Ben Gilby provides a full report from the game of the week, plus all the details from the other matches in Western Australia’s NPL Women’s competition (26/6/23).
Above: Reina Kagami (right), seen here in action earlier in the season for Perth RedStar, added another goal to her tally for the season in the league leaders’ win at Balcatta Etna yesterday. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
Main report of the week
Balcatta Etna 0-4 Perth RedStar
Perth RedStar put in a strong performance, particularly in the second half, to run out comfortable winners at Grindleford Reserve on Sunday afternoon.
This victory, RedStar’s seventh in their last eight matches in an overall unbeaten run that stretches back to round two of the season, has seen the defending champions maintain their four-point lead at the top of the table despite the best efforts of Fremantle City in second.
RedStar hit the front with just two minutes played as Reina Kagami sent a corner in from the left which was eventually recycled back in. Olivia Wood played a pass for Chiori Ikeda who squared for Renee Leota to come in with Balcatta defender Elizabeth Doust with the deciding touch over the line adjudged to have come from Doust.
The visitors continued to have the better of the early chances with Kagami firing a powerful effort wide of the right hand upright. However, Balcatta were defending superbly. Carys Davis was an absolute rock, standing up to attackers and forcing them to shoot early rather than cutting inside. Baxter Thew also produced a brilliant interlude whilst trying to clear the danger under heavy pressure. Thew’s multiple twists and turns away from her attacker were joyous as she got the ball away.
There were signs though of a Balcatta recovery from an offensive perspective with 20 minutes on the clock. Tia Stonehill danced her way along the left and delivered in a deadly cross which Shivani Battaglia in the visitors’ goal just manged to palm away. The ball fell for Monique D’Opera on the opposite flank who pulled in a high centre that Battaglia dealt with.
This set the tone for a thrilling final 10 minutes of the half with real chances at both ends. Lauren Continibali let fly from 30 yards with an effort that was heading for the top left corner, but Battaglia tipped over.
Gabby Dal Busco then had to be at her best to deny RedStar with two sensational saves. First, Coleman’s volley was heading goalwards before it took a deflection and the Balcatta keeper produced a superb reaction save. Then she brilliantly denied Wood who broke through.
However, despite the chances that Balcatta created towards the end of the first half, they were never able to get going in the second period as Carlos Vega Mena’s side dominated.
They doubled their lead just after the hour make when a corner on the right was met by a first-time half-volley from Reina Kagami that Dal Busco got a hand to, but couldn’t prevent Coleman from pouncing to score.
RedStar confirmed their victory with a third goal after 72 minutes which was a beauty. Picking up possession in the middle of the park, Kagami played a pass out to Ikeda outside her on the right who then motored up the right before squaring the ball back to Kagami to lift a superb shot from the ‘D’ into the left-hand corner of the net.
With the home side struggling to break out of their own half, the league leaders continued in the ascendancy. Emily Dunn hit a curling shot from the right of centre just outside the box which Dal Busco held.
Then, with six minutes remaining, Abbey Woolley completed the scoring when she was found with a pass from the left. The youngster took a touch and fired into the right-hand corner of the net.
This was another notable performance and result for Perth RedStar. A match that could have been a potential banana skin was navigated with aplomb.
Balcatta Etna are still not able to hit their potential on a consistent basis. The players, ability, and skill are all there – it just needs to come together more regularly, starting with next weekend’s big game with a Murdoch University Melville side also with top-four aspirations. Failure to win will make post-season football an uphill battle for Etna.
Teams: BALCATTA ETNA: Dal Busco, Davis, Doust, McCartney, M. D’Opera, Thew, Nossent, Mohammad Zainurrafiq, Continibali, Prinsloo, Stonehill. Substitutes: Bulgaru, Bricklebank, Jahn, Comito, McGlinn.
PERTH REDSTAR: Battaglia, Studman, Dunn, K. Carroll, Teixeira, S. Carroll, Coleman, Kagami, Ikeda, Leota, Wood. Subsitutes: Ridley, Diederichsen, Doan, Woolley, Mogridge, Vega Mena.
Scorers: Doust (OG) 2′, Coleman 61′, Kagami 72, Woolley 84′.
Weekly Wrap
Curtin University 0-10 Murdoch University Melville
Round 12 got underway late afternoon on Saturday at Edinburgh Oval as strugglers Curtin University suffered another comprehensive defeat, this time at the hands of top four hopefuls Murdoch University Melville.
