Fremantle City got their season up and running in the NPLWA – Women’s competition on Sunday as they recorded a 7-2 win away to Subiaco.
A goal-leaden Round Four saw 30 goals scored across the four matches as Freo, Perth RedStar and Perth SC all struck seven goals in thumping away wins.
Back-to-back champions RedStar stay top of the table with a 100% record on 12 points with Balcatta, Perth SC and Hyundai NTC all on nine points and five points clear of fifth place.
Faye Chambers’ side were yet to take a point in their opening three games and had to recover from an early setback at Rosalie Park as Subi struck first. Marianna Tabain and Stella Zampogna linked up on the edge of the box with former Perth Glory playmaker Tabain finishing in accomplished fashion.
The visitors levelled with a quarter-of-an-hour played as good pressure from Clara Hoarau saw the midfielder run in and score for 1-1. Then a wayward clearance out of hosts' defence saw Janice Kiama open her account for the season as she struck into a vacant net for Freo's second.
They had a third before half-time after a sensational counter-attack from a Subiaco corner, which saw Hoarau and Alex Poad involved in the free-flowing move that was eventually finished by Olivia Trueman.
Three became four when Kiama headed home a corner to bring up a double for the afternoon, but Subiaco stayed alive thanks to Cass Harvey’s third goal of the campaign from long-range.
Hopes of a comeback were dashed with 20 minutes remaining when two quick goals all but confirmed a City win. Trueman’s low effort went through the goalkeeper for 5-2, before the classy Hoarau stroked in after good work from Sophie Meaden.
Anna Powell’s scrappy late goal put the final touch on proceedings as Freo lifted themselves within a point of fifth-placed Subiaco with the victory.
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The team to catch are still RedStar who have picked up from where they left off last season with a 7-0 win against struggling Murdoch University Melville.
RedStar’s five-goal first half was mainly made in Japan as new signing Arai Manami laid off for Reina Kagami to strike low past the goalkeeper inside four minutes.
Caitlin Doeglas’ free-kick cannoned back off the post with Momoko Sakairi on hand to register her first goal for the club, and it was three on 20 minutes when Kagami stayed onside to tuck away and double her tally.
Manami and Kagami combined again with the latter arriving in the box to complete a hat-trick and bring up six for the campaign. Sarah Carroll then hammered in from long range for the second successive week to make it 5-0 at the interval.
Jayna Ridley completed a second-half brace from the bench after being set up by Kagami and Doeglas for simple finishes, as RedStar scored seven for the second week in succession while MUM FC remain bottom without a point.
Perth Soccer Club stayed second as Ella Lincoln scored a hat-trick in a 7-1 win over UWA Nedlands.
Lincoln teed up Daisy McAllister who fired magnificently into the top corner from 25 yards as Perth made the perfect start.
That led to a run of five goals in half-an-hour which set up the afternoon nicely for Danielle Brogan’s side. Lincoln got the next two to make it 3-0 as she finished with precision to double the lead, before benefiting from Jess Flannery’s burst down the left to sweep home a loose ball.
Epril Nossent rifled in her first goal for Perth with a drive from the edge of the box and got her second before the break as she glanced home Kim McCartney’s corner to make it a handful for the Azzurri at the half.
Sam Mathers joined the scorers as she fired a free-kick low through the wall for six, and the visitors had a seventh on 55 minutes when Lincoln scored from the penalty spot.
The home side netted a consolation before the hour mark as Emily Dinsdale capitalised on a mix-up in Perth’s defence to loft into a vacant net. But Lawrence Lewis’ promoted side are still chasing their first win and have conceded 14 goals in their past two games. They sit seventh with one point from four matches and next up in the league is a clash against bottom club MUM FC in a fortnight.
On Friday night, Balcatta Etna bounced back from last week’s defeat at Perth with a 4-2 win over Hyundai NTC.
Etna came out of the blocks quickly as two first-half goals put them in good position. Lucy Jerram’s left-footed arrow found the corner for the winger’s sixth goal of the campaign, before Abbey Meakins scored for a fourth successive NPLW game when she finished Monique Godding’s cross from six yards.
NTC were fighting to protect a 100% record in season 2024 and pulled one back just past the hour when Mia Britton got the goal her impressive performance deserved, curled the ball beyond Rebecca Bennett.
Faye Phillips restored Balcatta’s two-goal buffer with a first goal for her new club from six yards, reacting fastest to Megan Phillips’ save from Monique Prinsloo.
Ben Anderton’s side continued to battle though and set up a thrilling finale when the excellent Britton found substitute Theodora Mouithys, who held off her opponent to finish with six minutes left.
Prinsloo finally put the game to bed deep in stoppage time when finishing Jamie-Lee Gale’s cross from close range, which opened her account for the season and helped Etna keep pace with the front-runners in second.