Ben Gilby provides a full report from the weekend’s game of the round along with all the details from the other three matches, plus photography supplied by Rob Lizzi (20/5/24)
Above: Ella Lincoln (Azure shirt, centre) looks to break between two Subiaco defenders during Saturday evening’s match between the two sides at Dorrien Gardens. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Rob Lizzi.
Game of the week
Hyundai NTC 1-7 Perth RedStar
Perth RedStar turned in a devastating second-half performance to come back from behind to comfortably defeat Hyundai NTC in Geraldton.
The defending champions had found themselves playing second fiddle to their teenage opponents for much of the first half, but a triple half-time substitution and slight tweaks to the way they approached the game allowed Carlos Vega Mena’s side to smash seven goals, win their seventh straight league game of the season, and lift a second successive Regional Trophy in this match at Wonthella Oval.
Located some 418 km, a four-and-a-half-hour road trip from Perth, the venue in Geraldton saw a packed grandstand for this encounter, part of Football West’s Regional Festival of Football.
Perth RedStar welcomed back Carla Bennett to the match day squad on the bench after the club icon missed all of the 2023 season and the opening months of 2024 with a serious knee injury. The NTC were without several regular faces including Louise Tana and Mia Britton.
It was RedStar who fashioned the first chance on goal in the opening minute as Theodora Mouithys was dispossessed by Reina Kagami who fed Olivia Wood, but the young attacker saw her effort go way over the bar.
After a long spell of cat-and-mouse with much possession in the middle of the park, NTC hit the front just before the quarter-hour mark. Jess Johnson showed her skill to turn her marker just outside her own penalty area and found Angelique Clayton outside on the right flank. Clayton had acres of space to run into and played a ball across for Houlis, equally unmarked. Whilst the pass was initially behind her, Houlis gathered and drove a shot that deflected up off of Andreia Teixeira in the box, over Gabby Dal Busco, and into the net.
Houlis was her team’s hero eight minutes later once more, this time in defensive duties as she chased down Wood and made a great tackle to deny the RedStar attacker who was ready to pull the trigger.
NTC continued to have the better of the chances, and just before the half-hour, Nelli Johnson unleashed a spectacular drive from around 30 yards that Dal Busco pushed up onto the bar, and the ball bounced down into her grateful arms.
Ben Anderton’s young side were on top at this stage due to their outstanding work ethic and tactical setup. They were doing the hard yards to ensure that RedStar’s key creative talents of Caitlin Doeglas, Sarah Carroll, Momoko Sakairi, and Reina Kagami were being kept largely under wraps.
The NTC were looking to plug the channels and stick tight. This, plus their ability to play small triangular passing moves to both deny the champions and begin to build their own attacking moves was behind their strong first-half showing.
There were signs just after the half-hour period that RedStar were starting to find their feet as Leota picked up possession on her right and played a well-judged diagonal pass into Doeglas who advanced to get one on one with Megan Phillips blocking well. The NTC keeper was called into action with six minutes remaining on the half when Kagami found Wood on the right, but her powerful shot could not beat the custodian.
Then, just before the interval, RedStar crucially levelled matters. Wood was found at the back of the box and brought the ball down and under control excellently before being clipped by Houlis. After what seemed to be quite a pause, referee Jasmine Bremner finally pointed to the spot. Up stepped Doeglas to dispatch the ball into the right of centre for her sixth goal of the campaign.
RedStar looked to turbocharge their increasing momentum with a triple substitution at the break with Jayna Ridley, Quyen Doan, and Manami Arai coming into the action. Each of the trio would go on to play an important role in the turnaround of this match.
Ridley’s arrival was key in the early stages of the half in which her side found the front foot. This is a player with excellent vision, and the ability to find the right channels and passes at the right time.
Also integral to the defending champions’ domination of both possession and territory was the imposition of a rapid press which forced the NTC into errors and allowed the key influences of Kagami and Doeglas to get the time on the ball that they were lacking in the opening half.
Ten minutes into the second period, RedStar hit the front as Doeglas advanced along the right and played a one-two with Ridley to advance into space and curl a stunning shot into the right-hand corner of the net.
Vega Mena’s side were now forcing the corners along the right and the errors from the NTC and just after the hour mark made the incessant pressure tell once more as Doeglas’ latest flag kick from the right was met by the head of Doan who got up highest at the back post – this was the start of a match-defining spell of four goals in just 16 minutes.
