PERTH SC 0-1 BALCATTA ETNA
By Ben Gilby
The Azzurri went down to a narrow defeat in a tight battle between two extremely well organised sides in the NPLW WA Night Series Final on Friday night at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.
Perth went into the game making one change from the side that head coach Tom Glavovic fielded in their 4-1 win over Fremantle City in the semi-finals last weekend. Maya Archibald came into the starting XI with Hannah Insch replacing her on the bench.
Balcatta welcomed Jaime Duncanson into their starting line-up after the former Azzurri player missed the 2024 season. She would have an influential role on proceedings during her 45 minutes on the pitch.
It was Balcatta who had the first chance of the night, with Abbey Meakins threading a pass through for Lucy Jerram on the left hand edge of the box, but Dayle Schroeder gathered in the Perth goal.
Whilst the Azzurri initially had success trying to break through their opponents with some rapid paced one-touch passing, Etna looked to respond by imposing an extremely high line which forced the likes of Kim McCartney and Daisy McAllister to try and play longer balls through or over the top for runners to chase.
In an opening quarter of an hour of few chances, the next went Balcatta’s way. Duncanson, who was gaining more and more possession on the left, hit a shot that was cleared out for a corner by Epril Nossent. The resulting flag kick from Jamie-Lee Gale came in high, and under heavy pressure, Schroeder pushed the ball up, and as it came down, Duncanson was on hand to score from close range.
Perth hit back impressively and forced four corners in a two minute spell. Jess Flannery’s curlers to the near post were tough for Balcatta to defend, and from one such set piece, Archibald saw a shot pushed off for a corner. McCartney then lifted a shot from the edge of the box which Rebecca Bennett pushed over for another corner.
Etna responded with two golden chances of their own. A superbly timed through ball from Zoee Spadano on the left in her own half, released Gale who advanced to be one-on-one with Schroeder. She rounded the keeper, but Matilda Boehm blocked superbly. The rebound fell for Lucy Jerram, but this time McCartney got her foot in the way. Superb work from the Perth defence.
Pete Rakic’s side were looking to keep the Azzurri at arms-length. They were extremely quick to push up to close down when Perth were possession in the attacking half. In a bid to try and solve the puzzle posed by Balcatta, McAllister was dropping back deeper in a bid to gain possession and drive forward. Just before the half hour mark, she came good by hitting a shot centrally from the edge of the box that Bennett held.
Perth ended the half with two further opportunities – first Ruby Marshall hit a wickedly curling cross shot from the right that flew goal wards until Bennett just managed to push it away.
Then, Archibald danced along the right and cut in to fire a shot that Bennett got down to at her near post.
The second half saw few clear cut chances, but what ones there were, largely went Balcatta’s way. In addition, they always seemed to have a dark blue shirt there to block anything the hardworking Azzurri threw at them.
It took until just before the hour mark before the next chance. Mia Britton showed searing pace to break along the right to feed Rachel Jarvis who let fly centrally from 25 yards, but Schroeder saved excellently in the Perth goal.
Once more, Perth’s superb defending kept out the opposition. With 67 minutes played, Jerram ran along the left and cut in to play a low ball across the box for the onrushing Meakins, but Longmore read the danger and got in a superb block.
Shortly afterwards, Schroeder was called upon again when Meakins broke through the centre to release Gale, but the Perth custodian pushed the danger away for a corner.
With eight minutes remaining, Jess Flannery got a shot away in the box that led to penalty shouts and claims it came back off a defender’s arm, but referee Samia Omar was unmoved.
As the game moved towards stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes, two Etna substitutes combined to create the final chance of the game. Sofija Nikoloska released Britton along the right to advance and fire in a shot that Schroeder repelled at her near post.
Balcatta saw out the two minutes of stoppage time to win their second NPLW WA Night Series trophy.
Perth had defended brilliantly, and worked diligently in an attempt to get their weapons into positions to hit back. In a game ultimately of small margins, they couldn’t quite grab an equaliser.
However, the last five weeks of Night Series action has allowed all Azzurri fans to see that this new look side have so much talent and potential to not only reach more finals this season, but also to claim silverware too. There is much to be excited about ahead of the NPLW WA big kick-off next weekend.
Teams: PERTH SC: Schroeder, Longmore, Nossent, Collins, Marshall, McAllister, Archibald, Boehm, Mathers, Flannery, McCartney. Substitutes used: Tana (for Marshall 60’), Hannan (for Archibald 60’), Ottobrino (for McAllister 75’), Insch (for Nossent 75’), Hope (for Longmore 85’).
BALCATTA ETNA: Bennett, D’Opera, Duncanson, van Heurck, Murray-Hocking, Davis, Meakins, Jarvis, Spadano, Gale, Jerram. Substitutes used: Britton (for Duncanson 46’), Cook (for D’Opera 67’), Gama (for Jarvis 67’), Nikoloska (for Jerram 77’), Hargreaves (for Murray-Hocking 87’).
Scorer: Duncanson 13’.
Referee: Samia Omar.