Left: Armadale’s Luke Desmond celebrates his winner (Courtesy of Cat Bryant Photograghy) Right: Perth RedStar celebrate Gordon Smith’s opening goal (Courtesy of Perth RedStar FC)
Welcome to footballwa.net! Here you will find all the latest football news from Western Australia, current tables for the state's top four Leagues, archived tables and results dating back to 1950, the Western Australian Club Directory which includes honour lists and divisional movements for each club and much, much more.
REDSTAR RETURN TO THE TOP OF THE NPLWA TABLE – WEEK 13 REVIEW
Perth RedStar have returned to the top of the New Balance NPLWA Men’s table, after a 2-1 win against Western Knights t the RedStar Arena on Saturday afternoon. “So proud of the boys, it was a fantastic performance against a tough Western Knights team,” RedStar coach Callum Salmin said. “Both teams were missing a few key players and it was a big arm wrestle start to finish. Huge from Blair Govan and the boys. Very tight at the top and we need to keep winning to achieve our goals, and delighted to see 13 out of 18 homegrown players in the squad today. Knights will push for top four and are a great group, plus strong supporters.”
After a tight first half, it was the hosts who opened the scoring seven minutes into the second half. Jack Baker’s through ball sent Gordon Smith racing clear, and the Scotsman finished with aplomb past Robert Sinclair for his sixth goal of the season. Then eight minutes from time Callum Salmon’s side doubled their advantage. A throw in from Sonny O’Shea, was returned back to him by Baker, and O’Shea found Tom Hough just outside the penalty area, and his first time shot found the top corner of the net. It looked game over, but the Knights pegged one back on 90 minutes. Regan Hutchinson played the ball out to Leo Tsolikas on the left and he whipped in a great cross and Aaron Pike headed past Luca Iovene, but it was too little too late.
Olympic Kingsway remain one point off leaders RedStar, after a 2-1 win against Perth Glory at the Sam Kerr Football Centre. “It was another good performance against a talented Glory side,” Olympic striker Rob Harker said. “But we are focused on us, and our performances and what we are doing, and that is three points every week.” The visitors found the opener on seven minutes. Glory turned the ball over in the middle of the park, and Liam Boland sent Tyler Garner racing down the right, and his low cross was turned home neatly by Harker at the near post. But their lead only lasted five minutes, Oliver Evans dink to the back post found Daniel Jankuloski, and the skipper volleyed home past Adrian Sinagra. Olympic sealed the points mid-way through the first half, Joe Hobson’s shot was blocked, the rebound fell to Boland on the edge of the box, and he rifled low past Tomislav Petkovic.
Sorrento are back in the winner’s circle, and moved up to seventh after a 3-0 win against Balcatta Etna at the Home Group Stadium, Grindleford Reserve. “Balcatta are a very competitive side and certainly not what the table suggests,” Sorrento coach Andres Oliveira said. “We focused on playing our game, and the boys were disciplined and dangerous in the crucial moments. It was a great team effort, and the performance reflects the work the group is putting in.” The Gulls were looking to break a four-game losing streak in this one, and they made a great start, ahead on ten minutes. a free kick from the right was turned home by Jude Gauntlett. They increased their lead just before the hour mark, Rene Kisesa’s ball over the top sent skipper Dean Cumings in on goal, and his lob beat Seb Medica. They sealed the points in the final minute, Clay Gibbs finding Will Richards, who was given far too much room on the edge of the box, and he fired home.
In the final game, Armadale have made it back-to-back wins for the first time this season, after a 2-1 win against Fremantle City at Alfred Skeet Reserve. “Delighted with the win, a much needed three points and it was well-deserved,” Armadale midfielder Luke Demond said. “We spoke before the game about getting up the pitch and go at them from minute one, and we did that and I felt we ran all over them, I’m really happy with the two goals, but most importantly the three points which puts us back up closer to the teams around us.”
The host, who beat Glory last week at the venue, found the opener on 33 minutes, Charlie Graham found space down the left and his cross was volleyed home superbly by Demond. But Fremantle, who were on a four-game unbeaten run, hit back and levelled four minutes before the break. Riley Woodcock played a neat give and go with Charlie Chechlacz, and his cross from the left was turned home by former Armadale striker Chad Nilson. It looked like the points would be shared but seven minutes from time John Baird’s side won it. Scotlan Morrison’s ball was pounced on by Demond, and the midfielder jinked his way past three Fremantle defenders before firing past Luke Radonich.
UWA AND JOONDALUP SHARE THE SPOILS – DIVISION ONE WEEK ELEVEN REVIEW
We’ve reached the half way of the State League Division One season, and in our week eleven ‘Match of the Round’ the points were shared after a 1-1 draw between UWA Nedlands and Joondalup City at the UWA Sports Park on Saturday afternoon. “It was always going to be a physical battle against a very industrious Joondalup side. Credit to them, they defended extremely well,” UWA coach Kris Donnell explained. “We threw everything at them for 45 minutes, camped in their half for the full second half and created a number of opportunities, but their keeper has made some great saves. The effort, intensity and commitment from the players was excellent, on another day we may have come away with more from the game.”
The visitors found the opener on 16 minutes, Cameron Stratton found Louis Hadfield on the right of the penalty area, he beat his marked and crossed to the back post and Sam McKearnen made no mistake past Tadgh O’Malley. It looked like that would win it for Guy McDonald’s side, but three minutes from time the hosts levelled. Referee Steven Gregory pointing to the spot after Theo Gilsenan fouled Dean Hurley. Joseph McInnes stepped up and sent Joey Smith the wrong way from the resulting penalty to give both sides a share of the spoils. “We knew going to UWA would be a tough game as they are a quality side with a good home record,” Joondalup’s Harry Edwards said. “I thought we defended and battled really well across the whole game and made them struggle to break us down. Although it was disappointing to concede a late penalty a draw was probably a fair result.”
The round started on Friday evening, with league leaders Floreat Athena producing a strong second half to beat Gwelup Croatia 4-0 at the E&D Litis Stadium and move three points clear at the top of the table. “I thought it was a tight game first half with both keepers doing well and making important saves,” Floreat coach Alun Vernals explained. “But we changed a few things at half time and then the boys executed superbly, and we scored some very good goals, and in the end, it was a comfortable second half, and good to bounce back from the defeat last week.”
The visitors had the better chances in a tight first half, but it was Floreat who opened the scoring ten minutes into the second half. A short corner caught Gwelup napping and Mohammed Al-Zaidy’s cross was headed into his own net by the unfortunate Omar Diarra. They doubled their lead sixty seconds later, Luis Adlard sending Jordan Langley clear, who finished neatly past Rocco Liberti. The hosts sealed the points 17 minutes from time with a third, with Harry Lewis finishing with aplomb from the edge of the box. The icing was added to the cake in stoppage time, with Callum Dobbs finding Tom Wassholm, whose shot on the turn gave Liberti no chance.
Inglewood United have made it three straight wins after a hard fought 1-0 win against Curtin University at the proto DPS Inglewood Stadium. “That makes it three wins in a row, and it’s a great way to wrap up the first half of the season,” Inglewood keeper Jordan Barbas explained. “I thought it was a well contested game by both teams, with the decisive goal coming from a set piece, which is an area where we’ve been particularly dangerous over the past few weeks.
“The boys have been working hard all season. There were a few earlier results where we felt disappointed not to come away with the win, and had a couple of those gone our way, we’d be right up there with the teams at the top of the table. There’s still a long way to go, but we’re really enjoying the positive vibe that three consecutive wins has brought to the group. Next week presents another good opportunity to test ourselves against a side in form and coming off the back of a big win.” The only goal of the game came on 69 minutes, a long throw from Jordan Brown wasn’t cleared and Leon Giglia hooked the ball home.
Cockburn City have won for the first time under new coach Terry Nicolaou, after a 2-1 win against Subiaco AFC at Dalmatinac Park. “A good solid performance by us. Controlled the majority of the game against a stubborn Subiaco side,” Nicolaou said. “Subiaco battled their way back into the game with about 15 minutes to go and made it a nervy end getting a goal back before the final whistle. All in all, a solid performance from the boys, with Matty Bowen, Thomas Strickland and Daniel Robinson particularly impressive.” The hosts had a perfect opportunity on ten minutes, after neat approach work from David Araya and Bowen found James Bourne, but the striker blazed over the top.
But the striker made emends for that miss, giving the Cockerels the lead six minutes later. Isaac McVittie found Blake Pesich on the right, and his cross into the box was headed home by Bourne, for his fourth of the season. They doubled their lead just before the break, Robinson’s free kick found Sam Geeves, whose looping header beat Hood Majiet. Cockburn had chances to kill the game off after the break, but Majiet made a number of fine saves to keep them at bay. Then 13 minutes from time Subiaco pulled one back. Christopher Harradine’s cross from the left was played on by Robert Petkov and Ben Bathgate finished well at the back post. It set up a nervy ending for Cockburn, but they held firm to take the points.
Mandurah City have made it four straight wins, and consolidate fifth place, after a come-from-behind 2-1 win against Murdoch University Melville at Len Shearer Reserve. “I'm really pleased with the result and the character the group showed in our win today. It wasn't our prettiest performance and at times the game felt quite scrappy, but to come away from home with three points is a real positive,” Mandurah coach Zachary Headington explained. “It's another sign of how far this group has come. Four wins in a row is a credit to the players and reflects the belief that's growing within the squad. What continues to impress me most is the togetherness of the group. Everyone is working hard for each other, and we're starting to show the consistency needed to pick up results week after week. We'll enjoy the win, but we'll stay focused on improving and building on this momentum.”
It was the hosts who made the breakthrough five minutes into the second half, Gustavo Giron Marulanda’s free kick was helped goalward by Seagh Harris, and Feisal Zaw turned the ball home from close-range. But the Dolphins were level six minutes later, the hosts gave the ball away in the middle of the park, and Sam Lovell raced into goal and finished low past Duncan Lennon-Black. The visitors sealed the three points 12 minutes later. A clearance from Josiah Godfrey found Lachlan Hannah, who played a neat through ball to Lovell, who chested it down, rounded the keeper and rolled the ball home.