The damage was done in a 22-minute spell in the first half when the visitors hit an incredible seven goals.
MUM FC hit the front with 23 minutes on the clock when Katie Schubert’s through ball wasn’t dealt with by Danielle Petch in the Curtin goal, allowing Sam Mathers to fire home from left of centre just outside the six-yard box. Five minutes later, a superb one touch move found Mathers in a similar position to score at the second attempt after Petch parried initially.
Moments later it was 3-0 as Jess Johnson was found on the right and hit a low shot from the edge of the box that Petch was unable to prevent from trickling over the line. Within three minutes, Johnson struck again with an absolute rocket which was launched from nearby by her previous goal and flew into the net. With seven minutes to play before the break, Andrea Preiato made it 5-0 after she dispatched Sophie Meaden’s low ball across from the right.
There was still time for two further goals before half-time. First, Charli Wainwright crashed home a stunning volley from an attempted headed clearance in the Curtin defence, and then within seconds, Schubert’s pass from Mathers on the left, and her cross was swept home by Johnson who completed her hattrick in the process.
Within three minutes of the re-start, Murdoch University Melville extended their lead to eight. A pass out to the left found Mathers who lifted a shot over Petch from outside the area and into the net for her own hattrick.
The final two goals came close to the end. With 11 minutes left, Mathers made it four for her and nine for MUM FC after turning and sending a low shot from centrally positioned outside of the box into the right-hand corner of the net. Then, with three minutes remaining, Wainwright danced her way along the left-hand flank and squared a pass for Nicolina Ierino to tap home at the back post.
Hyundai NTC 2-4 Perth SC
Perth SC gained a vital victory against a rival for the top four at E&D Litis Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Azzurri took the game by the scruff of the neck with two goals in the opening 19 minutes.
They went ahead when Jessica Flannery was found by Gemma Craine to direct the ball into the net. It was 2-0 when Ella Lincoln broke through two tackles to advance into the box and maintain possession under the threat of two further NTC defenders to fire a superb shot across Megan Phillips and into the right-hand corner of the net.
However, within four minutes, the talented teenagers of the NTC were back in it as two of the state’s brightest young talents combined as Tanika Lala threaded a pass that allowed Junior Matilda Ischia Brooking to advance into the box and calmly slot home. After that flurry of three goals, it remained 2-1 at the break.
With 52 minutes played, Perth SC re-established their two-goal advantage as a great ‘no-look’ touch from Jessica Flannery found Monique Godding outside her. The favour was repaid which allowed Flannery to advance and roll the ball home to complete a brilliant move.
Yet from the re-start, the NTC got it back to just a single-goal deficit once more. They forced a throw-in on the right flank and the ball was played back to Grace Johnston, who earlier this week was awarded her first-ever A-League Women contract with Perth Glory. The youngster curled a stunner into the net from the right-hand edge of the box.
With just under a quarter of an hour remaining, The Azzurri finally made the points safe when Flannery forced a mistake as she challenged two NTC players in midfield and hit a low shot from outside the box from the right of centre which bounced as Phillips dived and rolled into the net to complete her hat-trick.
Subiaco 1-3 Fremantle City
Fremantle City maintained their grip on second spot with victory over Subiaco at Rosalie Park in Sunday’s late game.
The visitors hit the front just after the half-hour mark when Tash Rigby broke down the right, evading several attempted tackles to reach the by-line and square for Olivia Trueman to tap home from close range.
Subiaco levelled two minutes before the break when Freo were unable to clear Lilly Bassett’s throw in from the left and Savannah Olsthoorn played a ball across goal for Dakota Van-Vugt to slide into the net.
The match was ultimately settled by two Freo goals in a spell of three minutes during the in the opening 11 minutes of the second half. First, a corner on the right for the visitors bounced for Laura Waltman to control and then advance to the by-line on the left to square a low pass for Matilda Boyle to turn home.
Then, Sofie Osborne gained possession on the left of centre of the park and played in a perfectly judged curling pass to Rigby outside her. The Perth Glory captain advanced into the box to slam her side’s third goal past Subiaco goalkeeper Ashleigh Riddle.
Freo have now won seven of their last eight NPLW WA matches, including a run of five wins on the bounce. They face a tricky spell of matches in the next three weeks which could define their season. Faye Chambers’ side face off against top-four rivals Hyundai NTC, Murdoch University Melville before a mouthwatering showdown with Perth RedStar.
Stap yourself in, it will be quite a ride.
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