Murdoch University Melville achieved safety on the final weekend of the 2024 NPLWA – Women’s league season.
MUM FC’s goalless draw with Fremantle City at Besteam Stadium on Friday put Steve Atkins’ side four points clear of bottom club UWA Nedlands. And with UWA suffering a 2-0 home loss to Balcatta Etna on Saturday, that was enough to condemn Lawrence Lewis’ side to a bottom-place finish in their first season in the NPL.
Now UWA must wait to see who wins the Hyundai Women’s League Division One before they know whether they are automatically relegated or will go into a play-off.
Freo, meanwhile, have locked away a spot in the Top Four Cup for a fifth successive season in the NPL era.
Ella Mastrantonio returned for MUM while Tanika Lala missed out for the visitors in the major team news for both teams. Ellis Glanfield’s touch just got away from her when through on goal as Murdoch launched the first foray forward.
Reid then supplied Mastrantonio who brought a save out of Dayle Schroder in the Fremantle goal with Reid not far away from scoring on the follow-up.
At the other end, Sophie Meaden hit just wide of the near post, before Freo’s best chance of the half presented itself when Olivia Trueman held off Brooke Burdett and forced a good block from Murdoch stopper Annabel Cook.
MUM FC had the best chance for a winner in the second half with Reid fizzing just wide of the post, while later on Mikayla Lyons fired over from the edge of the box as the spoils were shared.
In Saturday’s early kick-off, two second-half goals from Balcatta Etna ensured Peter Rakic’s side beat UWA Nedlands 2-0 and kept up their good late-season form.
Lucy Jerram opened the scoring just past the hour mark when beating the onrushing Morgan Springer to Olivia Cornall’s pass.
Liana Cook’s long-ranger doubled the lead as Balcatta made it five games without defeat.
They play Hyundai NTC this Wednesday in a dead rubber before setting their sights on an elimination final against Fremantle City in what will be the club’s first Top Four Cup appearance in the NPL era.
Perth RedStar ended yet another successful league campaign on a high as Reina Kagami scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Hyundai NTC at RedStar Arena.
A first-half blitz put Carlos Vega Mena’s side in control as an unfortunate own goal credited to Hannah Collins set the three-time champions on their way.
Then the Kagami show started with the midfielder slipping in Jayna Ridley who rifled a pinpoint finish into the bottom corner for her 11th goal of the season.
Kagami curled home from 20 yards for 3-0 to bring up 20 league goals for the second year in a row, and it was four at the break when the Japanese player lifted a volley over the goalkeeper from six yards.
Caitlin Doeglas’ low shot went through Jess Skinner for 5-0 early in the second half, before Kagami tapped in for her treble and 22nd of the campaign from Manami Arai’s cross with 20 minutes to play.
RedStar will now play Perth SC twice in the space of two weeks. The pair meet in Saturday’s Hyundai Women’s State Cup final at the Sam Kerr Football Centre, prior to a Top Four Cup double chance semi-final.
The Azzurri stand in the way of RedStar completing a clean sweep of silverware for the second time in three seasons. They tuned up for September’s matches with a 3-0 win over Subiaco.
This fixture was being played at Percy Doyle Reserve on Saturday evening and Perth took the lead on 21 minutes. Nadia Harvey skipped down the right and crossed for Daisy McAllister who volleyed home from six yards.
Subi had two good opportunities to level either side of the break with Liz Wallwork heading a corner wide in the first 45, before Stella Zampogna lifted over from Keziah Burgis’ cross after the restart.
Danielle Brogan’s side doubled their lead when Sam Mathers picked off a stray pass and found the feet of Golden Boot winner-elect Ella Lincoln, who showed composure in the box to make half a yard and finish low across the goalkeeper.
The striker’s 25th goal of the season saw her pass Tia Stonehill’s tally from last year for the highest individual goalscoring season in the NPLW era. Barring an improbable double hat-trick by Lala for Freo against UWA in Wednesday’s catch-up game, Lincoln will be out on her own this year.
Perth’s third came in the final 10 minutes when Ruby Marshall found Tamsyn Hannan who returned the pass for Marshall to continue her run and slot under Isobel Robinson.
The Azzurri go into the post-season as runners-up in the league for the third successive year, while Subiaco end the year sixth following three straight defeats.