In the late game Kingsley Westside were unstoppable, thrashing Quinns 7-0 at Chichester Park on Saturday evening. “An excellent performance from the lads last night. It was a special day for the club with the 18s and Reserves also having big wins to continue their excellent form,” Kingsley coach Jason Stern said. “We thought we played some of our best football of the season last week in a loss to MUM, so the focus this week on the track was staying true to how we want to play, being on the front foot, positive and to take our chances - which we executed perfectly against Quinns. The whole squad were locked in for 90 minutes which was pleasing and it was a great reward for effort. We know how tough this league is and while we’ll enjoy the result, it’s important for us to use this as a platform to kick on in the second half of the season.”
The hosts led 3-0 at the break, Sam Willis heading home Elliot Tattersall’s corner for the first on 20 minutes, before Max Adamson volleyed home after Quinns failed to clear a corner seven minutes later. It was 3-0 in the shadows of half time, Adamson cutting the ball back to Jack Robinson to score. The hosts went on with it after the break, and Robinson adding his second on 66 minutes, after his first shot was well saved by James Bosdet. It was 5-0 ten minutes from time, Jack Roberts heading home a corner, before late goals from Raeez Pandor and Xavier Medica complicated the rout.
ROCKINGHAM MARCH ON IN DIVISION TWO – WEEK TEN REVIEW
Rockingham City have maintained their spot at the top of State League Division Two, and extended their lead at the top to five points after a narrow 1-0 win against Ashfield in our week ten ‘Match of the Round’ at the Endeavour Homes Stadium, Larkhill Sportsplex on Saturday afternoon. “Another solid display from the boys today given that we were missing five or six players,” Rockingham’s Graham Tough said. “We controlled large parts of the game and just couldn't make our chances count, but Tom (Kinnane) popped up again with another huge goal for us. A clean sheet and three points to keep us at the top end of the table, before another big game next weekend.”
The only goal of the game came just after the hour, after a period of continued pressure, where they could have scored earlier, but this time, Tom Kinnane took the ball down in the box and tucked it away nicely. “A very controlled performance, probably played some of our best football of the season, especially in the first 30 minutes,” Rockingham coach Matthew Brook said. “We were able to control the game incredibly well and created a number of chances which we should have taken, had a goal disallowed. It was pleasing but we know we must be clinical. Credit to Ashfield and Malcolm, they are well set up and always a threat and work extremely hard.”
Carramar Shamrock Rovers lost ground on the leaders, when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Morley Windmills at Grandis Park. “We knew Morley was going to be another tough game and it was a battle for the full 90 minutes with both teams creating chances,” Rovers’ Wayne Guest said. “It wasn’t our best performance on the day but credit to the lads for digging in deep at the end to get the draw.” It was John O’Reilly’s side who opened the scoring in the shadows of half time. Gabbie Vasques skipped past a player and slotting in a perfect though ball for Brennan Borzecki, who finished clinically into corner past Brett Leddy.
It looked like it was Rovers’ first defeat of the season, but in stoppage time at the end of the game, Louie Martin found space on the corner of the box, and he curled it past Luke Martino it into the corner of the net. A bitter blow for Morley, conceding a stoppage time goal for the second week running, and goalscorer Brennan Borzecki said they need to finish teams off. “I felt we were on top for the majority of the game. We had plenty of chances but couldn’t capitalise by putting it in the net,” the Morley winger said. “Credit to Shamrock, they threw everything at us in the last ten minutes and ended up with a last-minute equaliser.”
New Balga coach Amir Dzamastagic has started his tenure with a win, coming home from the Luxwin Stadium, Hartfield Park with a 3-1 win against Forrestfield United. "For my first game in charge, the focus was to give the players a simple game plan and encourage them to be brave and play on the front foot. With only two training sessions together, I was very pleased with how they embraced our proactive approach,” Dzamastagic explained. “The players worked hard to prevent Forrestfield from playing through us and created plenty of chances, which on another day could have resulted in more goals. I'm proud of how they responded to the change in coaching staff, which can be difficult. I’m pleased with the way they have taken on board a new concept and embraced a new challenge. Our sole focus now turns to North Beach. We know it will be tough, but it's the only challenge we’re looking forward to.”
The visitors opened the scoring midway through the first half, Alessio Meschi heading home a perfectly delivered free kick from Jose Zuniga. But the hosts levelled eight minutes before the break, with Lucas Reid on target. It was a tight second half, with both sides having their chances, but it was Balga who regained the lead on 77 minutes. Zuniga was the supplier again, his cross picked out substitute David Dimola who headed home at the back post. Balga sealed the points in the final minute, a swift counter attack ended with Dimola, who made no mistake.
Kalamunda City are up to fifth after 2-1 win against East Perth at Hudson Park. “It was a really pleasing result for us on the road against a competitive East Perth side,” Kalamunda coach Kyle Robertson said. “I thought we controlled large parts of the first half, but we were rushing things a little and became too reactive to how East Perth wanted to play. At half time, the message from Kris and myself was to reset, get back to playing our football, and not get drawn into the opposition’s game. The response from the players in the second half was excellent. The boys listened, showed great composure, and we were able to get ourselves back into the game.
“What pleased me most was the discipline and maturity the group showed after taking the lead. We managed the game well, stayed organised, and saw out the result professionally. It’s a great result for us at a venue where we’ve traditionally found it difficult to pick up points. We’re really happy with how the season is progressing, particularly when you consider we’ve only had one home game so far. We’re looking forward to finally being back at home next week and having our local supporters behind us again.” East Perth was ahead at the break, with Gerard Clark scoring after 20 minutes, but the visitors levelled just before the hour mark. Some neat link up play saw Joshua Spencer make space out wide, and his cross found Thang Sangpichung at the near post to score. City won it eight minutes from time, with a great finish from Agustin Ventre.
North Beach have won for the second time this season, and moved three points clear of the relegation zone, after a 1-0 win at Burrendah Park against Canning City. “It was a massive result for us yesterday given the context of the league table, as well as internally for our confidence and some reward for effort,” North Beach coach Nick De Carlo said. “We changed things up a bit this week after a tough month or so, and we got the outcome we felt we deserved. We had some really good chances early on but couldn't convert, and Canning came out hot in the second half. With some fresh legs off the bench, we managed to grind out that crucial goal and defend well to the final whistle.” The only goal of the game came ten minutes from time. A ball was sent in from a long throw which got cleared out to Ayden Dragun, who swung a ball in from just outside the box, which evaded everyone and found itself in the bottom corner.
In the late game, Wembley Downs moved into second, after a 2-1 win against Gosnells City at Butlers Reserve. “Gosnells started well but I’m pleased with the response after they scored,” Wembley coach Luke Thompson said. “So pleased with the win, and how the players ground out the result.” Gosnells, who are still searching for a first league win of the season, were ahead just after the half hour, Tony Chandler on target. But the hosts levelled just before the break, Hayden Boffey picked up a clearance and drove inside and finished clinically from distance. They scored the winner eight minutes into the second half, Mella Loding was slipped in down the left inside channel, and he slotted it home across the Gosnells keeper Lachlan Devine.
YENGI ON TARGET AS SOCCEROOS DRAW WITH SWITZERLAND
The Socceroos have ended their FIFA World Cup build up, with a hard fought 1-1 draw with Switzerland at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. The Swiss, who ae 19th in the world rankings, opened the scoring with Dan Ndoye on target, before the Socceroos levelled just before the hour mark, with debutant Tete Yengi scoring, with both sides sharing the spoils in their final hit out before the finals start next week.
Tony Popovic was pleased with the 1-1 draw. "It's nice that we got a result in the end, we're playing a very, very strong nation," he said post-match. "Good response in the second half and the young boys acquitted of themselves well. He [Yengi] found it a bit difficult in the first half, our front three playing for the first time together were a bit disjointed. "Conditions were warm, so it's a good experience for us. We just had to get through that first half, but that second half we had a good passage of play where we looked good for 20 minutes. This all plays a part, the experience for the players, it's nice not to have injuries after that game. I'm happy and looking forward to next week."
Popovic made seven changes to the starting eleven that took on Mexico last week. Patrick Beach was in goal, and Nestory Irankunda, Paul Okon-Engstler, Kai Trewin and Aziz Behich returned to the side. The two other additions, Cristian Volpato and Yengi, became CommBank Socceroos #660 and #661 respectively after being named in the starting eleven for the very first time, while Harry Souttar wore the captain's armband.
Australia looked lively early, and Yengi headed wide from Irankunda’s corner. The Swiss hit back and Beach was out smartly to save at the feet Nottingham Forest striker Ndoye on eight minutes, and six minutes later they hit the front. A great ball from Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka found Ndoye, who finished neatly past Beach. The chances were few and far between for the rest of the half, but both sides did have late chances. First Souttar headed wide at the back post, before Beach made a smart save to deny Ndoye, after getting on the end of a Johan Manzambi cross.
Popovic went to the bench at the break, with Connor Metcalfe, Jason Geria, Cameron Burgess and Jacob Italiano introduced, in place of Volpato, Alessandro Circati, Lucas Herrington and Aiden O’Neill. It was a bright start by the men in gold, and they went close to levelling four minute in, Irankunda winning possession and driving forward, his shot on the run crashed off the crossbar, and replays showed it was superb fingertip save from Swiss keeper Gregor Kobel.
Then on 56 minutes the Socceroos were level. A long ball from former ECU Joondalup defender Cameron Burgess found the run of Metcalfe, he squared it to Yengi who tucked it away from close range, his first goal for his country. Irankunda was then shown a yellow card for petulant act, of kicking the ball at Xhaka when he was on the ground, something that will cost the Watford winger game time in the finals.
