla Bennett. Her exquisite ball that was lifted in allowed Leota to turn the ball home to complete her hat-trick.
It would be 6-0 shortly afterwards as Quyen Doan played a first-time high ball into the box from the right flank. UWA-Nedlands’ defensive clearance landed perfectly for Lauren Continibali to lift over Large and in.
From the resulting kick-off, RedStar scored again after with Bennett claiming another assist with her ball in for Jayna Ridley to turn home from close range.
UWA-Nedlands’ luckless afternoon continued when Samara Riches’ penalty was saved comfortably by Gabby Dal Busco.
Teams: UWA-NEDLANDS: Large, Kinkaid, Hartley, Cain, Dadswell, Rodrigo, E. Gaspar, Dinsdale, Visic, Short, Franklin. Substitutes: Muller, Dewar, Gibson, Riches, Klomp, Beese, Carr.
PERTH REDSTAR: Dal Busco, Continibali, Monteiro, Bellanca, Doan, Bennett, Coleman, Carroll, Doeglas, Leota, Ridley. Substitutes: Teixeira, Skinner, Mogridge, Finnegan, Ingrey, Devitt.
Scorers: Leota 2′, 44, 69′. Doeglas 7′, Carroll 66′, Continibali 71′, Ridley 72′.
Murdoch University Melville 1-2 Subiaco
Subiaco ended their six-match winless streak as they came from behind to emerge victorious at Besteam Stadium this afternoon.
Murdoch University Melville (MUM FC) are becoming harder to beat as the season enters its final third, and with Ella Mastrantonio back at the club, they can point to major steadying experience as well as big game know-how.
The home side took the lead with 19 minutes on the clock when Caitlin Symons’ throw on the right deep inside her own half led to Isabella Baldin gaining possession and finding Lucie Hotchin, who drove along the flank and squared the ball. Amalia Caceras couldn’t hold it in the Subi goal, and another of MUM FC’s experienced players, the former Perth Glory attacker Ellis Glanfield, put the ball into the net.
Ten minutes before the break, Subiaco levelled when Greta Bailey advanced and hit a shot that flew into the right-hand corner.
Any hopes that the home side had of a second successive point were dashed with four minutes remaining when Marianna Tabain was released and took the ball round the onrushing Jemma Skinner and smashed the ball home for a Subi victory.
Teams: MURDOCH UNIVERSITY MELVILLE: Skinner, Sabean, Malata, Symons, Harding, Denona, Patience, Baldin, Cleminson, Glanfield, Hotchin. Substitutes: Richards, Mastrantonio, Unconfirmed, Raschi, Bui.
Scorers: Glanfield 19′.
SUBIACO: Caceras, Burdett, Wallwork, Hope, Olsthoorn, Campos, Bailey, McCulloch, Papalia, Tabain, Zampogna. Substitutes: Suckling, Rudd, Hughes, Steele, Edwards, Robinson.
Scorers: Bailey 35′, Tabain 86′.
Ladder
Perth SC P 14 Pts 35 GD +33
Football West Academy P 15 Pts 33 GD + 24
Perth RedStar P 15 Pts 31 GD +36
Balcatta Etna P 14 Pts 31 GD +26
Fremantle City P 15 Pts 21 GD +15
Subiaco P 15 Pts 13 GD -17
UWA-Nedlands P 15 Pts 7 GD -57
Murdoch University Melville P 15 Pts 1 GD -60
Fixtures
SUNDAY: Balcatta Etna v Fremantle City, Perth SC v Murdoch University Melville, Subiaco v UWA-Nedlands. Football West Academy v Perth RedStar rearranged for 13th August.
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