Report by Tommy Doleman

Kayla McCulloch is pleased with how Fremantle's City's season has gone. Photo by Denyse McCulloch

Second meets third tonight as Fremantle City and Perth SC clash in Round 18 of the NPLWA – Women’s competition.

Perth RedStar confirmed their inevitable title success on Sunday with a 4-0 win over Fremantle, meaning attention now turns to the make-up of the Top Four Cup.

Garry Church’s City side sit one point clear of the Azzurri going into tonight’s fixture at Wauhop Park and are five points clear of Hyundai NTC, who are fifth. With four games remaining in the regular season, a win for either side will go close to cementing a finals spot, while the other may be looking over their shoulder depending on results elsewhere.

Despite leaders RedStar being 18 points clear of the rest, midfielder Kayla McCulloch says there are plenty of reasons for Fremantle to be proud of their season.

“We’re pretty happy as a whole, because to be second and in the top four would still be a good achievement,” she said.

“I’d say it’s been a bit impacted by Covid and injuries. We haven’t really had our first team out on the park consistently enough and it hasn’t always been easy. But I feel we’ve done well, and Garry has done well to manage it too.

“We’ve had plenty of U21s step up and do a great job and they have also had the opportunity to gel in the squad. Having known RedStar were going to be tough to chase down, we’ve managed to stick together well, support each other and keep our heads high throughout the season.”

McCulloch has enjoyed a breakout couple of years in the NPL, having been a consistent figure in every matchday squad bar one over the past two seasons.

The 20-year-old started her footballing journey in Singapore, before playing junior girls football at UWA Nedlands and then boys football at Subiaco for three years.

After a short spell at Beckenham Angels, McCulloch is now in her fourth season at Fremantle City and was part of the U23s squad which won the league and Top Four Cup double in 2020. An opportunity to play first-team football presented itself at full-back in 2021, and having embraced that challenge last year, she has returned to the midfield in 2022 and is continuing to learn her craft.

“I’ve always been a midfielder, but I had played right-back previously for a while when playing boys football,” McCulloch said.

“Last year was strange because I wasn’t really expecting to play in that position. But moving back into midfield has been great this year and it definitely feels more comfortable with my style of play suited there, rather than out wide.

“I feel my strengths in midfield are my passing, positioning and reading of the game and it’s why I like playing there. Understanding how things shift, where I should be, and where the ball should go.

“I have been trying to work on some physical aspects, like explosive speed, and also increasing my strength with not being the biggest player on the field. But it’s not something which will come overnight and will be a bit of a build for me to get to that point. They’re all things I have been working on though and I know it will help my game overall if I get those things improved.”

Friday night could also be important with a double chance in September’s Top Four Cup on offer for whoever finishes second. McCulloch says City want to bounce back after a 3-0 defeat to Perth in their last league meeting at Dorrien Gardens.

“We’re definitely keen to have a win on Friday. We know we’re capable of beating Perth but need to make sure we’re switched on from the beginning and are putting in 100% for each other,” she said.

“When we’re in the game and focused, I feel we’re a hard team to break down, but it’s about avoiding those lapses of concentration.

“They won’t be an easy team to beat, but we’re always up for the challenge and I definitely think we have the capabilities to win tomorrow.

“First place would have obviously been more ideal, but we’re now trying to finish as high as possible. We just want to keep up our levels up and make sure we’re fighting for each other to be the best club we can possibly be.”

Also tonight, Curtin University welcome Murdoch University Melville to Edinburgh Oval in pursuit of their first win this season. Luke Thompson’s MUM FC currently occupy fourth spot and need three points themselves if they are to continue to shake off the chasers below.

On Saturday, Perth RedStar will look to continue their unbeaten season when they host Subiaco at RedStar Arena. A few weeks ago, this would have been viewed as a comfortable win for RedStar. However, Subiaco are much improved with the introduction of the likes of Lisa De Vanna, Marianna Tabain and Ella Mastrantonio, and have just enjoyed back-to-back wins over Balcatta Etna.

An important fixture with finals connotations completes the round on Sunday afternoon. Hyundai NTC meet Balcatta in a fixture between fifth and sixth at E&D Litis Stadium with three points necessary for both in their bids to reach the Top Four Cup for the first time in the NPL era.

All games are live on NPL.TV.

Round 18 fixtures

Friday (7.30pm unless stated): Curtin University v MUM FC (7pm), Fremantle City v Perth SC.

Saturday (5pm): Perth RedStar v Subiaco.

Sunday (3pm): Hyundai NTC v Balcatta Etna.