The Swiss should have regained the lead ten minutes from time, Miro Muheim’s cross from the left picked out the unmarked Cedric Itten, but he headed wide of the target. In the end, neither side could find the goal to win and will now head to their training camps to prepare for their opening games. Australia playing Turkey on Saturday (12:00pm WA Time) while Switzerland meet Qatar on Sunday. Yengi, who plays for J-League side FC Machida Zelvia, was happy with his debut, and delighted to get on the scoresheet.
"It's an amazing feeling," he said on scoring on his debut. "You work hard for moments like this and I'm happy to help the team today. You can only dream of moments like this I'm so grateful for the opportunity and hopefully we can go into the World Cup on a positive. The first half they made it very hard for us, we had to do a lot of defending, but I felt like we grew into the game. It was an intense game against top quality players, and this is what it's going to be like at the World Cup. I think we're ready, it's a positive result, so let's see what happens."
Australia: GK Patrick Beach, 3 Alessandro Circati (6 Jason Geria 46'), 13 Aiden O’Neill (4 Jacob Italiano 46'), 15 Kai Trewin (14 Cameron Devlin 81'), 16 Aziz Behich (5 Jordan Bos 71'), 17 Nestory Irankunda (7 Mathew Leckie 71'), 19 Harry Souttar (2 Milos Degenek 82'), 20 Cristian Volpato (8 Connor Metcalfe 46'), 24 Paul Okon-Engstler (22 Jackson Irvine 71'), 25 Lucas Herrington (21 Cameron Burgess 46'), 26 Tete Yengi (9 Mohamed Toure 71') – Subs not used: RGK Mathew Ryan, RGK Paul Izzo, 10 Ajdin Hrustic, 11 Awer Mabil, 23 Nishan Velupillay
The Matildas have suffered a disappointing 0-1 defeat against Mexico with an injury time Diana Ordóñez winner giving them a 1-0 win in front of 23,167 fans in Newcastle on Saturday night, and securing a win for the first time in over 20 years, and it was just the second time Mexico has beaten the Matildas in their history. "We're all thinking about the result … these are World Cup preparation games," Joe Montermurro said post-match. “This type of opponent was chosen on purpose, and they press in a very interesting way. I was so proud, we got out of their press many, many times and created some goalscoring opportunities, it just wasn't to be.
"These are important internationals for us ... they're a very good team, they're not a 32-ranked team, they're in the top 20 for sure. About 20 minutes into the first half, they pressed us a little differently, we didn't expect it, we took a while to adjust. Second half we did enough, but in the end, we got caught on the break, we have to be smarter." Montemurro named a similar starting side to the one that played in Australia's last match at home against Japan in the AFC Women's Asian Cup Final. There were just two changes with Emily van Egmond and Amy Sayer coming into the side, while Ellie Carpenter was given the armband in her home state as the Chelseas defender made her 100th international appearance for the Matildas.
The Matildas were on the front foot in front of another sell-out crowd, with Sam Kerr and Catlin Foord going close, but it was the visitors who had the first real chance, Nicolette Hernandez shot saved low by Mackenzie Arnold. They were in again moments later, this time Hernandez’s cross found Montserrat Saldívar at the near post, but she couldn’t find the target. After being dominated for a period, the Matildas hit back and Kerr crossed to Amy Sayer, whose shot smacked the base of the post and away to safety. The goal wouldn’t have counted with the offside flag up on Kerr, but replays showed the WA striker was well onside.
Kerr went close again early in the second half, her header saved by Mexico keeper Esthefanny Barreras. Mexico continued to threaten and Saldívar should have done better after Carpenter turned the ball over in the middle of the park, but her shot on the turn was well wide. Kerr was again denied by Barreras as both sides pressed for the opener. Hayley Rosso came on at the hour mark, and she went close five minutes later, racing forward after a long one-two with Kerr, but she fired wide.
The Matildas went close again on 77 minutes, Carpenter intercepted the ball out from the Mexicans, played the ball to Fowler, who turned and shot which stung the palms of Barreras. Mexico wasn’t going away, and went close seven minutes from time, a short corner found Charlyn Corral, her shot from outside the penalty area flashed over the top. the Mexican’s were finishing the game well, and Arnold saved from Correl, before Greta Espinoza headed wide when well placed. Then two minutes into stoppage time they found the winner, Corral raced down the left, and squared the ball to Alice Soto, who found Ordóñez, who finished past Arnold.
"We know how important these games are for our rankings," Caitlin Foord said post-match. “Extremely disappointed especially when we dominated most of it, I feel. The final pass just wasn't there, that's something we need to be better at going into the next game, and just more shots as well. We have to make a statement in the next game. I think we just need to tighten things up a little bit. In the front third we just need to get some more shots and final pass needs to be better." The Matildas take on Mexico again on Tuesday night at Western Sydney Stadium.
Mexico: GK Esthefanny Barreras, 4 Rebeca Bernal, 6 Reyna Reyes, 7 Maria Sanchez (22 Diana Ordonez), 8 Alexia Delgado, 10. Kiana Palacios (16. Karla Nieto), 14. Greta Espinoza, 18. Nancy Antonio (11. Alice Soto), 19. Angelique Pavon (9. Charlyn Corral), 20. Nicolette Hernanadez (24. Ivonne Gutierrez), 23. Kimberly Rodriguez – Subs not used: RGK Itzel Velasco, RGK Bianca Felix, 2 Vaitiare Salas, 5 Nina Nicosia, 13. Karol Bernal, 15. Jasmine Casarez, 17. Fatima Servin - Attendance: 23,167
POINTS SHARED AT THE GARDENS
We had a six-goal thriller in our week thirteen New Balance NPLWA Men’s ‘Match of the Round’ on Friday night, with Perth Azzurri coming from 1-3 down to draw 3-3 with Stirling Macedonia at Dorrien Gardens, the visitors claiming the 2026 Dylan Tombides Trophy. “Very entertaining game with two teams going at each other with two different styles of approach. Hard to take that massive deflection to lose two points but Perth was good on the night as well,” Stirling coach Ago Mujic said post-match. “Boys played well and worked hard, every single one of them, and I’m very happy with the team last few weeks.”
It was a fast opening to the game with both sides having early chances. First on three minutes Callum McKenzie’s shot on the run hit the post, and three minutes later Gordon Perkins ball to the back post found Sam Raiz, whose shot was well saved by Nik Speca. It was end-to-end football, and Euan Cameron’s shot from the edge of the box on 13 minutes was saved low by Liam Driscoll. But from the resulting corner the visitors hit the front, McKenzie firing home from the edge of the box. They went close to a second moments later, McKenzie was denied by the alert Driscoll.
The hosts hit back and drew level on 22 minutes, David Ninkovich picked the ball up out on the left, and cut inside his marker and drilled his shot bast Speca. The game continued to ebb and flow, and it was Stirling who regained the lead on 28 minutes, the lively McKenzie was involved gain, racing into the box on the right and crossing to Calvin Whitney, whose shot on the turn beat Driscoll. The Azzurri went close to the equaliser seven minutes later, Michael Scafetta’s shot was saved low by Speca, before Sean O’Connor’s shot from distance was saved by the Stirling custodian.
The chances kept coming, and at the other end Driscoll made a smart save to deny Pacifique Dufitimukiza. But moments later the visitors were awarded a penalty, after McKenzie’s shot was blocked on the line by Charlie Fleming, and after a brief delay and a chat with his assistant, referee Michal Jasinksi pointed to the spot. McKenzie stepped up and sent Driscoll the wrong way from the resulting penalty, for his eleventh goal of the league season to send them into the sheds with a 3-1 lead. Azzurri coach Kenny Lowe made a double change at the break, with Pieter Jacobsz and Jackson Morgan coming on for Scafetta and Jamie McNelis. The hosts were back in the game on 64 minutes, Zayd Farah’s cross from the right was headed back by Jackson, and Ninkovich’s first time shot found the bottom corner of the net. Speca then made a point blank save to deny Perkins moments later, as the Azzurri pressed. But Stirling almost added a fourth twenty minutes from time, The hosts turning the ball over just outside the penalty area, and Whitney’s shot was superbly cleared off the line by Kurtis Mogg.
The visitors lost keeper Speca with an injury on 73 minutes, with Liam Hattersley coming on, as the Azzurri pushed forward looking for the equaliser, and they eventually found it six minutes later. Perkins found space on the edge of the box, and his shot deflected off Hristijan Jankuloski, the ball looping over Hattersley. Both sides had chances to win it, five minutes from time Perkins fired wide, while Driscoll made another fine block to save Dejan Spaseski’s header, but the points were shared. – Footballwa ‘Man of the Match’ – Callum McKenzie (Stirling Macedonia)
Perth Azzurri: GK Liam Driscoll, 3 Sam Pollard, 4 Charlie Fleming, 5 Sami Riak, 9 Gordon Perkins, 10 David Ninkovich, 11 Zayd Farah (7 Ethan Banks 64’), 14 Sean OConnor, 15 Jamie McNelis (20 Pieter Jacobsz 46’), 17 Michael Scafetta (18 Jackson Morgan 46’), 21 Kurtis Mogg – Subs not used: RGK Marino Gojak, 6 Abdul Osman, 8 Cody Tana, 19 Aiden Formston
SEVEN GOAL THRILLER BETWEEN BAYSWATER AND DIANELLA
Bayswater City have moved to the top of the New Balance NPLWA Men’s table, after coming from behind to beat Dianella White Eagles 4-3 in the week thirteen clash at Frank Drago Reserve on Friday evening. “We had a disappointing first half and conceded three poor goals, two of which came from set pieces. However, at half time, we knew we were still very much in the match,” Bayswater assistant coach Ian McMurray explained. “We felt that if we improved certain aspects of our performance and scored the next goal, we would put ourselves in a strong position to go on and win it.
