NPL WA Women's Round 18 Preview

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The race for Top Four Cup places intensifies this weekend as teams between third and sixth face off with finals on their mind in Round 18 of the NPLWA – Women’s competition.

Hyundai NTC have defeated third-place Fremantle City and fifth-placed Perth SC over the past week to tighten the playoff picture. Now four points separate Fremantle and sixth-placed NTC.

Isabella Wallhead was pivotal in Wednesday’s 2-1 catch-up win over Perth, scoring a smartly taken a late winner then making a last-ditch challenge to deny Liana Cook.

The central defender is hopeful the result can be a catalyst ahead of a busy final month of the season.

“I’m really proud of the team’s efforts. We gave it our all and left everything we had out there on the pitch,” the Young Matilda said.

“We really fought hard for it in the second half, putting our bodies on the line, and our movement on and off the ball was really good too. So, we were pretty stoked to get the win, especially given the quality of opposition.

“It definitely gets the spirits up when you score a late winner and gives us a lot of energy. I don’t score too many goals being a centre-back, so it was a crazy end to the game with the momentum going our way.

“It gives us a lot of belief because both of these wins were against teams above us. There’s a lot of positivity now and we’re looking to strive for that top three or four, we just have to keep believing in what we’re doing.”

Wallhead is one of WA’s most talented up-and-coming defenders and has already been re-signed to Perth Glory’s W-League squad for season 2021/22.

“Pre-season starts in October and the season is due to start in November, so it’s super exciting and coming around quickly,” she said.

“I’ve been doing a bit of training with the Glory’s boys academy side, some extra gym work, but not too much with playing at NTC. Coming off this season in the NPLW has given me a lot of confidence though and hopefully I can take that into the W-League.”

In terms of the NPL, it’s been a challenging month for Ben Anderton’s side with a number of postponements and indifferent form not helping their quest for consistency. However, the NTC’s head coach is confident the team are back on track after the win over Perth.

“We told the girls at half-time to play with a bit more belief, because we felt we were dictating the tempo of the game but needed to refine a few small areas and the girls pulled if off which was fantastic,” Anderton said.

“It’s been tough with the schedule, going weeks without games, so building that consistency has been difficult. We’ve just told the girls to keep doing what they’re doing individually and collectively, and those strong performances will hopefully end in a strong result.

“But we go into every game wanting to win. Even though we are a development side, a winning mentality is something we need to continue to develop because the culture of Australian sport embodies that. But it will never be at the cost or to the detriment of our performances.

“The girls are out to prove this year they’re not an easy team to beat, no matter who the opponent is, and if they keep putting in those performances they can beat anyone on their day.”

Fourth-placed Balcatta are Sunday’s opponents on Sunday and a win could move them back into Top Four places, depending on Friday’s result between Fremantle and Perth. With games against that pair to come in the run home, NTC remain in a good position to reach their finals target provided they take care of business against the teams around them.

“It’s a huge motivation. The girls spoke about it, having put in two good performances this week,” Anderton said.

“Balcatta are always a tough side, but the girls know there’s no reason they can’t come away with another three points if there’s another good performance.

“It’s still in our hands which is the most important thing. I feel the girls are on track for a strong end to the season and to finish in the top four would be a just reward for their efforts. We’re well and truly still in the race and hopefully the performances continue and we can reach that top four spot.”

Fremantle City’s game with Perth at Wauhop Park kicks off Round 18 action on Friday with both sides on four-game losing streaks and looking to reinvigorate their seasons. Technical Director Garry Church is in charge of Fremantle until the end of the season, replacing Cisco Jorquera.

At the same time tonight, second-place Murdoch University Melville look to apply pressure to Northern Redbacks when they host a Subiaco team who are two games without defeat.

Redbacks go into the weekend a point clear of the defending champions and on Sunday host a Curtin University side who drew 2-2 with Subiaco last week.