RedStar came close just four minutes later as Kagami found herself one-on-one with Phillips in the box, but inconceivably put her shot wide of the left-hand post when you would have put your mortgage on the Japanese star finding the back of the net.
However, it would take less than 60 seconds for the champions to extend their lead when Ridley found Doeglas once more and her low ball across from the left was met by the sliding Ridley to make it 4-1.
With a quarter of an hour remaining, the lead went out to four goals in a highly unfortunate manner as Sakairi hit a shot from centrally positioned outside the box which hit the left-hand post and came back off NTC keeper Phillips and into the net. It was a tragic last piece of action for the afternoon for Phillips who had to be led from the field with an injury immediately afterwards.
Coming on consequently for her NPLW WA debut was Macy Johnson, who has played for the NTC’s U15 side this season. It was a difficult situation for the youngster to arrive amidst, and within two minutes she found herself having to pick the ball out of the net.
Bennett, back on the pitch after 15 months out cut in from the left and sent a perfectly weighted pass across to Arai who chipped the ball exquisitely over Johnson and in.
There was still time for a seventh, in the first minute of stoppage time as Doan’s corner on the right came in high to the middle of the box and was flicked forward for Ridley to head home.
This was a real masterclass from Perth RedStar in the second half – they were relentless in righting the wrongs of the first half, raising their standards to the highest possible levels, and the NTC were made to pay.
Ben Anderton’s side are now on a run of four straight defeats, with 20 goals conceded in this spell. How they deal with this will be the making of this side, but they have the talent to do so. They were shown the standards that they need to aspire to on Saturday afternoon up in Geraldton. UWA-Nedlands will be in their sights next weekend as they aim to get their top four hopes back on track.
Teams: HYUNDAI NTC: Phillips, Longmore, C.Gaspar, Houlis, N.Johnson, Clayton, O’Halloran, Collins, J.Johnson, Archibald, Mouithys. Substitutes: E.Gaspar, Healy, M.Johnson, Barlow, Leong.
Scorers: Teixeira (OG) 13′.
PERTH REDSTAR: Dal Busco, Teixeira, Studman, Dunn, Anderson, Sakairi, Kagami, Carroll, Doeglas, Wood, Leota. Substitutes: Bennett, Ridley, Ritchie, Continibali, Arai, Doan, Odonohoe.
Scorers: Doeglas pen 44′, 55′. Doan 61′, Ridley 66′, 90+1. Sakairi 73′, Arai 77′.
Referee: Jasmine Bremner.
Round wrap
Murdoch University Melville 1-2 Fremantle City
Fremantle City closed the gap on the top four to just three points after bouncing back from a disappointing defeat last week with this victory at bottom side Murdoch University Melville (MUM FC).
The hosts made a nightmare start as Freo hit the front with only 25 seconds on the clock. Tanika Lala advanced on the left wing and played a cool back-heeled pass to Perth Glory teammate Abbey Green. Green fired in a pacey cross that perfectly dissected the home defence for Matilda Boyle to volley home.
It got better still for the visitors after eight minutes when Lala and Green combined yet again on the left, with the latter firing an almost identical cross into the middle. Boyle couldn’t reach it this time, but MUM FC could only clear as far as Lala centrally positioned on the edge of the box to rifle home a rocket from just inside the box.
The home side pulled a goal back just before the half-hour mark as Taylor Reid won turnover ball just inside her own half and fed Tiana Botha just ahead of her. The attacker held off Annabelle Leek and dispatched an excellent finish across Dayle Schroeder and into the right-hand corner of the net.
Murdoch University Melville continued to push for an equaliser into the second half but couldn’t quite make the breakthrough, however there is no doubt that they are an improving side. As for Freo, their credentials will face a tough examination next weekend at home to Perth SC.
Perth SC 4-0 Subiaco
Perth SC cemented their grasp of second place on the ladder after defeating a Subiaco side who would have moved into the top four themselves with a win at Dorrien Gardens in Saturday’s late match.
The Azzurri are starting to look powerful, and they went ahead with four minutes on the clock. Ella Lincoln’s initial burst into the left-hand edge of the box was broken up, but the attacker put so much pressure on the Subi defenders attempting to clear that they could only find Jess Flannery who turned the ball straight back towards the near post where a defender lost their footing allowing Lincoln to pounce and shoot high into the net from close range.