“The belief, resilience and character within this squad is outstanding, and the way the players responded in the second half was a credit to every one of them. We knew that a win would take us to the top of the league, at least until Saturdays fixtures, so we are delighted with the result, and now our focus turns to Armadale next Saturday.” It was Dianella who opened the scoring on 11 minutes, Daniel Zivkovic’s corner was headed home by Chris Saldaris. They doubled their advantage in similar circumstances six minutes later, Zivkovic’s corner this time headed home by Franc Gamiz Quer.
Bayswater halved the deficit on the half hour mark, Declan Hughes’ ball finding Chris Jackson, who got between two Dianella defenders before finishing past Peter Pilkadaris. But Dianella hit back and made it 3-1 eight minutes later, Gamiz Quer.’s cross from the left, found Ben Hinshelwood, who got in front of his marker and flicked the ball past Lewis Italiano. The hosts had a maintain to climb, but they started their ascent five minutes into the second half, Daniel Stynes sending Borbor Sam down the left, and his cross was turned home by Pat Loughrey.
The hosts were level on 66 minutes, referee Josh Mannella pointing to the spot, after Lachlan Collins brought down Loughrey, and Hughes made no mistake from the spot. The next goal was vital for both sides, and it went the way of the hosts 12 minutes from time. Substitute Ollie La Galia outmuscled his marker on the right, raced into the box and crossed to the unmarked Stynes at the back post who scored from close-range to win it. Dianella were reduced to ten-men deep into stoppage time with Alfred Guya shown a straight red card after a strong tackle on Hughes. There were some unruly scenes after the match in the crowd, let’s hope Football West comes down heavily on the culprits.
Bayswater City: GK Lewis Italiano, 4 Luke Palmateer, 5 Pat Loughrey, 6 Declan Hughes, 11 BorBor Sam (12 Anthony Bafobusha 73’), 15 Jackson Stephens, 16 Jon Corness (9 Cameron Teece 62’), 18 Chris Jackson (14 Ollie La Galia 37’), 20 Sam Mitchinson, 22 Brent Quick, 24 Daniel Stynes – Subs not used: RGK Jason Saldaris, 27 Coby Sutton, 28 Alex Patrascu, 29 Castel Brandli
Dianella White Eagles: GK Peter Pilkadaris, 2 Lachlan Collins, 4 Chris Saldaris, 5 Franc Gamiz Quer, 6 Cory McNelis, 9 Ben Hinshelwood, 10 Miguel Restrepo, 11 Daniel Zivkovic, 14 Kieran Colwell, 15 Sasa Njegic, 23 Kristian Despotovski - Subs not used: RGK Joel Driscoll, 3 Jake Pullella, 12 Hugo Snowden, 13 Alfred Guya 18 Event Kadenge, 21 Purvish Appadoo – Red Card: Guya 90+4’ – Referee: Josh Mannella
POPOVIC, LOWE AND GARCIA PRAISE ITALIANO
Last October, Jacob Italiano had never played a senior international game and was barely a blip on the radar of the casual Socceroos fan. Eight months on, the former Perth Glory wunderkind has firmed as Socceroos coach Tony Popovic’s preferred World Cup starter at right wing-back.
While Italiano's rise may seem sudden, those who have tracked the his progress throughout his career say his ascendancy is the result of years of hard graft, fuelled by a steely mentality. It has been almost a decade since he burst onto scene as a 16 year old with Perth Glory, impressing fans and eventually earning a move to German Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach.
Italiano never played for first team football in his five years in Germany, but after more than 100 games for their reserve side, a move to Austria yielded important game-time and helped him catch Popovic’s eye as a Socceroos candidate. There was one season of crossover in Perth between the pair when the now-national team coach was Glory boss, although Italiano only played two games under him.
Popovic said the biggest change between then and now was mentality. “I remember him as a young kid, and when he went over, I thought ‘this is going to be tough for him when he gets to Germany,’” Popovic said. “When I look at him now, and I see the way he trains and prepares before training and after, he understands his body, he respects the fact that you must be at an elite physical level to be able to perform.”
Since taking over as Socceroos coach in September 2024, most first-timers called into camp by Popovic serve something of an apprenticeship. They come in and train with the team as they usually would, but debuts during a player’s first camp have been handed out few and far between by Popovic. Yet when Italiano got his first national team call-up last year, Popovic started him in both games against Canada and the United States.
“We gave him a chance in October. He’s probably one of the success stories, when you open the net wide and say ‘ok, let’s give someone a chance in a friendly match,’” Popovic said. “He came in and played Canada and the US, and I thought against the US he was outstanding and he keeps growing. We’re watching him closely, scoring goals, assisting, but improving all aspects of his game. I’m very happy for a very good young man.”
But while Popovic said Italiano’s mentality had been vital for his development, two of his former Glory coaches say it was always present early in his career too. Former Socceroo Richard Garcia was one of Italiano’s coaches in Glory’s youth academy and said his ability to retain information at a young age helped him get a first-team debut, and then stick in Glory’s first eleven.
“I’m not surprised he went overseas at a young age. He definitely had the drive and ambition that you like to see in a young character, and also very humble and modest, really willing to knuckle down and do the hard work,” Garcia said. “He understood everything that was asked of him, he knew how to put it into place as well. He was a very intelligent footballer, took information on well, saw the game, and read the game well at a young age.”
Kenny Lowe was the man who threw Italiano an A-League debut. He said the then teenager’s attitude and lack of entitlement stood out compared to kids of a similar age. “Nothing seemed to faze him, and then highly coachable. He wanted to learn, get better, and he took a lot of things in, and really executed it,” Lowe commented.
Lowe said Italiano’s maturity and humility would have come to the fore during those five long years in Germany, when injuries and a deep squad prevented him from earning a crack at playing in the Bundesliga. “He’s had a fair few injuries in that time. He obviously jumped from youth football and Australian football to that level and the demands on it physically — sometimes you don’t get conditioned in a young age over here to actually to get into that level,” he said.
“Picking up maybe a couple of injuries when he first went out, having to grind back through them and also not having a level of entitlement — he just wanted to work really hard, that was his mentality, that was his character. His family are really grounded. When the shit hits the fan and you’re not enjoying it, you’re in a different country, it’s freezing, you can come home to Perth and the beautiful beaches, sometimes it’s an easy choice to make.”
In an era where the A-League has provided a safety net to young Australians who fail to initially fail to cope with the rigours of European football, Italiano never came home. Instead, he signed for Grazer AK in the Austrian Bundesliga in 2024, carved out a regular starting role and is now going to a World Cup.
“He’s someone I’ve always thought should be or would be playing international football, so it’s good to see that he’s now starting to get those appearances and runs on the board,” Garcia said. “The mental side of the game is very tough, and we come from an environment in Australia where the boys rise very quickly to the top, and then they have to go down to the back of the pecking order once they get to Europe.”
THE BATTLE OF THE ROOS – AMATEUR PREMIER DIVISION – WEEK EIGHT PREVIEW
After last week’s cup round, we are back into Belt- Up Amateur Premier Division action on Sunday, and league leaders Wanneroo City hit the road, when they visit Frye Park to take on fourth placed Kelmscott Roos in our Week Eight ‘Match of the Round’. (All games kick off at 3:00pm) Both sides progressed to the Quarterfinals of the cup, with wins against Perth AFC and Belmont City, and both are coming off wins in the league, Wanneroo beating Maccabi 4-1 at home, while Kelmscott returned from Jaguar with a 3-1 win. The visitors have won all four of their games on the road this season, while Kelmscott are still searching for their first home win. With only four points separating the two sides, it should be a great game with both sides looking to continue their recent good form.
Last time they met at the venue in the league was in week nine in 2021 in State League Division Two, when Wanneroo secured a 4-1 win. The visitors took the lead on 20 minutes, Luke Serra getting on the end of a great through ball to score. The hosts who levelled ten minutes into the second half, Callum Husain scoring his first goal of the season. But on the hour Wanneroo regained the lead, James Spurry’s cross turned home by substitute Charlie Breen. It was 3-1 on 80 minutes, Breen racing clear and finishing well past Jack Adams. The points were wrapped up six minutes from time, youngster Jack Reilly picking the ball up on the half way line and racing in on goal to score a superb solo goal, his first senior goal for the club.
Wanneroo sit one point ahead at the top of the table, and bounced back from their only defeat of the season against Swan in week five, and have won back-to-back games in the league and cup, to get their campaign back on track, and skipper jack Wilson said it was good to bounce back. “Yes, it was two positive performances against Maccabi and Belmont. We set up well in both games and created lots of chances whilst being pretty solid at the back,” the midfielder said. “We were all disappointed with the Swan result and never really got going but we said to ourselves the key is to bounce back now and get back to winning ways”
Wilson, who joined Wanneroo after three years at Hamersley Rovers, said they are looking to start another run of good performances and keep their place at the top of the table. It starts with a tough game at Kelmscott, and he hopes for a similar result from the game earlier in the season in the Night Series. “We're determined to continue our good performances, and look to get a run going with some tough games coming up, starting at Kelmscott,” he explained. “We played them in night series and came away 7-0 winners with a great performance from everyone on the pitch, so we'll be trying to mirror that performance on Sunday.”
Kelmscott coach Derek Clarke said they have had two consecutive tough games in the cup and league in recent weeks, but in both games his side showed great character to come out on top. “Jaguar are a very awkward side to play especially at their ground, and you need to punish them early and take your chances and stay calm and play your own game, and we managed the win,” Clarke said. “The cup has not been our priority, so we gave fringe players a run, and we missed a few early sitters and got punished for it. But very pleased with our tenacity to come back and win on penalties could have gone either way.”
Clarke, who coached in Ireland before heading to Australia, and joined Kelmscott from Armadale this season, said they are looking forward to a tough challenge, and getting their first win at Frye Park this season. “Wanneroo are a difficult side to play, well organised and very fit we will have to be on top of our game to beat them,” he said. “We will be stronger this week, with a few injured players coming back, so no excuses. I think this season the league is very competitive and no guaranteed wins, exactly what you want to improve the quality and skill levels of the game.”
