Northern Reds, sitting on top of the premier table defeated second placed UWA 8-7 after extra time and penalties in what was probably the match of the round and a showcase for womens football. 

Young state team player 15 year old Rebecca Davies scored 2 of the Reds 4 goals, one in each of normal and extra time. Jen Jobling did a great job in goals for Redbacks as sister Lindsay scored at the other end. UWA’s Candadian striker Magalie Kolker showed her class with a solo effort in the first half and a neat volley in the second to take the game to extra time at 3-3.

Last years League Champions Balcatta, fought hard for their win against a determined and young East Fremantle side winning 5-3 on penalties.  The 3pm kick off and time of year encouraged Balcatta to switch on the lights to complete the game.  Queens Park A advance via a forfeit from Beckenham B and Beckenham A progress via a forfeit from Noranda’s B side.  Mandurah despatched of Northern Reds second side 6-1 in extra time after it was 1-1 at full time.  Tim Hodgson’s coaching style stamped all over the team in the clubs typical passing game.  Melissa Spillman’s hat trick displaying her inconsistently exposed talents. Cockburn, languishing at the bottom end of the premier table, steam rolled fourth division’s only flagship Port Kennedy 8-1.

Nedlands, struggling at the lower end of the Premier table, worked hard to overcome Division 2’s mid table side Curtin, 3-2.  The Curtin keeper showing some terrefic ball handling but ineffective kick outs and was simply overcome by the Nedlands strikers predatory attacks on goal. The game opener unexpectantly came from Curtin in the first half via Flo Tawns, a cracker from a tight angle way outside the 18 yard box, after the Nedlands defense gave her room to eye up the angle and judge the distance.  The forthcoming lob neatly floated between the two defenders and over TannerHoaths head. Liz Dorman scored the first in reply for Nedlands, another cracker from outside the 18 yard box into the top of the net with an amount of ferocity the keeper couldn’t do much about.  It was 3-1 until late in the second half, after Harling and Bennett notched up two more, when Bran Morgen outpaced the Nedlands defense and shot cleanly into the corner of the goal, leaving the keeper wondering why she didn’t advance off the goal line and make her own job easier.  John Warrington would be thinking hooray, after the Nedlands squad showed considerable improvement in team play, leaving behind previous weeks disjointed outings.

The two premier sides now knocked out, East Fremantle and UWA, removes two of the best ball playing sides in the competition, leaving the remaining 8 teams to enter round 3.

In first division….

Balcatta’s B side, currently sitting top of the first division, did the club proud to beat Queens Park B who are mid table in the same division.  It was the third game that went to extra time after 1-1 at full time then 2-2 thanks to Kate Reynolds from Queens Park, then penalties and Balcatta winning on the 8th shot taken. The score finished 6-5.

The Jacks showed some great fortitude to come from 3-0 down at half time to defeat Gosnells A 4-3 inside normal time.  The two sides are sitting third and fourth in the first division respectively.  Donna Douglas scored all 3 for Gosnells.

Mid table in the first division, newly relegated Noranda disposed of second division Lynwood 3-1.  First division table proppers East Fremantle B narrowly hung on for a 3-2 win over Queens Park’s second division C side.

Second division teams making it through include Wembley Downs over fifth division side Fremantle United 3-0.  The Wembley side showed some tidy team play down the wings and outpaced the Fremantle defense on enough occassions to please the coach. Ballajura ousted sixth division side Perth Royals 8-1.

This leaves 16 teams to be thrown into the hat again.  Maccabi could be considered lucky or unlucky to have escaped the draw so far, as the heat certainly increases with 8 of the 16 left from the premier division.

PENNY TANNERHOATH