Report by Samuel Hays

Murdoch University Melville remain three points clear at the top of the NPL Women's league. Photo by FotoEnzo

Murdoch University Melville continued their strong run of form in the NPLWA Women's league with a 4-1 defeat of Balcatta at Grindleford Reserve on Sunday.

The table-toppers took the lead through Thalia Organ before further goals from Katarina Jukic, Sadie Lawrence and Stacey Learmont meant Caitlin Doeglas’ late strike was nothing more than a consolation.

MUM FC were on top early as Learmont and Organ both went close, while Doeglas had a shot at the other end.

And it was MUM FC who took the lead after 28 minutes when Organ received the ball on the corner of the box, shot first time and the ball bounced over diving Balcatta keeper Gabby Dal Busco at her near post.

Jukic made it two just before the break as she intercepted a poor throw out from Dal Busco before putting the ball back over the stranded keeper and into the empty net.

And the visitors didn’t slow down in the second half, with Lawrence volleying in a flick-on from a corner within two minutes of the resumption.

It was four 13 minutes later when Learmont netted after getting on the end of a good through ball before holding off her defender and sliding her shot past Dal Busco.

Balcatta pulled a goal back through Doeglas when she got the ball near the halfway line and made a lung-bursting run before lashing her shot past Danelle Cornish in the MUM FC goal.

But it was too little, too late with MUM FC showing why they are top of the table.

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Liana Cook's second-half penalty proved to be the winner for Perth Soccer Club as they won 1-0 at Fremantle City to move into outright second spot.

The Azzurri made a good start at Hilton Park as Zoe Spadano drove through midfield and fed Cook, who stung the palms of Dayle Schroeder on 10 minutes.

From the corner, Tessa De Leo volleyed at Schroeder who stuck out a hand and gathered at the second attempt.

City created several chances in response. Perth Glory's W-League skipper Tash Rigby charged forward and hit the top of the crossbar with a long-range strike before Georgie Ireland's swerving drive fizzed just wide of Rebecca Bennett's post.

Gemma Craine's effort was parried by Bennett early in the second half before Abbey Meakins' free-kick from 30 yards for Perth SC thundered off a combination of Schroeder's fingertips and post.

The game's decisive moment came with 15 minutes remaining as Jamie-Lee Gale was adjudged to have fouled Toni Walden in the area and a penalty was awarded to Perth.

Cook stepped up to score her third goal in two games following last weekend's double at the Regional Festival of Football in Albany.

Craine's long-range shot was closest the home side came to levelling as Perth completed a league double over March's Night Series winners to stay three points behind leaders MUM FC

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Northern Redbacks moved above Balcatta into third as they recorded a convincing 4-0 win at Subiaco.

The visitors started well as they set about recording a second consecutive road win with Sarah Carroll firing powerfully in to the midriff of Annaleisha Pickering from range.

The deadlock was broken on 20 minutes when Katie Moth surged forward from full-back to collect Emily Dunn's pass and dink coolly over the goalkeeper.

Siobhan Mullooly had Subiaco's best chance of equalising with a free-kick which was straight at the returning Morgan Aquino, but Redbacks would double their advantage three minutes before the break.

Sophia Neal's in-swinging cross went through several bodies and arriving late on the scene was Melanie Doeglas, who scored her first goal of the season.

Pickering made a superb save to deny Lauren Continibali just past the hour mark, but the hosts' resistance was broken as the Redbacks scored two late goals.

Kizanne Mulder's corner was the grabbed by the wind and it sailed all the way in for the substitute's first goal of the campaign, before Continibali volleyed home expertly with minutes remaining.

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Hyundai NTC Women moved into the final top-our spot in the day's early kick-off with a 2-1 win over Curtin University at Celebration Park.

Two goals inside the first seven minutes did the job for the youngsters, who struck first when Stacey Cavill fumbled Hana Lowry's shot from range and Monique Prinsloo swivelled on the rebound to score into an empty net.

It was 2-0 soon after. Prinsloo was involved again as she dug out a cross to the near post which was poked in at the second time of asking by Taneesha Baker.

Curtin came close to pulling one back when Miranda Templeman claimed an awkward high looping cross at the second time of asking under pressure from an incoming Abena Selormey.

And the two came together again as the visitors halved the deficit before half-time. Selormey beat the goalkeeper to a cross and won a penalty which Penelope Clayton stepped up and converted.

Aliesha Bennett's piledriver stung the palms of Templeman who had to gather at the second attempt seven minutes after the restart, before Jess Darmago flashed wide of the post midway through the second period.

Abbey Green nearly added a third with nine minutes to play as she beat Cavill to a through ball, only for the recovering Alyssa Van Heurck to clear off the goal line.

Tatiana Gonzales volleyed at Templeman late on, but the visitors were unable to force a leveller and NTC ended a three-game winless run.

Teams and match details