In other games on Sunday, North Perth United head to the Herb Graham Recreation Centre to meet Jaguar, who have improved in recent weeks, while Kwinana United entertain Noranda Emerald at Kelly Park. Hamersley Rovers host Ballajura AFC at Carine Open Space, Kingsley Westside welcome Olympic Kingsway to Chichester Park, while in the final game second placed Swan United head to the Maccabean Memorial Oval to take on Maccabi.
Swan is the only unbeaten side in the league, while newly promoted Maccabi sit ninth, with two wins, both at home, and coach Ricky Berlowitz said it would be nice to get a third on Sunday, but knows it will be a stern test. “We’re looking forward to the challenge, we’ve had a few tough weeks with a run against arguably the top three teams in the league and last week I felt we were really competitive against Noranda-Emerald, and unfortunate to not take our chances and get a result,” he said. “So, we’re confident we can challenge Swan and hopefully give them their first defeat of the year.”
DENCH HEADS WEST WHILE MAJEKODUNMI EXITS GLORY
Perth Glory have continued their recruitment drive, signing former ECU Joondalup defender Matthew Dench from Brisbane Roar on a two-year deal, while defender Kaelan Majekodunmi has left the club. Dench played in the Glory academy, before joining Kenny Lowe at ECU Joondalup. The 22-year-old then signed a scholarship at English club Charlton Athletic and spent five years at the Valley. He returned to Australia in 2025, and signed for NPL Victorian club Oakleigh Cannons, before signing for the Roar, where he made 12 A-League appearances, and scoring one goal, in the 1-2 defeat against Macarthur FC in week nine.
Dench said it’s great to be home. “Coming through the youth ranks and looking up to some of the players that are still here is amazing and it’s great to be here,” he said. “This is my boyhood club, so it means that much more to me to play here and hopefully go far this season. The thing that excites me most is where we can go this year with the team that we’ve got.
“I just think the fans should be as excited as I am to do well this year. Success this year for me would look like firstly making the top six and secondly, on a personal level, playing well, starting as many games as I can and helping the team to do well. It’s been a big dream of mine for a long time to play for this team in the A-League and I’m really looking forward to being part of what’s to come.”
Glory Football Director Stan Lazaridis believes that Dench will prove to be an excellent addition to the squad. “Matt is a local Perth boy who is extremely mature for his age and determined to do well,” he said. “He’s been toughened up by five years away in the UK and is a player that we’ve been keeping tabs on for some time. Matt will provide competition for the left-back slot, but can also operate on the left of midfield and he really fits the profile of player that we are looking to bring in. We’re delighted to have him on board.”
The signing of Dench follows on from the club’s recent re-signing of club captain Adam Taggart, young talents Giovanni De Abreu and Sebastian Despotovski, Stefan Colacovski and import Tom Lawrence. There is a player on the way out, with Young Socceroos defender Kaelan Majekodunmi, who had been out on loan at NPL Victorian club Dandenong Thunder, leaving the club on a permanent basis, joining up with former Glory coach Richard Garcia at NPL WA side Kingsway Olympic. Meanwhile Brandon O’Neill has joined NPLWA league leaders Perth RedStar on loan until the end of the 2026 NPL WA Season.
GLORY START RE-BUILD AS SIX LEAGUE THE CLUB
Perth Glory have confirmed that Ninja A-League Women’s players Ischia Brooking, Naomi Chinnama, Gabby Hollar, Tanika Lala, Sarah O’Donoghue and Natalie Tathem have all departed the club. After missing out on the finals again last season, it looks like coach Stephen Peters is looking to re-build the squad, as the club look for a A-League finals berth for the first time.
Teenage midfielder Brooking featured in four A-League games during a two-season stint with Glory, while defender Chinnama made 28 appearances and scored one goal after arriving at the club in 2024. American import Hollar scored six goals and claimed two assists in 29 games and fellow-forward Lala found the net once in ten appearances.
O’Donoghue and Tathem both spent two seasons at Glory, with the former featuring on 31 occasions and scoring four goals and the latter playing 26 times. The club said they would like to sincerely thank all the departing players for the significant contribution they have made to Perth Glory both on and off the pitch and wish them all the very best for the future.
AZZURRI AND MACEDONIA MEET IN ‘DYLAN TOMBIDES TROPHY’ - NPLWA – MEN’S WEEK THIRTEEN PREVIEW
Perth Azzurri continued the four-game unbeaten streak last week after a seven-goal thriller against the Knights, coming from two goals behind to seal a 4-3 win, which consolidated fourth place on the New Balance NPLWA - Men’s table. They will look to make it five when they host Stirling Macedonia at Dorrien Gardens in our Week Thirteen ’Match of the Round’ on Friday evening. (7:00pm) Meanwhile Stirling broke a three-game losing streak last week, with a win in the local derby against Balcatta, which leaves them fifth, three points behind Friday’s opponents, so a win is massive for both sides are they look to keep the pressure on the leaders, and both will be hoping to lift the ‘Dylan Tombides Trophy’ and commemorate the life of the Australian U17 international who was a junior with both clubs.
The last time the sides met in the league at the venue, was in week fourteen last season, also under lights, when they played out a 2-2 draw. The visitors made the best possible start, taking the lead after just two minutes, Callum McKenzie finished low past Mateusz Zaniewski. The Azzurri hit back 18 minutes later with Daniel Faichney, making no mistake, but Stirling regained the lead just before the half-hour mark, Euan Cameron’s ball to the back post found Asher Nelson who finished well. Perth restored parity on 67 minutes, Joshua Cala, raced into the box, and found Abdul Osman, who finished low past James Bosdet. It's been a stellar season for young midfielder Sean O’Connor, who joined the Azzurri from Perth Glory, after starting his NPL career at the RedStar. He said it’s been a good start for the team, but he knows there is still a long way to go. “Yes, the boys are getting stronger game by game as we have been unlucky with injuries this season, so a lot of the boys are heading back to full fitness now which helps a lot,” he explained. “I have been enjoying playing in midfield again as that’s the position I group up playing since I was four. So, it’s been good to show what I’ve got and what was overlooked at certain clubs, but still a lot of hard work to go in for the rest of the season.”
Kenny Lowe’s side had to come back from two-goals down last week at the Knights, and O’Connor said they had been unlucky in games this season, and they will look to build on last week’s win on Friday. “Western Knights are a good team and playing them at their ground is always so tough as it doesn’t suit our style at all but as a team we were prepared physically and mentally to cope with it. The comeback was pretty good as I thought we were unlucky in some of our games this season not to win them so thankfully it’s paid off this time.,” he said. “Stirling are always a tough fixture for us as they bring a lot of energy. We have been working really hard in training, so that we can give ourselves the best chance of winning and hopefully a win springs us up closer to the top, where we want to be.”
Stirling Macedonia defender Hristijan Jankuloski returned to the club this season, after two seasons in the Macedonia First Division with FC Voska and Brera Strumica, and he said although it was a great experience, he’s glad to be back at Macedonia Park. “My time at both clubs was a great experience. Playing in the Macedonian First Division helped me develop both as a player and as a person,” the defender explained. “I learned a lot from competing in a different environment and against quality opposition. I’m grateful for that experience, but it’s also great to be back at Stirling Macedonia and contributing to the team again.”
It's been a difficult few weeks for Stirling, with three straight defeats, but they turned that around last week with a win in the local derby against Balcatta, and Jankuloski said it’s given them some confidence moving forward. “Yes, last week was a really important win for us. After a difficult few weeks, it was great to get back to winning ways, especially in a local derby,” he said. “I thought the boys showed great character and worked hard for each other. Scoring three goals and getting the result gives us a lot of confidence moving forward.”
Jankuloski said any trip to Dorrien Gardens is a difficult one, and Friday will be no different, nut they are ready for the challenge, and looking for a repeat of the scoreline from their last meeting earlier in the season. “It’s shaping up to be a really exciting game. Perth Azzurri are a quality side and there’s not much separating the teams on the ladder, so we’re expecting a tough challenge,” he explained. “We had a good result against them earlier in the season, but that won’t count for much this weekend. We’ll focus on our own performance, prepare well during the week, and hopefully put ourselves in a position to get another positive result.”
We have another game on Friday evening, with third placed Bayswater City hosting Dianella White Eagles at Frank Drago Reserve (7:00pm) The visitors will look to end a three-game run without a win, while the hosts will look to build on back-to-back 2-1 wins, to keep the pressure on the top two. On Saturday, all games kick off at 3:00pm, and league leaders Perth RedStar entertain Western Knights at the RedStar Arena, while Olympic Kingsway coach Richard Garcia will go head-to-head with his former club, when they take on Perth Glory at the Sam Kerr Football Centre. Armadale will hope to build on last week’s win against Glory, when they entertain Fremantle City, who are on a four-game unbeaten run, including a draw against the league leaders last week, while Balcatta Etna and Sorrento will both be aiming to get back in the winner’s circle when they meet at the Home Group Stadium, Grindleford Reserve.
IT’S SECOND V THIRD AT UWA – WEEK ELEVEN DIVISION ONE PREVIEW
UWA Nedlands closed the gap on State League Division One leaders Floreat Athena to just one-point last week with a win at Subiaco, and they will look to build on that on Saturday, when they welcome third placed Joondalup City to the UWA Sports Park, in our week Eleven ‘Match of the Round’. (All games kick off at 3:00pm, unless stated) Joondalup made it back-to-back wins on the road, with a hard fought 2-0 win against. Curtin, this after their home loss in week Nine against Inglewood, and with only four points separating the sides, it should be a cracker.
The last time they met in the league at the venue, was in week two last season when the hosts secured a 1-0 win. The only goal of the game came in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Nick Falco’s free kick from the edge of the box was deflected past Joe Smith. They also meet in promotion play offs last season, with Joondalup progressing to the final with a 5-3 aggregate win.
