Football West News

Sarah Carroll and captain Shawn Billam celebrate Perth RedStar's NPLWA - Women's Top Four Cup win over Hyundai NTC. Photo by Football West/FotoEnzo

Perth RedStar completed an NPLWA Top Four Cup double with victory in the men’s and women’s finals at Dorrien Gardens on Saturday.

RedStar’s all-conquering NPLWA – Women’s team enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win over Hyundai NTC thanks to goals from Larissa Walsh, Shawn Billam and Jayna Ridley.

The victory rounded off a dominant season for Carlos Vega Mena’s side, who completed a clean sweep of all four trophies on offer and went through the entire league and cup campaign undefeated.

The drama was left for the NPLWA – Men’s Top Four Cup, where for once Floreat Athena were on the receiving end.

League champions Athena, renowned for snatching late victories and often at the expense of RedStar, were 2-0 up with 20 minutes to play following first-half strikes from Bayley Brown-Montgomery and Phil Arnold.

But defender Ryan Lowry threw Callum Salmon’s team a lifeline when he headed in from a free-kick, and within minutes RedStar were level as Golden Boot winner Daryl Nicol thumped another header beyond keeper Jason Saldaris.

Then two minutes into stoppage time and with extra-time on the cards, Floreat again failed to deal with a high ball into the area and Nicol was in like a flash to fire home a dramatic winner.

Nicol’s late double strike won him the Gary Marocchi Medal as player of the match while former striker Danny Hodgson, who suffered life-changing injuries in an unprovoked attack 12 months ago, joined the team at the trophy presentation.

There were 11 Top Four Cup finals in total over the weekend at the home of Perth SC.

On Sunday, Mandurah City defeated NPL-bound Olympic Kingsway 1-0 in the Men’s State League final.

Joe O’Brien scored the only goal for the Dolphins early in the second half.

The Hyundai Women’s State League final was won by league champions South West Phoenix. Salli Howden-Woodland got the opener on seven minutes, with Carrie Caffrey making the game safe with a penalty in second-half stoppage time.

The weekend began with the Men’s State League Division Two U18s final between Joondalup City and Curtin University on Friday. City led at the break through James Malone, Taye Stuurman equalised with probably the goal of the weekend and the match headed to penalties, where Liam Morris’ save from Sam Hannah gave Joondalup a league-Top Four Cup double.

Next was the Men’s State League Division Two Reserves decider, in which Carramar Shamrock Rovers beat Swan United 2-1. All the goals arrived in the first half, as Griffin Sture and Jamie Bromell scored for Rovers either side of Allister Gomes’ equaliser.

Perth Glory claimed two of the trophies up for grabs on Saturday. Their NPLM U18s beat Bayswater City 1-0 thanks to Khoa Ngo’s follow-up after his retaken penalty had been saved by Robert Sinclair. Later, Joel Anasmo’s third-minute header was enough for Glory to win the NPLM U20s final against Perth RedStar.

In between those two matches was the NPLW U21 final, with Hyundai NTC defeating Perth RedStar 3-1. Angelique Clayton and Klaudia Houlis (2) were NTC’s scorers, while Dareskadar Tamru was on target for RedStar.

The Sunday saw with two games from the Men’s State League Division One. The U18s Top Four Cup final went the way of Forrestfield United, who beat Subiaco 2-0 with goals from Patrick Shortall and Nicolas Echeverria.

And there was further disappointment for Subiaco in the Men’s State League Division One Reserves as they lost on penalties to Fremantle City following a goalless draw. Fremantle keeper Morgan Richards saved all three of Subiaco’s spot-kicks, before Alex Guzman drilled home the winning penalty.