Murdoch University Melville claimed their first piece of silverware for the 2021 season after Tia Stonehill's double led them to a 2-0 triumph over Balcatta in Saturday's Women's State Cup final at Inglewood Stadium.
In a scrappy affair, Player of the Match Stonehill opened the scoring early with a cross-cum-shot for the 2020 Women's NPLWA winners, before she slotted a second from Jaymee Gibbons' through ball just past the half-hour mark.
Balcatta rallied with Ashleigh Panaia hitting the crossbar late in the first half and Danelle Cornish being forced to make a handful of second-half saves but league leaders MUM FC held on.
The win provides some payback for MUM FC who lost to Balcatta 2-1 in the pre-season Night Series Final in March.
MUM FC coach Mark Jones said: "Little bit of redemption but we'd just started to assemble a team at that stage.
"It probably wasn’t the way we wanted to play but it was forced on us a bit, but a result is a result in a cup final."
Stonehill settled any cup final nerves with her first-minute opener which had a touch of fortune as her right-wing cross eluded Balcatta goalkeeper Gabby Dal Busco.
Ellie La Monte had a fifth minute chance saved by Dal Busco, while Balcatta's Christiane Astorp tested Cornish down the other end in a lively start.
MUM FC extended their lead on 31 minutes. Gibbons sent Stonehill in on goal and she shrugged her defender and made no mistake, shooting under the onrushing Dal Busco to make it 2-0.
Five minutes before half-time Cornish got her fingers to Panaia's shot, turning it on to the crossbar, while Balcatta continued to push for a goal back in the second half as MUM FC lost control of the game.
Kim McCartney had a low shot inside the box saved by Cornish, while at the other end Charli Wainwright could have sealed the win for MUM FC in the 76th minute but she shot over after Stonehill's run down the right.
Balcatta's Elizabeth Doust had a drive turned over late, while Dal Busco touched Grace Betti's stoppage-time effort on to the post as MUM FC claimed the first State Cup of the NPLWA - Women's era.
Filed Under: Women's State Cup