UWA coach Kris Donnell said they were made to work hard for the win at Subiaco, but it was tricky conditions, and he knows it will be another tricky game on Saturday. “It wasn’t the prettiest game of football against Subiaco, but in tough conditions we managed it well and worked hard for the three points that I thought we deserved,” he said. “The focus for us always remains on our own performances, we control what we can control and last week was a good step in the right direction. It’s another big challenge this Saturday, Joondalup are a strong side and are a very competitive team. We need to make sure we turn up with intensity and desire and take control of the moments that matter.”
Joondalup skipper Liam Peacock said the win at Curtin was deserved, but they had to fight hard to leave with the points. “Yes, I thought it was a good performance from the lads, and you never get an easy game in this league,” the defender said. “Curtin started well and had a few chances, but once we got control of the game we dominated and got what we deserved in the end.”
Peacock knows the quality UWA have in their side, but they have prepared well and he’s looking forward to the challenge. “Like I said, it’s a competitive league, and you can see that how the league is panning out, but we just focus on ourselves and take it one game at a time,” he said. “UWA are a great side and it’s always a tough game against them, but we are confident in our preparation and look forward to Saturday.”
In other games Floreat Athena will look to bounce back from their first loss of the season, when they entertain Gwelup Croatia at the E&D Litis Stadium on Friday evening. (7:00pm) Mandurah City will hope to build on three straight wins, when they travel to Len Shearer Reserve to take on Murdoch University Melville, Inglewood United host Curtin University at the Proto DPS Inglewood Stadium, while Subiaco AFC travel to Dalmatinac Park to take on Cockburn City. In the late game fourth placed Kingsley Westside welcome Quinns to Chichester Park. (6:00pm)
LEAGUE LEADERS WELCOME ASHFIELD – WEEK TEN DIVISION TWO PREVIEW
Rockingham City lead the way in the State League Division Two, and they sit three points clear, but they will face a stern test on Saturday when they welcome third placed Ashfield to the Endeavour Homes Stadium, Larkhill Sportsplex in our Week Ten ‘Match of the Round’. (All games kick off at 3:00pm, unless stated) Rockingham came home with a 1-0 win at Gosnells last week courtesy of Tom Kinnane’s goal, while second placed Carramar Shamrock Rovers slipped up against Balga. Ashfield needed a stoppage time penalty from substitute Michael Mwingira to seal a 1-1 draw against Morley, which leaves them four points behind Saturday’s opponents, so three points in this one will be important for both sides.
The last time the two-team met at the venue was in Week Fifteen last season, when Ashfield came home with a 2-1 win. Ashfield were ahead on 27 minutes, Nathan Scully finishing well with a volley at the back post from a perfectly weighted cross from Ari Patel. But the hosts levelled early in the second half with Tom Kinnane on target. But Ashfield scored the winner five minutes later, Scully again on target, picking the ball up in the middle of the park, and drove forward and around the keeper to score.
Rockingham coach Matthew Brook said they had to work hard for the win last week, and it showed there is no easy games in this league. “Yes, it was a hard-fought game and full credit to Gosnells, they made it very difficult for us,” Brook said. “I thought the boys showed good patience and discipline in a game that probably lacked fluency at times. Keeping another clean sheet was pleasing and overall, we were happy to come away with the three points because those are the types of games that can be tricky if your standards drop at all.”
City are three points clear at the top of the table, and Brook was delighted how his side bounced back from their first defeat of the season in Week Seven, but he knows they will be in for another tough game on Saturday. “I think the response since the Rovers game has been really positive. The group was obviously disappointed with that result, but we used it as a chance to reflect and improve,” he explained. “Since then, the players have shown strong character and consistency, which has been important.
“It’s still early in the season and there’s a long way to go, but we’ve been pleased with the mentality and focus the group has shown over the last few weeks. Ashfield will be another really tough challenge. They’ve had a strong start to the season and there’s no doubt they have quality throughout the squad. We know games like these are important, especially against sides around you on the table, but we’re still focused more on our own performances and continuing to improve week to week. We’re looking forward to being back at home in front of our supporters and hopefully putting in another strong performance.”
Ashfield sit third, four points behind Rockingham, and they scored late to secure a point against Morley last week, and coach Malcom Tshuma said they are still progressing as a team, and their league position hasn’t been talked about. “We are still in the infancy stages of building this team. Every week we are improving and our ability to find an equaliser (last week) after conceding late in the game was further testimony to this,” he explained. “Heading into the season, consistency was a major focal point for us. We’re having to evolve every game as we’ve noticed teams setting up differently against us in recent weeks but that’s a challenge we need to embrace. The league table at this stage of the season is not even a discussion among the group.”
Tshuma, who is in his first season as head coach at the Ashfield Arena, said injuries have hit them hard this season, but they keep finding results, but he knows the challenge that lies ahead of them on Saturday. “If you look at both clubs, we really shouldn’t be in the same conversation as Rockingham. Brooksy is doing an incredible job with a stable squad that has been built over a number of years, but we will do our best to fight and compete,” Tshuma said. “We’ve lost 4-5 players in recent weeks to injuries from tackles that went unpunished. I just hope my players get a little more protection this week as I’m sure both sets of supporters want to see the best players on the pitch.”
In other games this weekend, Carramar Shamrock Rovers will look to continue their unbeaten start to the season, when they welcome former Coach John O’Reilly’s Morley Windmills to Grandis Park, while Balga play their first game after the departure of coach Gerhard Janssen, when they visit the Luxwin Stadium, Hartfield Park to meet Forrestfield United. East Perth entertain Kalamunda City at Cabrini Park, while North Beach and Canning City meet at Burrendah Park. In the late game, fourth placed Wembley Downs host Gosnells City at Butlers Reserve. (5:00pm)
TEN OUT OF TEN FOR YOUNG SOCCEROOS
The Young Socceroos have started their Group C campaign at the ASEAN U19 Boys’ Bank Sumut Championship 2026 on a high, with an impressive 10-0 win against Philippines at the Sumatera Utara Main Stadium in Deli Serdang. WA had three representatives in the squad, with former Fremantle City and Bayswater City defenders Alex Bolton and Delano Cecchi and former Perth Glory defender Alexander Garbowski in the 23-player squad.
Young Socceroos’ Head Coach Trevor Morgan said the tournament would play a key role in shaping the squad ahead of the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers in August and September 2026. Bolton, who now played for AIK in Sweden, and Garbowski who is at another Swedish club, BK Häcken, were in the starting lineup for the opener, and Young Socceroos led 3-0 at the break with a hattrick from Melbourne City youngster Medin Memeti.
The striker went on to bag two more after the break, with fellow City midfielder Lawrance Wong and Sydney FC striker Mathias Macallister scoring doubles, while a penalty from Newcastle Jets midfielder completed the rout. They play Cambodia in their second game on Tuesday. Australia Starting XI: GK Daniel Graskoski, 2 Peter Antoniou, 4 Alexander Garbowski, 8 Haine Eames, 11 Medin Memeti, 15 Jai Rose, 16 Alex Bolton, 19 Lawrence Wong, 20 Oliver Dragicevic, 22 Amlani Tatu, 23 Luka Didulica
CIRCATI ON THE ART OF DEFENDING
Most football fans would be able to rattle off their favourite goals if pressed. Few, though, would be able to do the same with great tackles. Nonetheless, for Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati, there is a beauty to be found in keeping the ball out of the back of the net out, too.
“Every aspect in football can be considered an art form,” Circati told theguardian.com. “Defending well is just as hard as attacking well. The ultimate goal in defending, you may think, is smaller than the ultimate goal of what attacking is, but it’s actually the same. You stopping a goal is equivalent to you scoring.”
22-year old Circati has just finished the Serie A season with Parma comfortably safe from relegation in what is their second season back in the Italian top flight. After missing most of the previous campaign with an ACL injury, Circati has established himself as a regular at the back, starting more than 30 games across their league and cup commitments and even wearing the captain’s armband on three occasions.
Circati is in his fifth year in the north of Italy, having been born in Fidenza but growing up in Perth after his father, Gianfranco, moved to Australia to continue his own footballing career. The elder Circati played as a sweeper for Perth Glory in the NSL. “The exact same position as me,” Circati says.
“When I was a bit younger, maybe he had a bit more experience than what my coach in the junior levels did, so he would feed me some information. He’d feed me ... bits and pieces on what I can do better, what I can work on, what I have to continue doing. His influence on me was bigger at the start of my footballing career. As I got older, when I was in a professional environment, he tended to leave it more to the coaching staff.”
Mostly a striker for much of his junior days, Circati shifted full-time into the backline upon entering the Perth Glory academy. He progressed quickly, trialling across Europe before moving to Italy in 2021 and signing a professional deal with Parma the following year – a good move, because if there’s a nation that historically has made defending into an art form, it is Italy.
“I realised there were a lot more players with my quality, or even better quality, compared to Australia,” he says. “I realised it was very, very competitive. Everyone was there to get that professional contract. Everyone was there to make that debut. It was a lot of friendly competition. But that pushed me over the line, trying to be better than the people around me.”
The goalkeeping great, Gianluigi Buffon, was marking the final year of his career with Parma at the same time Circati’s journey began in 2023. The youngster was at that point torn between representing Australia or Italy, having played for the latter’s junior national teams at the time. It was the Azzurri legend who helped Circati decide who to represent by asking “What do you feel inside?”
A first senior call-up followed in June, then an international debut in October. Joyful tears flowed in his home town of Perth when he staged a miraculous recovery from an ACL injury to start Australia’s crucial qualifying win over Japan last June, and, showing the esteem coach Tony Popovic holds him in, he became the youngest Socceroo captain in nearly half a century in September last year.
Now, the World Cup, likely as a starter, awaits. “My dream was always to play at a World Cup,” Circati says. “It feels like it was yesterday that I was watching the Qatar World Cup. It’s all gone incredibly quickly.”
