Fremantle City have continued their excellent form to all but sew up a top-four finish in the NPLWA Women’s competition.
Faye Chambers’ side recorded a thrilling 3-2 win over Subiaco at Rosalie Park on Sunday. It was their sixth win in seven matches and puts them seven points clear of fifth-placed Hyundai NTC with a game in hand. They will play that rescheduled Round 13 fixture this Wednesday against bottom side UWA Nedlands at Dorrien Gardens (8pm).
NPLW RESULTS, FIXTURES & STANDINGS
Subiaco won’t make the post-season competition now but one more win for Greg Farrell’s side in their final three games will ensure they reach their highest points tally in the NPL era.
It was a fast start in the final match of the weekend, with Tanika Lala’s fifth-minute curler finding the corner. The Goldfields striker has scored in each of her past eight league appearances.
The home side were quickly level though as Tayna Campos’ wicked free-kick was turned into her own net by Janice Kiama. But Freo were back in front by the quarter-hour mark as Abbey Green beat three players, got to the byline and pulled back for Lala to tap in her second.
Alex Poad and Kiama then cleared goalbound efforts from Marianna Tabain and Campos in an entertaining first half, as Freo got to interval with their noses in front.
The visitors extended their lead seven minutes after the restart with Green the architect again and Lala arriving at the back post to finish her 19th goal of the season.
Subi would not lie down as they aimed to protect their own three-game unbeaten run. They pulled one back with 20 minutes remaining when Tabain slipped in Frankie Murray-Hocking and the midfielder took the ball around Dayle Schroeder and slotted home.
Chances came and went for both teams in an end-to-end finale. Subi’s Isobel Robinson denied Lala and substitute Mikayla Lyons while Murray-Hocking fired past Schroeder only for Freo skipper Annabelle Leek to clear off the line.
Elsewhere, Ella Lincoln scored five goals as Perth SC returned to winning ways with an astonishing 8-4 win away at UWA Nedlands.
It is the highest scoring match of the 2024 campaign so far with Perth flying out of the blocks and Lincoln scoring a three-minute hat-trick.
The Azzurri striker opened the scoring from close range on 10 minutes after Georgia Cassidy and Daisy McAllister combined in the build-up.
Lincoln’s second came when she followed in after Cassidy saw her shot saved by Morgan Springer, before Grace Johnston’s cross was laid off by Tijan McKenna for the league’s leading scorer to step around a challenge and fire in for 3-0.
UWA’s leading scorer Emily Dinsdale responded quickly for her side when lashing in from a tight angle having been played in by Melina Franklin.
Lincoln was on the scoresheet again when she converted a penalty after she had been fouled by Emma Gibson. But there was still time for Uni to pull another goal back thanks to a 40-yard screamer from Franca Dobbin.
Michaela Thawley’s penalty made it 3-4 as UWA started to believe a comeback was possible. But Perth quickly extinguished those hopes with Cassidy’s free-kick from the right flying in over Springer, before the Perth Glory A-League midfielder converted Lincoln’s cross at the back post to make it 6-3.
Chloe Rodrigo’s neat curler was the substitute’s second goal of the campaign and reduced the arrears again, but Perth struck twice later in the piece as they ensured RedStar would have to wait another week to win the title.
Another Perth penalty, this time taken by Cassidy, was saved well by Springer but Lincoln followed in to make it five for the afternoon and 22 for the campaign. McAllister then put extra gloss on the scoreline when cutting inside from the left and striking low past the goalkeeper.
In the day’s other game, Perth RedStar won 3-0 at Murdoch University Melville to give Carlos Vega Mena’s side a sixth win in a row.
They will win the league for a third successive season with victory at Fremantle City this Saturday, albeit Freo were the last side to beat the defending champions back in Round 12.
Caitlin Doeglas got the first goal on 22 minutes as she collected Reina Kagami’s pass and ran in to finish with conviction.
RedStar doubled the lead just before the break when Sarah Carroll cushioned Mischa Anderson’s excellent long pass and volleyed past home goalkeeper Annabel Cook.
RedStar’s top scorer Kagami rifled in from the edge of the area just past the hour mark as three goals proved to be plenty.
MUM FC, meanwhile, stay one point clear of bottom side UWA Nedlands before UWA’s midweek game with Fremantle. The bottom two then meet next week in a game which could be key for this season’s relegation picture.
This weekend’s fixture between Balcatta Etna and Hyundai NTC was postponed and will be played on Wednesday 4 September at Home Group Stadium.