Perth RedStar went top of the league on Sunday afternoon following an emphatic 7-0 win over UWA Nedlands in Round Three of the NPLWA Women’s competition.
Doubles from Caitlin Doeglas, Reina Kagami and Sarah Carroll helped the defending champions leapfrog Balcatta to reach the summit after Etna were beaten on Saturday night.
Carlos Vega Mena’s side are one of only two teams to hold a 100% record in season 2024, alongside Hyundai NTC who recorded a second win in four days on Sunday.
UWA resisted for half-an-hour before in-form Doeglas met Lauren Continibali’s cross from the right with a first-time curling finish.
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Kagami’s long-ranger doubled the lead, then Continibali and Doeglas linked up again with the latter heading home from six yards to make it five goals this season and a 3-0 half-time lead for RedStar.
Olivia Wood hooked in on the volley from close range after 55 minutes to make it four, before Carroll’s brilliant low strike from 30 yards found the bottom corner with the pick of the goals.
Carroll had her eye in as she curled home a free-kick from outside the box for 6-0.
The scoring was completed by Japanese midfielder Kagami. She steered a left-footed strike into the corner beyond an outstretched Morgan Springer as RedStar went three for three, while NPL newcomers UWA remain on one point after back-to-back defeats.
NTC have also won all their three league games after a 2-0 victory over Fremantle City at Hilton Park.
Ben Anderton’s team led in the first half when Jessica Johnson threaded through for Maja Archibald to score a beautifully executed first-time lob against her former side.
They had to wait until the final three minutes to secure the points as skipper Hannah Collins dispatched a penalty kick high into the net past Dayle Schroeder.
Elsewhere, Subiaco won 4-1 against bottom side Murdoch University Melville to record their first win of the season.
Greg Farrell’s side led after a dozen minutes as Tayna Campos’ stylish assist resulted in Frankie Murray-Hocking side-footing home.
The advantage was extended in the shadows of half time as Danielle Suckling’s 40-yard strike went over Manon Gebauer and into the back of the net.
But MUM FC showed plenty of fight in their late midweek defeat to NTC and they were given a route back into the game early in the second half when they were awarded a penalty. Luana Ascenzo-Cabello stepped up to convert it for her first NPLW goal.
The game was put out of their reach, however, in the final 10 minutes when Murray-Hocking’s free-kick was glanced on by the head of Dakota Van Vugt, who opened her account for the season.
Van Vugt then scored her second, hooking the ball home off the toes of her inrushing teammate Campos, who at least saw the funny side.
On Saturday night, Perth SC ended Balcatta Etna’s 100% start to the season with a 2-1 win at Dorrien Gardens, as Peter Rakic made an unsuccessful return to the club he guided to second place in each of the past two campaigns.
Perth’s opener came when Ella Lincoln carried the ball from her own half, held off the challenge of Monique Godding and then slipped through Jess Flannery for the striker to arrow low into the bottom corner.
The lead was doubled when Lincoln’s corner caused problems in Balcatta’s six-yard box and Liana Cook headed into her own net under pressure from Samantha Mathers.
Cook was one of six ex-Azzurri players in the Balcatta starting line-up and another, Abbey Meakins, continued her run of scoring in every round so far this season when her brilliant swerving free-kick beat Lilly Bailey in the home net.
The result means Perth join Balcatta on six points with the sides occupying the immediate spots behind early leaders RedStar and NTC.