CIRCATI: POPOVIC'S APPROACH MEANS 'NO CEILING' FOR SOCCEROOS
Australia defender Alessandro Circati says Tony Popovic's refusal to put a "ceiling" on the Socceroos had created a growing sense of belief within the squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The 22-year old Parma vice-captain enjoyed a breakout season for the Crociati, making 32 league starts and helping his side to 13th place in Serie A.
Circati has described Popovic as "firm" and "very determined", qualities he said had helped build belief within the group ahead of clashes with Türkiye, the United States and Paraguay. "He doesn't put a ceiling on what we can do," Circati said. "He's very ambitious and he knows that anything can potentially happen. He doesn't limit us in any way."
Circati said the Socceroos believed they were capable of progressing from Group D despite being viewed as easybeats by a number of pundits. "Football is 90 minutes and anything can happen," he said. "It's not like a league season where if you are inferior or superior you finish on top or below. It's three games of 90 minutes and you could be in really good form and win them all."
Circati became the youngest Socceroos captain in 44 years after Popovic handed him the armband for last year's friendly against New Zealand. The defender said he had always backed his mentality to handle high-pressure moments and appeared relaxed. "I'm not too fazed by the big things, I'm not too fazed by the negative things either," he said. "I've luckily been gifted these traits, and I think they help me in what I do."
GLORY LOCK IN WELSH STAR LAWRENCE FOR TWO MORE SEASONS
03.06.2026
Perth Glory marquee Tom Lawrence will be no one-season wonder after the star attacker penned a fresh two-year deal to remain with the club. While injury ruined his debut season in the purple, the former Welsh international’s class was evident across his 13 games as he scored five goals and had two assists.
Three of his goals came in the form of a hat-trick in the club’s memorable 3-1 away win over Melbourne City, but it was not just goals Lawrence provided with his skill, dribbling ability and technical prowess shining. Glory’s season arguably ended when the ex-Derby County captain suffered a foot problem during the teams’ draw with Macarthur in January.
Despite rumours that the forward was on his way out, Glory officials were always confident the ex-Rangers attacker would stay, with Lawrence understood to enjoy the Perth lifestyle. His signature comes hot on the heels of fellow attackers Adam Taggart and Stefan Colakovski, also recommitting to the club.
Lawrence began his career at Manchester United before going on to make close to 400 appearances for the likes of Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers, Cardiff City, Ipswich Town, Derby County and Rangers, scoring 78 goals in the process. At international level, he made his senior debut for Wales in 2015 and accumulated a total of 23 appearances and three goals.
LAWRENCE EXTENDS HIS STAY AT GLORY
Welsh international striker Tom Lawrence has signed a two-year extension on his Perth Glory contract, which will see the 32-year-old continue his overseas marquee player spot. Injuries curtailed his appearances last season, but he showed he is a great link up player, and a player who has an eye for goal, scoring five goals in 13 appearances, including a hat-trick in the win against Melbourne City in Week Ten, and he was a joint winner of the club’s Bobby Despotovski Golden Boot Award.
The former Leicester City, Rangers, Ipswich Town, Cardiff City, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County striker said when he arrived, he didn’t what to expect, but everyone made him welcome. “I didn’t know too much about the league, or Perth when I arrived, but what I can say it’s a beautiful city, and I’ve just loved getting to see different places around Perth, meeting the people, and they have welcoming me really well and grateful for that, and it’s good to have those conversations (With Rangers fans) when I’m out and about,” Lawrence told the Glory website.
“When I arrived here, many thought it wasn’t going to be a competitive league, but that’s not true, it’s so competitive and all teams want to win every game. I compare it a bit to the Championship in England, and any team can bet any team on their day. It’s a been a challenge I’ve toughly enjoyed, the standard is high and it’s only getting better, and that’s why I’ve committed my future here.”
Lawrence began his career at Manchester United before going on to make more than 400 appearances in the UK, scoring 78 goals in the process, and he represented Wales at U17, U19 and U21 level, before making his senior debut in 2015 and went on to make 23 appearances scoring three goals. The striker said he looking forward to the next chapter, and said the club is heading in the right direction. “First and foremost, I believe in the project at this club, and how forward this club is going, and I want to be a part of it. I hope I can bring success to this club, and keep moving forward as a club, and as a player, keep learning each day and helping everyone out as well,” he said.
“I’ve signed a two-year contract, and we’ve shown we’ve taken steps this season, but ultimately, we want to be challenging at the top of the league, or the top six at least and see what we can do from there. We’ve got a good squad, and there are no bad eggs in the dressing room, which is good for team chemistry. We’ve been a bit inconsistent throughout the season, but we need to keep working together, stay focused and I’m sure that will change.”
Glory Football Director Stan Lazaridis believes the re-signing of Lawrence for the next two seasons is a major coup for the club. “Tom has already shown that he is a match-winner and one of the very best players in the A-League,” he said. “We were thrilled to sign a player of his calibre in the first place and the fact that he will now be with us for another two years is fantastic news for everyone associated with Perth Glory. Tom clearly believes that Glory is moving in the right direction as a club and wants to be part of the success that we are all striving for. “I know our members and fans will be extremely pleased that his time in purple is set to continue.”
SOCCEROOS WORLD CUP SQUAD NAMED
Tony Popovic has named his 26-man squad which will compete in the World Cup Finals, which will be jointly hosted by sixteen cities—eleven in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. The tournament will be the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted by three nations, and the first to include 48 teams, an expansion from 32 previously. Popovic has had to make some tough decisions in the selection, and Hibernian striker Martin Boyle has become the heartbreak story, missing out along with three other players in the squad, while former ECU Joondalup and Perth Azzurri defenders Cameron Burguss and Alessandro Circati have also been selected.
Boyle, who was born and raised in Scotland, but qualifies for Australia through family heritage, missed out on the last World Cup in 2022 due to a knee injury on the eve of the tournament. The 33-year-old had been hoping this year would be his first action at a World Cup, but it was not to be, with Boyle’s omission seemingly the consequence of Popovic’s decision to bring in Sassuolo striker Cristian Volpato directly into the Socceroos’ squad, this after turning his back on selection last year. The squad also includes five A-League players - Patrick Beach, Aziz Behich, Mathew Leckie, Paul Okon-Engstler and Nishan Velupillay.
It was clear Popovic needed to cut four players from his training group of 30, and also found no room for US-based defender Kye Rowles, Western Sydney Wanderers star Brandon Borrello and Aston Villa goalkeeper Joe Gauci. Ultimately, though, Popovic has opted to go with a different kind of striker, with the towering Tete Yengi – along with Volpato, who joined the team on Saturday morning (local time), the only uncapped players in the squad – preferred over him. “A range of factors has gone into selecting this final World Cup squad,” Popovic said.
“Some difficult decisions had to be made – that’s the nature of major tournaments. But it’s also a credit to all the players involved over the past few weeks who worked extremely hard during an extended and challenging pre-camp. “I’d like to acknowledge the players who contributed to our direct World Cup qualification but are not part of this squad. Their contribution should not be forgotten. Our focus now shifts to finalising our preparations for the upcoming friendly against Switzerland and for our World Cup group matches.”
Australia's Squad for the World Cup - GOALKEEPERS: Maty Ryan, Paul Izzo, Patrick Beach - DEFENDERS: Harry Souttar, Alessandro Circati, Cameron Burgess, Lucas Herrington, Jason Geria, Milos Degenek, Jordan Bos, Aziz Behich, Jacob Italiano, Kai Trewin - MIDFIELDERS: Jackson Irvine, Aiden O’Neill, Paul Okon-Engstler, Cameron Devlin, Connor Metcalfe, Ajdin Hrustic - FORWARDS: Mohamed Toure, Mathew Leckie, Nestory Irankunda, Awer Mabil, Nishan Velupillay, Tete Yengi, Cristian Volpato
BELT-UP AMATEUR LEAGUE CUP – THIRD ROUND REVIEW
It was stormy day in Perth yesterday, which made it difficult for all teams in the Belt-Up Amateur League Cup third round ties, but we had seven exciting games. In the all-Premier Division tie, Noranda Emerald have moved through after a hard fought 2-1 win against Maccabi at Maccabean Memorial Oval. The visitors were ahead early, a corner from Connor Gormley, caused havoc in the box and Andrew Wood eventually finished. They doubled their advantage soon after, a super delivery by Gormley again, this time from a free kick and Alex Pomeroy neatly finished at the back post. Maccabi were back in the game early in the second half, with Robert Pattison scoring. The visitors were then reduced to ten men 15 minutes from time, with Gormley sent off after receiving a second yellow card, but they held firm to win it. “It was good to get the win in tough conditions. It’s never an easy place to go to and with the poor weather promised, the plan was to get the job done and move on,” Noranda Emerald coach Ger Gaughan said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be pretty but glad to get through to next round and bounce back after last week’s league defeat against Hammersley.”
Kingsley Westside had to come from two goals down to eventually beat Division Two side Westnam United on penalties at Shelvock Park. “We were poor in the first half and Westnam fully deserved their 2-0 lead at the break,” Kingsley coach Simone Sichel said. “They took their chances well, worked extremely hard and put us under pressure all over the pitch. During halftime we had a good conversation in the changerooms, made a few tactical adjustments and the boys responded brilliantly. The weather made conditions extremely difficult for both teams, but credit to everyone involved. It was a fantastic cup game and we wish Westnam all the best for the rest of their season.”
The hosts were ahead when Andrew Khasuwan scored early, and they doubled their lead in the shadows of half time with Steven Kunej on target. The visitors were back in the game early in the second half, with Cameron Bishop converting from the spot. Kingsley pressed for the equaliser, and it eventually came deep into stoppage time, Reece Lane got on the end of a through ball and finished well to send the game into extra time. Kingsley then lost Lane to injury, and having already used all their substitutions, they had to play with ten men, but no more goals were scored so we were off to penalties. The shootout belonged to Kingsley keeper Tom Bull, saving three penalties, including one save that was absolutely world class, to see them through to the quarter-finals.
