Cook keeps title race on the boil

Report by Sean Fry

Action from Redbacks' 1-1 draw with NTC. Photo by FotoEnzo

A Liana Cook header and a professional defensive performance gave Perth SC a deserved 1-0 victory over Balcatta in Sunday’s NPLWA Women’s twilight fixture at Dorrien Gardens.

The result drew the Azzurri level on 25 points with league leaders Murdoch University Melville with three rounds to play in what is now a two-horse title race.

Cook came within inches of opening the scoring in the 13th minute when she found herself unmarked from a Perth corner, but her header skimmed the crossbar on the way over.

She made up for that miss when she nodded home a Jamie Duncanson corner to give Perth the lead midway through the first half.

Balcatta had their captain Gabby Dal Busco to thank for keeping the deficit to a single goal during the first half. Dal Busco showed why she is regarded as one of the top goalkeepers in the league, saving smartly from Duncanson in a one-on-one.

Caitlin Doeglas came closest for Balcatta, stinging the palms of Rebecca Bennett after a delightful through ball from Ashleigh Panaia moments before half-time.

Panaia then threatened in the first minute of the second half, but was again denied by a smart save from the Perth shot-stopper.

Perth were never really threatened after that and they saw out the game to claim the three points.

A deciding factor could be MUM FC’s superior goal difference – they are currently 15 goals better off than Perth.

Next week MUM FC take on the Northern Redbacks on Friday, while Perth SC meet Curtin University next Sunday.

Teams and match details

Northern Redbacks and NTC split the points with a 1-1 draw at Kingsway Reserve, a result which saw both teams end Round 11 in the top four.

The visitors started the day knowing a win could send them third and they started on the front foot as Tijan McKenna fired narrowly wide of the mark, before Leiticia McKenna's half-volley was gathered by Morgan Aquino.

Melanie Doeglas was unable to hook home after a goalmouth scramble for Redbacks, but the home side would go behind midway through the first half as Cheyenne Wise-Jarvis was penalised for handball in the area and Leticia McKenna planted her spot-kick into the bottom corner.

Aquino saved smartly at the near post from Monique Prinsloo as NTC tried to increase their advantage, before Redbacks coach Conrad McKelvie made an early double substitution with Emma McMurdo and Emily Dunn entering the fray after just 36 minutes.

It nearly brought immediate reward as Wise-Jarvis almost made contact on a corner at the back stick before leading scorer Sarah Carroll rattled the post from a tight angle.

Hana Lowry was twice denied by Aquino after the break, the second save outstanding, and then Judy Connolly slid an effort wide of the post as the youngsters continued to create the better chances.

The hosts had dropped to sixth before the weekend's action following a defeat to Fremantle City, but moved back up to fourth at City’s expense after they made it 1-1 on 70 minutes.

McMurdo's slip pass was perfectly weighted for Wise-Jarvis to run on to, and she rounded Miranda Templeman to slot into a vacant net for her first goal of the season.

There was nearly late drama when Leticia McKenna's shot was palmed around the post by Aquino before Isabella Wallhead's stoppage time goal was disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper, as one point splits four teams in the race for third and fourth.

Teams and match details

Curtin University bagged their first win of the season as they ended Fremantle City's outside hopes of the title with a 1-0 win at Edinburgh Oval.

The hosts’ game at Balcatta last week was abandoned at half-time due to waterlogged pitch, but their encouraging first half at Grindleford Reserve served them well on Saturday afternoon as they made life hard for the Night Series winners.

Steffi Nadilo had the first strike on goal for the visitors when her left-footed effort was gathered by Rochelle Hondema, while at the other end Jess Darmago was unable to keep her header down from Abena Selormey's cross.

Nadilo was unable to swivel and hit the target with another shot from Mikayla Lyons' corner before Isabelle Bridger sliced high and wide as the sides hit the break all-square.

Fremantle continued to be frustrated in the second half as Hondema fumbled a cross she initially lost in the sun, before clawing the loose ball off the line with Lyons bearing down on goal.

The game was becoming stretched as Megan Green lifted Coral Buxey's cross over the bar, while at the other end Selormey was denied by the fingertips of Dayle Schroeder, who got the slightest touch as the ball cannoned off the bar.

Curtin eventually took the lead when Alyssa Van Heurck's header from a corner fell to the feet of Selormey, who shot first time for her first goal of the season.

Van Heurck could have made it 2-0 when she blazed wide and Lyons shot straight at Hondema in search of an equaliser, but the home side held firm for a first clean sheet of 2020 and in turn their first three points.

Teams and match details

On Friday night, Murdoch University Melville temporarily moved three points clear of Perth SC with Katarina Jukic's hat-trick headlining a 7-0 win over bottom-placed Subiaco.

The leaders’ nine game unbeaten run ended last weekend against Perth, but they were quick out of the blocks on the Murdoch synthetic as Stacey Learmont nodded home when Subiaco failed to clear their lines from a corner.

Subiaco’s teenage keeper Annaleisha Pickering made a superb save when facing up one-on-one with Ellie La Monte as the visitors remained largely resolute throughout the first 45 minutes.

But La Monte would not be denied twice as she found herself through on goal soon after and made no mistake to give the home side a 2-0 lead at the interval.

MUM FC put the foot on the accelerator after the break, striking early when Charlie Wainwright put in La Monte's cross for her first goal of the campaign.

Jukic bagged the next two goals as she dispatched a penalty kick following Marissa Pidgeon's foul before dancing her way through the area and scoring for 5-0.

Pickering made an outstanding save to tip over Jukic's shot, but from the subsequent corner a sixth was conceded when Baxter Thew's headed cannoned off the unfortunate Pidgeon and into the net.

Golden Boot leader Jukic rounded out the scoring with her 14th goal of the campaign as MUM FC bounced back from last week's loss in dominant fashion.

Teams and match details




Comments

Comment Guidelines: The SportsTG Network is made up of players, families and passionate sports followers like you who have a strong opinion about sport. That's great - we want you to have your say and share your thoughts with the world. However, we have a few rules that you must follow to keep it fun for all. Please don't be rude, abusive, swear or vilify others. Apart from some pretty serious sport sanctions, we also can ban you and report you if things get out of hand. So play fair and have fun, and thanks for your contribution.

Sell Tickets.

Run your Event.

Sell tickets, QR Code + add to wallet functionality, track attendance, receive weekly settlements - all with GameDay Events & Ticketing!

A laptop and smart phone displaying the GameDay Events app.