Football West News

Fremante City with the NPL WA Women's Night Series title. Photo by Football West/FotoEnzo

Fremantle City have won the inaugural NPL WA Women’s Night Series title after a 3-0 win against the Football West Hyundai NTC.

First-half goals from Isabelle Bridger and Gemma Craine set Fremantle on their way at Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium.

And four minutes from the end, Jayme-Lee Smith added a third to seal a comprehensive win.

With Perth Glory Women’s Coach Bobby Despotovski in the crowd, NTC made the brighter start. They had the first opportunity after seven minutes, but Georgia Cassidy couldn’t keep her effort down.

From then on Fremantle started to take control of the game and Coral Buxey fired wide of the target, before Craine’s shot on the run whistled wide.

On the half-hour Fremantle hit the front. Craine’s corner picked out Bridger at the back post and she headed past Shivani Battaglia.

Fremantle went close to a second four minutes later. Battaglia saved well to deny Mikayla Lyons, before NTC defender Cameron Barreiro got back with a last-ditch tackle to thwart Ashleigh Santich.

With none of his Perth Glory W-League players available for selection, coach Ben Anderton again went with the squad which had got the NTC this far. But in front of a crowd of over 1,000, the youngsters seemed to go into their shells in the first half.

And a minute before half-time Fremantle doubled their advantage. Craine won possession in the middle of the park and surged past two NTC defenders before firing past Battaglia.

Fremantle continued to dictate terms after the break and Evie Marchetti’s shot was saved by a busy Battaglia.

NTC eventually began to settle and showed they wouldn’t go down without a fight when Cassidy’s shot was cleared off the line by the alert Laura Waltman. The lively midfielder was in again moments later, but shot straight at Fremantle keeper Dayle Schroeder.

But the game was wrapped up four minutes from time when NTC overplayed in their own half, lost possession and the ball was slipped in to Smith, who finished clinically to seal the win.

Craine was outstanding on the night and deservedly won the ‘Tracey Wheeler Medal as best on field.

Match details

Fremantle City 3 (Bridger 30min, Craine 44′, Smith 86′)
Football West Hyundai NTC 0

Saturday March 7, 2020
Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium, Inglewood
Kick-off: 5pm
Referee: Jessica Bryd
Assistant referees: Libby Caldwell, Nicki Haynes
Fourth official: Liviu Katona

Fremantle City: GK Dayle SCHROEDER, 2 Courtney BUTLION (27 Annique KEISLER 66’), 5 Isabelle BRIDGER, 8 Mikayla LYONS, 9 Evie MARCHETTI, 10 Steffi NADILO, 19 Annabella LEEK (6 Georgie IRELAND 85’), 22 Laura WALTMAN, 23 Coral BUXEY, 31 Gemma CRAINE, 42 Ashleigh SANTICH (20 Jayme-Lee SMITH 58’)
Substitutes not used: 32 Matilda BOYLE, 72 Kaylin GEELHOED
Yellow cards: Santich 47’
Red cards: Nil

Football West Hyundai NTC: GK Shivani BATTAGLIA, 2 Dylan DAVIDSON (17 Elizabeth DOUST 79’), 3 Ruby WALSH, 5 Cameron BARREIRO, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Kate ARMSTRONG (24 Sophia PAPALIA 71’), 12 Judy CONNOLY, 13 Grace MONTEIRO, 15 Monique PRINSLOO, 16 Daisy MCALLISTER, 18 Ella LINCOLN (10 Kate RITCHIE 61’)
Substitutes not used: RGK Lilly BAILEY, 25 Carys DAVIS, 26 Jana GARCIA
Yellow cards: Connoly 51’
Red cards: Nil