Stonehill leads Balcatta to win at Azzurri, NTC thrash Curtin, wins for RedStar and MUM FC

Balcatta Etna recorded their first win since the opening round to reignite their top four hopes with two Tia Stonehill goals downing leaders Perth SC 2-1 in Round Seven of the NPLWA – Women’s competition.

Stonehill’s brace capped a terrific team performance from Etna, which was the first time they had scored at Dorrien Gardens and taken league points off the Azzurri at any venue in the NPL era.

Tim Cash’s side are six points behind Perth with a game in hand, who dropped to third following a second loss in three matches.

The visitors took the lead just past the half-hour mark when Monique Prinsloo nodded through for Stonehill to surge toward goal and slide the ball past an on-rushing Rebecca Bennett.

Perth’s best chance of the half was saved low by Gabby Dal Busco from Matilda Bohm’s snapshot, while Abbey Meakins’ stooping header was cleared away.

Peter Rakic’s team responded at the beginning of the second period and they equalised when Jaime Duncanson cut inside and curled into the bottom corner to become the league’s leading scorer with eight goals.

Faye Phillips couldn’t work a strike past Dal Busco and her Balcatta rearguard, while at the other end Stonehill volleyed a Prinsloo cross over the bar. But the 2021 Gold Medal winner made no mistake seven minutes from time with the game’s decisive goal.

Prinsloo assisted again as she rolled across to the striker who whipped a terrific first-time curling strike beyond Bennett to make it five goals for the season and seal Etna’s first away points of the year.

Perth RedStar were able to capitalise on the Azzurri’s defeat as they won 3-2 against Fremantle City to return to the top of the league.

Fresh off her hat-trick against Subiaco last week, Reina Kagami struck inside two minutes for the defending champions with a thumping strike from long range to make it six goals in three games.

The lead was doubled when Sophia Neal intercepted a pass and ran in to slot home, but Freo were in good form coming into this one and pulled a goal back when Tash Rigby’s effort went in via a touch off Kim Carroll.

Quyen Doan restored the two-goal cushion with a spectacular long-range goal over a backpedalling Dayle Schroeder with the goalkeeper having come out to clear her lines.

Remarkably, it was 3-2 at the interval when Abbey Green’s cross slipped through the grasp of returning goalkeeper Shivani Battaglia and was nodded in by Perth Glory skipper Rigby.

The second period was more of an arm-wrestle as Katie Ritchie went close for the home side, while Jamie-Lee Gale hit the bar as RedStar held firm to lead the division by a point.

Hyundai NTC moved into second spot as four goals from Klaudia Houlis helped the youngsters win 8-1 against bottom side Curtin University.

Louise Tana opened the scoring inside six minutes after a nice run and cross from Mia Britton. But the visitors responded to register their first goal of the campaign when Mischa Anderson’s clearance hit Tiana Botha and bizarrely ricocheted past Megan Phillips from 40 yards into a vacant net.

Ben Anderton’s team recovered to lead 3-1 at the break with Violet Longmore crossing for Houlis to head in, before Tana put a ball from the right on a plate for the striker to net again.

Houlis outmuscled her marker after the restart to side-foot in and complete a treble, and then Grace Johnston prodded home a fifth from close range having come off the bench.

Johnston laid off for Houlis to fire in another and bring up her seventh goal of the campaign, which puts her joint-second in the Golden Boot race alongside Ellie La Monte and behind Duncanson.

Anna Powell volleyed in at the back post for 7-1 and the scoring was complete seven minutes from time when Britton’s cross was helped across the line by the goalkeeper.

Finally, Murdoch University Melville ended the weekend in the top four as a 2-1 win over Subiaco brought up a third straight win for David Biancuzzo’s side.

A long-range free kick skipped beyond the Subiaco defence and was finished from close range by Vanessa Miller at the back post for the opening goal.

The visitors levelled after the break when Phoenix Brownlie followed in a Steph Waycott shot from a set-piece to make it two goals in two games.

But MUM FC won it thanks to a stunning top corner strike from Clara Hoarau on 63 minutes, which put the two-time champions four points off top spot with a game in hand.

Round Severn results
Hyundai NTC 8-1 Curtin University
MUM FC 2-1 Subiaco
Perth RedStar 3-2 Fremantle City
Perth SC 1-2 Balcatta Etna