Perth SC have replaced Hyundai Football West Academy at the top of the NPLWA – Women’s competition with Ella Lincoln netting a hat-trick in a resounding defeat of their title rivals.
A wet and windy Round 14 saw thumping away wins for the Azzurri and Balcatta Etna over top-four rivals the Academy and Perth RedStar, respectively, as they seized the initiative heading into the final third of the campaign.
Despite their defeats, the Academy and Perth RedStar remain in the picture, with only four points separating the top four sides.
The Azzurri hit the front on 16 minutes at the Sam Kerr Football Centre when Jess Flannery stood up a cross for Sam Mathers to attack and nod in from a metre out.
That ensured the visitors capitalised on having the breeze behind them in the first half, although skipper Klaudia Houlis was left frustrated when she had an equaliser ruled out because the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.
Lincoln then lashed in Perth’s second just before the break to give Perth a deserved 2-0 lead at the interval.
The visitors continued to adapt better to the torrential conditions as they worsened in the second half.
Lincoln scored her second of the game when stealing the ball high up and linking with Daisy McAllister, who put it on a plate for the Perth Glory A-League striker to net from close range.
Sakura Leong drove a low effort wide of the post with the best Academy chance after the break, but Perth proved too good and rubberstamped their win when Flannery slipped through Lincoln, who finished across the goalkeeper.
NPLW RESULTS, FIXTURES & STANDINGS
The Azzurri are now a point clear of Balcatta in the standings after Etna defeated RedStar 5-0 at RedStar Arena.
Faye Phillips curled in the opener on 12 minutes before Jamie-Lee Gale pulled back to the edge of the box, where Ella Marwick was able to lift over Gabby Dal Busco and in.
Gale volleyed in Abbey Meakins’ corner for a visitors’ third just past the hour mark, and then Abbey Woolley was penalised for handball with Meakins converting the penalty kick for 4-0.
Gale added a fifth when she raced clear and slotted past the goalkeeper to move into double figures in the league.
Balcatta’s win was their eighth in a row. They have shot to into second place, one point clear of the next week’s opponents the Academy and three ahead of RedStar.
Balcatta and Perth SC also have a game in hand on the other two, from when their Round Six meeting was abandoned due to light failure.
Elsewhere, Leyna Wood scored a hat-trick as Fremantle City scored four second-half goals to win 4-1 against Subiaco at Rosalie Park.
The opener came on 62 minutes when Alex Poad sent a superb cross over from the right and Wood arrived to side-foot first time past an onrushing Monique Todd.
Todd later went off after a heavy collision with teammate So-Yi Kim. Fremantle then scored three times in eight minutes to run away with victory.
Skipper Annabelle Leek headed in Abbey Green’s corner before Wood scored from another Poad pass inside the final 10 minutes. The American’s hat-trick goal was a left-footed effort which rolled into the bottom corner and brought up nine goals for the campaign.
Stella Zampogna scooped in a nicely taken consolation for Subiaco in stoppage time, but it was too little, too late as the home side remain in sixth spot.
At the foot of the table, Murdoch University Melville picked up their first point of the season in a 0-0 draw with UWA Nedlands, but still face an uphill task to avoid finishing bottom of the league.
MUM FC had the closest chance of the first half on 36 minutes when Ana Denona’s free-kick came off a UWA defender and crashed off the bar.
Moments later, Steve Atkins’ side were a player down when Monique Baiamonte was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident.
Both teams had chances to win it in the final five minutes. A fine save from Jemma Skinner denied Uni’s Melina Franklin, before Ellis Glanfield put wide of the post for MUM FC in the dying stages.
Six points still separate the bottom two with seven games left.