Just over a quarter of an hour later, the home side doubled their advantage. A long high free-kick from inside their own half found Flannery on the edge of the box, after the ball bounced, the in-form attacker took a touch and saw her first effort repelled by Subiaco keeper Ash Riddle before the rebound fell kindly to her around centrally eight yards out to turn home with a low shot.
With 33 minutes on the clock, a ball through the central channel found Lincoln who turned her marker with aplomb and found her way between two defenders tight to her to lay off to Flannery, who was positioned to the left of the ‘D’. It was now her turn for a beautiful turn to leave her defender for dead and hit a first-time shot across Riddle and into the far corner of the net.
The Azzurri were then able to introduce Young Matilda Tijan McKenna for the second half. The local product was part of Melbourne City’s A-League Women Grand Final squad and emphasised the strong squad that has been constructed this season in a bid to wrestle the championship from Perth RedStar.
A fourth goal arrived two minutes from the end. Nadia Harvey dispossessed Frankie Murray-Hocking 25 yards from goal and laid off to fellow substitute Anika Stajcic outside her. The youngster took the ball towards the left-hand limits of the penalty area, took a touch to bypass a defender, and curled a high stunning shot into the net.
More of Rob Lizzi’s images from Perth SC v Subiaco:
UWA-Nedlands 1-7 Balcatta Etna
Balcatta Etna showcased their attacking prowess by hitting five second-half goals to defeat UWA Nedlands at the UWA Sports Park on Sunday.
The home side went into this game off the back of their first-ever NPLW WA win at Fremantle City last weekend, but despite a hard-working start from UWA-Nedlands, the visitors ruthlessly took advantage of Mackenzie Rastatter’s sending off just after the half-hour mark.
Within ten minutes of the red card, the hosts fell behind. Faye Phillips played a one-two with Rachel Jarvis from a corner on the left to cross in for Monique Godding to head home.
A minute into stoppage time, Balcatta’s Lucy Jerram picked up possession out on the left from Jamie-Lee Gale’s cross, turned Emily Dinsdale inside out before supplying a high ball in for an unmarked Monique Prinsloo to head in at the back post from virtually on the goal line.
The visitors started the second half as they finished the first with more rapid-fire finishing. Two minutes in, Liana Cook found space in the centre of the field to lay off for Godding to turn and find Gale on the right flank. She advanced to play a low ball across for Abbey Meakins to dispatch at the back post.
It was 4-0 with 54 minutes on the clock. A long patient build-up involving eight passes saw Prinsloo gaining possession just inside her own half towards the left. Despite being tightly marked and with her back to the ball, she turned, beat two defenders, and threaded a pass-through for Jerram outside her. The attacker needed no second invitation to take a touch and drive on into the box to lay a cool finish under Morgan Springer and into the right-hand corner of the net.
On the hour mark, Pete Rakic’s team went further ahead as Gale’s throw on the right, around 25 yards from goal was played back to her by Prinsloo, allowing the former Perth Glory player to advance up the flank and play across a low ball for an unmarked Meakins to turn home from a central position inside the six-yard box.
Twelve minutes from time, it became 6-0. Kat Jukic, on the left, laid off a perfectly weighted pass for Meakins who was positioned parallel to the penalty spot. She turned between two defenders and rolled the ball expertly past Morgan Springer to complete her hat-trick.
From the resulting kick-off, the home side were rewarded for their work ethic with a goal that rounded off an excellent passing move. Erin Armstrong, one of UWA-Nedlands’ best players this season so far, fed Samara Riches on the right flank. Riches turned the ball back to Michaela Thawley, stationed just outside the box to hit a stunning side-footed looping shot that Rebecca Bennett did well to repel, but it fell at the feet of Dinsdale to turn home from six yards.
Four minutes from the end, Balcatta restored their six-goal cushion. Inside her own half, Meakins played a perfectly weighted first-time pass into the path of Jerram on the left to advance in on goal. Springer stopped the first effort with the rebound falling perfectly for Jerram to slot home.
Round Eight Fixtures – Saturday: Hyundai NTC v UWA-Nedlands. Sunday: Fremantle City v Perth SC, Balcatta Etna v Murdoch University Melville, Subiaco v Perth RedStar.
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