Olivia Trueman scored the only goal as Fremantle City closed the gap on leaders Perth RedStar to four points with a 1-0 win over Murdoch University Melville at Hilton Park.
The victory, in Round 14 of the NPLWA – Women’s competition, sets up an enticing top-of-the-table clash next Sunday at the same venue, while defeat for MUM FC saw them miss an opportunity to move into the top four. Instead, they stay two points behind Hyundai NTC.
In the opening quarter of an hour, both teams had long-range opportunities. Sophie Meaden forced Freo’s Danelle Cornish to tip beyond her crossbar before Jamie-Lee Gale’s curler cannoned back off the Melville post.
Freo began to threaten further and Janice Kiama fed Maya Spatafore who put wide of the post, while Gale’s volley from Trueman’s cross sailed over.
It was goalless at the interval, but the hosts broke through on the hour with a free-flowing team move involving Kiama, Laura Waltman and Trueman. Substitute Kate Nolan eventually burst down the left and squared for Trueman, who took a touch then finished high into the net.
MUM FC nearly equalised straight away when Cornish fumbled Samantha Mathers’ long-range effort.
Gale broke the offside trap to run in and slide beyond the post with 20 minutes left as Freo set about sealing the win, before Nolan planted wide of the mark from another Gale cross.
One goal proved to be enough, though, as Fremantle returned to winning ways ahead of next weekend’s headline clash at Hilton Park.
Perth SC maintained their pursuit of the league’s top two as Ella Lincoln scored a hat-trick in a 7-0 win over Subiaco.
Pete Rakic’s side are unbeaten in six games to stay a point behind Freo and now five points of defending champions RedStar having played a game more. Subiaco, meanwhile, are six games without victory, a run that includes five losses.
The Azzurri led inside 12 minutes at Rosalie Park when Lincoln nudged through for Judy Connolly to break from midfield and poke past an onrushing Louise Gishubl.
Gemma Craine went on a marauding run through midfield and fed Jess Flannery, who fired in at the near post for 2-0 to net for a third successive game.
Lincoln then lashed in the first of her treble with a low left-footed strike 25 minutes in, and the goals would keep coming for the Azzurri after the restart.
Subi substitute Rachel Larsen, who almost pulled one back following a fine solo run, then gave away a penalty when she fouled Connolly, who took the chance to notch her third goal of the season.
Top scorer Jaime Duncanson bent a stunning curling strike past Gishubl to bring up a handful for the away side, before Lincoln’s powerful drive went through the goalkeeper for number six.
Lincoln went solo down the byline and crashed in a hat-trick goal to complete an excellent performance and the scoring for Perth, as their unbeaten away record stayed intact prior to next weekend’s visit to Balcatta Etna.
Finally, Tia Stonehill’s hat-trick helped Etna win 5-1 against Curtin University at Grindleford Reserve.
Yash Pratap’s team moved level on points with MUM FC and put themselves right back in the finals reckoning, while Curtin suffered defeat number 14 of a challenging campaign.
Stonehill opened her account on 16 minutes when running onto Baxter Thew’s long pass before rounding the goalkeeper and slotting in.
Successive league wins were in sight when Monique Prinsloo made it 2-0 at half-time with her curler flying straight over visitors goalkeeper Emmanuella Boaduo.
A third arrived midway through the second period when Lucy Bricklebank got to Kimberly McCartney’s perfectly weighted through ball to poke in her first NPLW goal in Balcatta colours.
Curtin kept challenging and pulled one back in spectacular fashion as Tiana Botha arrowed a brilliant strike into the top corner from over 30 yards.
She has three of Curtin’s five goals in 2023 but the final say would go to Stonehill.
First, she headed home McCartney’s corner for Balcatta’s fourth of the day. Then the 2021 Gold Medal winner, who had earlier missed a penalty, wrapped it up late on for a second hat-trick in as many weeks and the lead in the Golden Boot race with her 15th goal of 2023.
The other scheduled game for this weekend between Perth RedStar and Hyundai NTC was postponed, with NTC this week taking part in the NTC Challenge in Clyde, Victoria.
Round 14 results
Balcatta Etna 5-1 Curtin University
Fremantle City 1-0 Murdoch University Melville
Subiaco 0-7 Perth SC
Postponed
Perth RedStar v Hyundai NTC