PERTH SC 4-2 FOOTBALL WEST ACADEMY
By Ben Gilby
The Azzurri hit back from 2-1 down with three goals in a stunning six minute spell before half-time to end the regular NPLW WA season with their 17th win from 21 matches.
Perth head coach Tom Glavovic made two changes to the side that started last weekend’s home game with Balcatta Etna with Tijan McKenna coming in for Hannah Collins, and Ella Lincoln replacing Louise Tana. Georgia Cassidy, who won the ASEAN Women’s Championship with the Matildas U23s in Vietnam in the week was on the bench.
The visitors started strongly, and hit the front with just under a quarter of an hour played when a centimetre-perfect pass was played into the feet of Lacey Heys in the area, who finished calmly.
Football West Academy’s Klaudia Houlis was hugely influential in this period, with some telling low passes into channels and link up with Cate McAuliffe. Three minutes after her side went ahead, Houlis played in Heys who saw her powerful shot repelled by a superb diving save from Dayle Schroeder.
Just before the half hour mark, the Azzurri turned the tide as Jess Flannery let fly from the left-hand edge of the box, and saw her shot go just wide.
Shortly afterwards, an excellent low pass through found Maja Archibald to advance into the box and place a powerful shot into the net to level the scores.
However, within four minutes the Football West Academy were in front again when a cross came in from the right and was missed by the home defence, allowing Emily Garnett to turn in.
The response from the champions was impressive. With 39 on the clock, the ball came across for Lincoln to confidently finish from a central position in the box.
Just a minute later, the Perth striker turned and shot inside the box, but the effort skimmed off the top of the bar.
Yet, on 42 minutes, there was no mistake, as Daisy McAllister let fly with an absolute rocket from the right hand edge of the box to roars of appreciation from the crowd.
It got better still a minute before the break when Lincoln was brought down by Nelli Johnson just outside the box to the right of centre. Kim McCartney’s eyes lit up, and the defender produced another sensational curled free-kick to put in her increasingly bulging scrap book of such strikes.
The second half never quite rose to the same heights, punctuated as it was by regular torrential downpours, but Violet Longmore’s superb battle with the Academy’s Rutendo Kuzamba kept the spectators entertained throughout. Longmore didn’t put a foot wrong.
Garnett had two opportunities to bring the visitors back into the contest. First, with 20 minutes remaining, she volleyed just wide, and then with 78 played, her powerful shot from the edge of the box flew narrowly wide.
Perth brought on Stacey Cavill with six minutes remaining for the goalkeeper’s final appearance in an Azzurri shirt as she saw the game out to clinch another win for the champions.
Perth SC now have a week off before their Top Four Cup campaign opens against Perth RedStar.
Teams: PERTH SC: Schroeder, Nossent, McCartney, Boehm, Longmore, McAllister, Archibald, Mathers, McKenna, Lincoln, Flannery. Substitutes: Ottobrino (for Lincoln 79’), Cassidy, Collins (for Archibald 45’), Insch (for Flannery 79’), Tana (for McAllister 45’), Marshall, Cavill (for Schroeder 84’).
Scorers: Archibald 27’, Lincoln 39’, McAllister 42’, McCartney 44’.
FOOTBALL WEST ACADEMY: Borg, Z.Dumont, Johnson, Williams-Jones, Collinson, A.Dumont, Kuzamba, McAuliffe, Heys, Houlis, Garnett. Substitutes: Santich (for Williams-Jones 45’), Santos (for Garnett 83’), Dalton (for Kuzamba 72’), Barlow (for A.Dumont 83’), Brady (for Johnson 62’), Wainwright, McGreadie Cole.
Scorers: Heys 14’, Garnett 31’.