UWA-NEDLANDS 1-2 PERTH SC
By Ben Gilby
The Azzurri were made to work extremely hard by a very well-disciplined home side, but they still ran out winners at the UWA Sports Park today to remain top of the NPLW WA ladder.
Perth head coach Tom Glavovic named an unchanged starting line-up, but was able to bring both Ella Lincoln and Ruby Marshall back into the bench after the pair missed last week’s 8-0 win at Murdoch University Melville.
It was a match where patience was the virtue for the visitors. They dominated possession and territory, but clear cut chances were few and far between.
Despite it being just her second game back in an Azzurri shirt, Georgia Cassidy has already re-established her excellent partnership with Sam Mathers. The pair were playing several classy one-twos around which caused problems for the hosts.
Cassidy’s talent for the perfectly timed pass – both cross field and forward into the path of the stride of runners were also in evidence, and with 10 minutes played, from one such move, Daisy McAllister, fully recovered after being stretchered off last week, advanced but put her shot just wide.
UWA-Nedlands were looking to Emily Dinsdale to create along the left, but she was well marshalled and largely dealt with before coming close to putting a ball into the box.
The hosts had a chance when, from Chloe Rodrigo’s ball in from the left, Matilda Boehm put the ball against her own bar.
As the half reached its final six minutes, Perth stepped it up again. A superb low ball from the centre of the park from Cassidy found McAllister, but the latter wasn’t able to quite time her run right, and as she put the ball in the net, the offside flag was put up.
Right on the break, Mathers and Cassidy established a short corner routine on the right and the ball was delivered in for Jess Flannery to nod home towards the back post to ensure that the Azzurri had some reward for their dominance of possession at the break.
There was a flurry of action in the early stages of the second half. With six minutes played, Lincoln made an instant impact when she darted along the right and played in Flannery who, under pressure from the onrushing home keeper Janina Sauer, saw her shot go over the top.
Then, UWA-Nedlands worked possession along the right before two passes inside allowed them to build centrally with a pass played in for Dinsdale to level the scores.
Parity would last just five minutes as, on the hour mark, Sam Mathers played the ball into the mix for Lincoln to slot home from close range for another of her excellent poacher’s strikes.
After that, the real chances dried up, and there were only two real moments when Perth came close to increasing their advantage.
First, with 72 minutes played, a superbly weighted ball from Tijan McKenna on the right found Flannery who hit a shot from the left of centre just over the top.
Then, two minutes later, Kim McCartney hit a typically spectacular free-kick that curled its way towards the top corner, but Sauer pushed it onto the bar and over – a magnificent save.
Whilst Perth dominated the ball, territory, and corner count (12-3), they were made to work very hard indeed for their victory. UWA-Nedlands were extremely disciplined and well-organised. This was one of those games where that all important thing was the final score – and it ensures that the Azzurri remain top of the NPLW ladder as we approach the second half of the season.
Teams: UWA-NEDLANDS: Sauer, C. Gaspar, Cain, Dadswell, Preiato, E. Gaspar, Short, Riches, Rodrigo, Dinsdale, Franklin. Substitutes: Kinkaid, Hartley, Visic, Large, Beese.
Scorers: Dinsdale 55’.
PERTH SC: Schroeder, Nossent, McCartney, Boehm, McKenna, McAllister, Cassidy, Collins, Archibald, Flannery, Mathers. Substitutes: Ottobrino, Lincoln, Insch, Tana, Marshall, Cavill, Longmore.
Scorers: Flannery 45’, Lincoln 60’.