Penny TannerHoath from The World Football Programme on 107.9FM gives her review of the latest round in the Smarter than Smoking Women's Premier League.

East Fremantle lost 2 nil to Queens Park in a game where the Fremantle side played nowhere near the potential Coach Tony Carvajal has seen in his squad so far this year. A number of opportunities to score in both halves fizzled close to the Queens Park goal with one of the best chances coming as young newcomer Ebony Drane glanced a corner kick along the front of the crossbar well out of the keeper's reach. Queens Park scored once in each half via midfield dynamo Amy Thorpe.

Thorpe seems to be reaching her peak again after the squad kicked in with their training later than other teams. 16 year old young playmakers Monique Gordon and Brittany Woodfin reinforced Coach Steve Woodfins reasons for promoting them from the 17s top premier level this year.

Nedlands versus Subiaco may have been the most dramatic of the round. Nedlands were holding a very attacking Subiaco with some great defending. Just before half time Nedlands goalkeeper Penny TannerHoath collected the ball in mid air and collided with both defender and oncoming attacker.  Laying motionless for awhile the referee dissallowed the ensuing goal from the ball that trickled out of TannerHoaths hands as she collapsed onto the ground. Play was imediately stopped while the keeper was stretchered off.  Nedlands lost their momentum from this point.  Stand in keeper Katy Rutter did her best, but Subiaco put together some tidy strings of passes through hardworking midfielders Joanne Weigel, Cathy Young and Carol Howes. Subiaco deserved the 3 goals as Nedlands buckled under the constant pressure.  Michelle Kent and Rana Amasha stood out in the Nedlands defense but were simply overrun by Subiaco.  Final score 3-0 to Subiaco.

Mandurah came into the UWA match sitting on top of the ladder and undefeated after their first two games however fresh from a 5-1 win against Cockburn UWA were keen on notching up their second win of the season.

The first half was very much one way traffic with UWA winning the midfield battle and creating numerous openings whilst Mandurah sat back in their own half. Wayward shooting and excellent keeping by the Mandurah Goalkeeper Sara King kept the score at 0-0 until 5 minutes before half time where UWA striker F. Simmons found herself in space at the top of the box from where she finished clinically well out of reach of the Mandurah keeper.

The second half saw a hugely improved effort from Mandurah who, from the kick off attempted to get forward at every opportunity and created an opening on the right hand side of the UWA box only to see the shot sail high and wide. This spurred UWA to step up the pressure and gaps began to open up in the Mandurah defence, UWA hit the post twice, squandered a chance at an open goal and had a couple of shots saved by the keeper before M. Kolker surprised Mandurah with a shot from the top of the box.

Mandurah refused to give up though and minutes from the end a long ball played over the top of the sleeping UWA defence to Mandurah's Nicola Pritchett resulted in a great finish to make the score 2-1.

UWA will go away from the match happy with one of their best team performances whilst Mandurah can hold their heads high with an excellent second half performance that they will hope to carry into future matches where they will trouble a lot of teams.

Coach Tim Hodgson, in Thailand for the time being, was confident of leaving his young squad in Captain and former NTC player Carys Hawkins hands. The players did not fail expectations and after only 2 games of the 3 rounds played still remain at the top of the ladder with a 10 goals for and only 2 against status.  Cockburns defence shook under Redbacks onslaught and look to have a considerable amount of work to do under Coach Kristina Antonic.

PennyTannerHoath