Penny Tanner-Hoath

With three weeks left before finals, Coaches are rallying their sides for the five catch up games plus scheduled fixtures, which will decide finals placings. Who are the teams with the mental and physical toughness to withstand the extra pressure?

Mandurah 0 Queens Park 6
Queens Park totally outclassed Mandurah 6-0 at the Hyundai Stadium. Stacey Learmont increased her goal scoring tally with another four against the home side.  Claire Dunn’s contribution of two, made it 6-0 . Learmont has close to 30 goals and is sitting on top of the Golden Boot table.  Coach Jason Washington-King would be disappointed with the loss, but happy that with three games left Mandurah are likely to remain well above the relegation zone. Beckenham, who are five points below them, have to play Queens Park next week, then UWA and Redbacks, all top half of the table sides.

Subiaco 1 Northern Redbacks 2
Northern Redbacks dominated Subiaco in their 2-1 win, but left Coach Tim Hodgson again seeing his side waste too many opportunities.  Bec Davies and J. Nellany scored both their goals in the first half and Subiaco’s Cindy Morgan closed the gap.  Carol Howes was outstanding for Subiaco in the last half which saw Subiaco put the pressure on the Redbacks without reward. 

East Fremantle 2 - UWA 1

This game was end to end entertainment and East Fremantle’s first hit out after three weeks of postponed matches due to state representation.  Tony Carvajal’s young side had their work cut out for them with only a bare eleven players available after injuries reduced the squad from the original 16 pre-season.  With three weeks left to catch up on their postponed fixtures plus normal round games before the finals, they will have to play at least two games a week up to September 7.

UWA’s mobility in the first half tested East Fremantle defensively, but did not exploit any weaknesses and few clear-cut chances were created. The deadlock wasn’t broken until East Fremantle won a free kick from 30 metres out. Leading goal scorer for her side, Kat Jukic stepped up and clinically placed it over the keeper’s head, despite a touch from Ophel’s stretching fingertips, East Fremantle took the lead.

East Fremantle had the upper hand for the remainder of the half, but could not add to their tally.

The second half saw some good opportunities created from intelligent midfield play; Twice winger Claire Meaton was released down the right, and twice her shots cannoned off the post with the keeper beaten. A goal mouth scramble saw three successive UWA shots cleared off the line by a desperate East Fremantle defence.

UWA finally found the back of the net from a Jana Lee Moss corner which was knocked in at the back post by Naomi Mossenson to make it 1-1.

Both teams responded with time running out and there were some desperate clearances ate both ends. It came down to the final couple of minutes when East Fremantle’s Rene Rendell turned her defender and lobbed the keeper from well outside the box.

East Fremantle won 2-1 in a match which could have gone either way. 

Nedlands 3 Beckenham 4
Beckenham were deserved winners in a seven goal thriller on the Nedlands’ foreshore. 
Lizzy Scott started the scoring inside the first five minutes with a thundering left foot drive from the smallest of angles, low into the net.  Later in the first half Ash Harling outclassed the defense when she pounced on a rebound to score.

Just seconds after being substituted back on in the second half Harling cut behind her defender and at full pace chipped the keeper for her second. 

The Nedlands midfield kept close tabs on Claire Wragg, known for letting fly from any angle and distance. It wasn’t until well into the second half she was left unmarked to score an easy header from a corner and then again from five yards after a defensive mix-up leaving the goal keeper stranded.

Beckenham’s Emily Broderick put a penalty safely into the corner with ten minutes to go and Nedlands replied with Sarah Freedman putting the final effort for Nedlands away.  The final score 4-3 to Beckenham was a justified effort for the work and opportunities created by both teams.

Full results for the round:  Mandurah 0 Queens Park 6, Balcatta 3 Cockburn 0 FF, Subiaco 1 Northern Redbacks 2, East Fremantle 2 UWA 1, Nedlands 3 Beckenham 4
Look out for Match of the round next week: Redbacks and East Fremantle.  Redbacks are sitting second and East Fremantle are sixth on the table.  East Fremantle have the opportunity of making the top four finals and Redbacks need the win to keep on Queens Park’s tail and prevent Balcatta from overtaking them. Eight points separate the top three and there are three fixtures plus catch-ups games left.

CUP SEMIFINALS
Wednesday 20th Northern Redbacks play Queens Park at Morley Windmills at 7pm.  The teams are sitting first and second in the Premier League. The Reds demolished Nedlands 7-0 to make it through to the semifinals while Queens Park narrowly defeated a fourth placed Subiaco A 1-0.

The following Wednesday Subiaco B play Balcatta A at 7pm.  Subiaco made it through with a 3-0 win over Balcatta B.  Subiaco are still firmly on top of the First Division ladder while Balcatta A are sitting third in the Premier League.