Report by Peter Simcox

Perth SC celebrate Abbey Meakins' fantastic winner. Photo by Peter Simcox

Perth SC have continued their perfect start to the NPLW WA with a 2-1 win over Balcatta at Grindleford Reserve.
 
Katie Holtman gave the visitors the lead early, before second-half substitute Abbey Meakins scored a stunning second for the Azzurri.

Balcatta were back in the game with 13 minutes to play through Christiane Astorp but they couldn’t find the equaliser.
 
After their victory over Fremantle in Round One, Perth were soon on the front foot here and Balcatta keeper Gabby Dal Busco was alert to deny Holtham.

But their early pressure was rewarded with the opener on 16 minutes. Skipper Jaime Duncanson found Holtham on the right of the area and the former Glory midfielder finished low across Dal Busco.
 
Balcatta lifted to finish the half the better, with Caitlin Doeglas a constant threat. Perth keeper Beck Bennett had to be alert to deny her just before half-time, while there was still time for Astorp to clip the crossbar.
 
The hosts were out of the blocks quickly at the start of the second half and Bennett got down well to save from Astorp, but against the run of play it was Perth who doubled their lead.
 
Some great work out on the left by Toni Walden resulted in a ball to Meakins, whose first-time, right-foot shot flew over Dal Busco and in to the top corner.
 
Balcatta continued to press and Cassandra Harvey fired over when well placed, before they found a lifeline on 77 minutes.
 
It was Doeglas who was the supplier, a great turn in the middle of the park gave her room and she played a through ball in to the path of Astorp, who made no mistake.
 
The home side sniffed a comeback and a long clearance from Dal Busco almost found the equaliser, but Doeglas couldn’t keep her shot down.
 
Balcatta appealed for a late penalty when Astorp went down but referee Martin Hicks waved away their protests, and it was Perth who held on for the three points.

Teams and match details HERE

Hyundai NTC pulled off a terrific 4-3 win over Northern Redbacks at Celebration Park.

The Football West development side, which has some of the bright young prospects in the country, raced into a 4-1 lead early in the second half before the Redbacks cut the deficit.

The opener on 21 minutes was something special. Taneesha Baker retrieved an overhit corner and laid the ball off to Tijan McKenna, who fed her sister Leticia McKenna on the edge of the box. There was still plenty to do, but the NTC skipper had one touch, turned and curled a left-footer into the top corner.

Redbacks levelled before half-time when NTC got in to trouble trying to play out from the back and Sarah Carroll nipped in to finish smartly. But the home side soon hit back thanks to Isabella Wallhead's back post header.

Sarah Carroll had a great opportunity to make it 2-2 early in the second half but blazed a penalty over the bar. Instead it was NTC who struck through Abbey Green, who got on the end of Hana Lowry's pass to score at the second attempt.

Three became four when Green struck again and the game looked up for Redbacks, despite Shawn Billam's tap-in which gave the visitors a glimmer.

Jayna Ridley reduced the arrears further in stoppage time with a nice finish but it wasn't enough to deny NTC their first win of the season.

Teams and match details HERE

Gemma Craine scored twice as Fremantle City bounced back from their opening week loss with a resounding 5-0 defeat of Curtin University.

After Courtney Butlion had missed a penalty, Georgie Ireland nodded Fremantle in front in first-half stoppage time, following up Mikayla Lyons' free-kick which had rattled the crossbar.

Eleven minutes into the second half Lyons got on the scoresheet, netting after Curtin keeper Stacey Cavill fumbled a cross.

Craine cleverly diverted home the third from close range, then crashed home the fourth from outside the box. Tash Rigby nodded in the fifth from a corner to complete a convincing win for Freo.

Teams and match details HERE

Murdoch University Melville also picked up a first three points in the Women's NPL as they beat Subiaco 6-0 at Rosalie Park.

Sadie Lawrence scored a hat-trick, Katarina Jukic netted her second double of the season and Ellie La Monte also struck as Subiaco suffered their second heavy loss in as many weeks.

Lawrence's opener on nine minutes was impressive enough, although Subiaco had enough chances to have cleared the ball. It was a similar story close to half-time when Jukic punished the home side's limited resistance. And soon after La Monte curled a peach to make it 3-0 at the break.

There was no stopping the fourth, a screamer from Lawrence who nodded in her hat-trick goal unchallenged not long after.

The sixth and final goal had a similar feel, Subiaco allowing too much time and space for an opponent, this time Jukic, to score from distance.

Teams and match details HERE