We had another thriller at Len Packham Park, with Division One side Perth AFC and Kelmscott Roos playing out a 4-4 draw, before the visitors prevailed 3-1 in the shootout. “Fair play to Perth AFC, they gave us a very competitive game right until the final whistle,” Kelmscott’s Taylor Warwick said. “The weather made playing football difficult but not impossible, but it was hard for either team to get a foot hold in the game. They made us work for every ball and every goal as well, but the pleasing thing is, even though we were behind three times in the game, we found a way to come back and ultimately win on penalties.” Kelmscott were ahead 19 minutes from time, the ball fell to Kingsley Nteng on the edge of the box, and his first time shot flew into the net. But AFC were level eight minutes later, with Thomas Hewitt converting from the spot, and we were off to extra time.
The hosts hit front two minutes into extra time with Andrija Jukic scoring, and it was 3-1, with Alessandro Di Girolamo on target. Kelmscott reduced the deficit when a neat ball over the top found Amos Doegolia who raced into goal and chipped the on-coming keeper. But the hosts hit back and made it 4-2 with Jukic added his second. It looked like an upset was on the cards, but Kelmscott weren’t finished and pulled one back in the final minute, Tom Cluff found the ball on the edge of the box, his shot cannoned of the post and fell kindly to Doegolia who finished well. Then with the final kick of the match Kelmscott levelled, a scramble in the box, with their keeper making a good save, but the ball fell to Nteng who fired home. In the shoot-out Kelmscott keeper Taylor Warwick was the hero, saving two penalties including the one to win it.
Hamersley Rovers have had to work hard to beat Division One side Southern Spirit 2-1 at Carine Open space. The home side made the breakthrough twenty minutes from time. A quick transition in the middle of the park saw Ryan Charles find Callum Duguid out wide, and he took on his man and from a tight angle blasted it across the keeper and into the bottom corner. But the Spirit were level five minutes later with Dean Couling on target. The visitors then had Griffin Hart sent off, but it looked like it would go into extra time, but in the final minute Rovers won it. Some good lead up play ended with David Vargas, who beat his man and played a through ball to Duguid who finished calmy from the angle. “We are pleased to be going through to the next round, but the weather and conditions made it a really tough game and I think it was hard for either side to get momentum,” Hamersley coach Antony Benetti explained. “Southern Spirit have genuine quality and posed threats so we had to ensure we were concentrated and patient in build-up. The boys were able to show quality in tough moments and that’s important in cup format. Now we get to shift focus back to the league and await the next cup draw.”
Current holders North Perth United were also made to work hard to move through, after a 2-1 win against Division Two side Swan Valley at Woodville Reserve. “We started the game really well in what was horrendous conditions to try and play football in. We created a lot of chances with their keeper making a string of excellent saves,” North Perth coach Chris Batten explained. “We scored a good goal early, and the half time team talk was just to continue to do what you are doing. We did that and found the second, and we were able to give all the subs a run, but was frustrated at conceding very late on. All in all, a fair result and we move on to the next round.” The home side found the opener early, Barry Boggan finishing clinically from distance. It was 2-0 five minutes into the second half, Connor Hartley and Niall Kennedy linked up, the latter sent in on goal he finished with aplomb. The visitors scored a consolation goal in the final minute, with Jack Haldane on target, to make it interesting late, but North Perth held firm to progress.
In the other ties, Division One side Bayswater City beat Chipolopolo 4-3 at Camberwell Park. “I thought due to the weather conditions it was a bit of a scrappy game, but both teams battled,” Bayswater coach Grant Mowatt said. “We started the game well and managed to get the three-goal lead early on, but Chipolopolo fought back the second half and got a couple of goals which made it a nervy ending for us. I’m proud of the team and especially the boys that stepped up from our reserves to help us out yesterday due to a number of players being unavailable for the game.” Early goals from Jacob Florea, Mowatt and Miguel De Oliveria had the visitors in control. Musamba Chalwe pulled on back for the home side, but Mowatt made it 4-1 at half time. It looked game over but Chipolopolo hit back with goals to Dencil Kibet and Kenneth Kiprop, who made it 4-3 with six minutes remaining, but they couldn’t find the equaliser.
In the final game Division Two league leaders East Perth beat Division One side Cracovia 2-1 at Cabrini Park. Sean Gaines opened the scoring early for the hosts, with stunner from long-range. They had chances to increase their lead but failed to take them. Cracovia drew level early in the second half, with Ryan Johnson scoring. But East Perth won it shortly after, with Gaines adding his second, volleying home from a corner. Cracovia pressed for the equaliser, but East Perth held them out to secure a quarter-final place. “We got off to a great start scoring early with a goal of season contender with Sean’s first touch,” East Perth coach Darragh Jein explained. “To be fair, we could have been three or four up at half time, hitting both post and crossbar and the keeper making a good save. We were disappointed to concede early second half, but we manage to score shortly after. It was squeaky bum time till the final whistle as Cracovia put on the pressure for an equaliser, there biggest treat coming from a long throw in’s, but all the players worked really hard and deserved the hard-fought victory.”
AZZURRI STAY TOP AFTER A WILD SUNDAY IN THE WOMEN’S NPL
The weather caused havoc around the Perth CBD on Sunday, but despite that, Perth Azzurri remain three points clear at the top of the New Balance NPLWA Women's competition after a 3-0 win against Sorrento at Dorrien Gardens. The hosts were ahead on 12 minutes, Kimberly McCartney’s ball into the box found Jessica Flannery, who lost her marker and looped a header over Sorrento keeper Amalia Caceres. They doubled their advantage five minutes later, Flannery Daisy McAlister into the box and she finished clinically. It was 3-0 shortly after, Ruby Marshall hooking home from close-range, and that’s where the scoring ended. “It was great to get the three points against Sorrento, and we came in expecting a tough game, as they managed to take points from the FW Academy last week,” Azzurri midfielder Daisy McAllister explained. “So, we definitely didn't want to underestimate their ability to hurt teams, but our first half effort was super clinical with lots of chances created, so it's nice that we are finally starting to produce some goals together.”
Fremantle City lead the chasing pack, after a 2-1 win against Subiaco at Rosalie Park. “I’m really proud of the result and performance against a tough Subiaco side. It was pleasing to see some of the things we’ve been working on at training come through on game day, and we’re continuing to build as a group while integrating some new players into the squad,” Fremantle coach Samantha Geddes explained. “Our attention now turns to the cup game against RedStar. It’s a different challenge and one we’re looking forward to. We’ll make sure we’re prepared and ready to go again.”
The home side were reduced to ten players on 32 minutes. Alex Poad’s through ball sent Lacey Heys racing clear and she was brought down by Mia Hargreaves, and the referee deemed it to be a goalscoring situation, and sent the defender off. It looked a little harsh, but Fremantle made their numerical advantage count from the resulting free kick. Ischia Brooking finding Heys, who played it back to Tanika Lala who drilled her shot home. Fremantle doubled their advantage nine minutes into the second half. A clearance from keeper Cassia Souza sent Olivia Trueman down the right, and her cross found Lala, who rounded Subiaco keeper Briana O'Dell to score. Subiaco scored a consolation goal in stoppage time, substitute Lucie Hotchin pouncing on a poor pass and finishing low past Souza.
Hyundai Football West Academy overturned a half-time deficit to secure a 4-1 against Perth RedStar at the RedStar Arena. A tight first half came to life three minutes from the break, with RedStar finding the opener. A cross from the left by Toko Satsuma wasn’t dealt with, and Jayna Ridley’s header was saved by Daisy McGreadie Cole, but Renne Leota bundled the ball home. The Academy were level early in the second half, Savanna Glavovic corner was headed goalward by skipper Daniella Santich, and it was turned into her own net by the unfortunate Lola Price.
Then five minutes later the visitors hit the front, Ella Lange’s free kick was fumbled by Gabby Dal Busco, and Santich turned the rebound home from close-range. Playing with the aid of a strong wind, the visitors took control and added a third on 67 minutes. Theo Mouithys burst into the penalty area and rolled the ball to the back post and Glavovic made no mistake. The Academy youngsters sealed the points with a fourth on 78 minutes. Lange’s through ball sent Messaline Mpunga down the left, and she raced into goal, cut inside her marker and fired home, despite Del Busco getting a hand to it.
Football West Academy Girl’s Program leader, Andrew Ord, was pleased with the players comeback against a strong RedStar outfit. “We (Football West) decided to be quite radical this year and stack the NPLW with U16 players in order to prepare for the Emerging Championships. While that proved to be a good strategy at Nationals it has really put the girls under pressure week in week out against all the teams in the NPLW whether they are top or bottom,” Ord explained.
“What we have tried to be consistent with is our approach and mentality to each game. At half time today, we had played well and found ourself behind. The way the players continued to apply themselves and not lose belief against an experienced outfit like Redstar shows how far they have progressed. Playing while under pressure is an attribute you need in the professional game and at National Team level. These girls are being exposed to this on a regular basis now and in the long run will reap the rewards if they can keep on performing each week.”
In the final game Balcatta Etna have slipped to third. following a 1-1 draw against UWA Nedlands at the UWA Sports Park. It was terrible conditions for football, with the wind and rain causing both sides problems. But it was the hosts, who were still searching for a first win of the season, who found the opener on 24 minutes, with Beth Harries on target. But Balcatta found the equaliser just after the hour mark, Jaime Duncanson through ball sending Frankie Murray clear, and she finished low past Janina Sauer. Both sides had chances late to win it, Caitlin Doeglas’ shot on the run was saved by Sauer, before Balcatta keeper Rebecca Bennett was alert in the final minute of stoppage time, after a cross from Taylor Reid found Lisa Evans, and her shot was saved by the keeper, and the points were shared.
