UWA Nedlands 0-4 Perth SC
By Ben Gilby
The Azzurri hit the top of the NPLW WA ladder with a dominant victory over UWA-Nedlands at the Sports Park yesterday.
Perth SC boss Tom Glavovic made three changes to his starting line-up from last weekend’s win at Murdoch University Melville. Violet Longmore, Louise Tana, and Tamsyn Hannan came in to replace Epril Nossent, Hannah Insch, and Sam Mathers.
The home side had several early flurries in attack with Hannah Seeley linking up well with Samara Riches in this period, allied with the ever industrious Emily Dinsdale, but UWA-Nedlands were not able to force Dayle Schroeder in to many saves during the spell.
Perth began to assert their control on the possession with a patient build up strangling any hopes that UWA had of making breakthroughs in the way they did against both Perth RedStar and Subiaco in their opening two matches – games which saw them hit the back of the net twice.
With nine minutes on the clock, Hannan drove up the right flank and found Tana inside her. The former NTC youngster hit a low shot from long range which trickled agonisingly wide of the post. From the resulting goal kick, Perth took possession and hit back once more with home keeper Janina Sauer blocking an effort with her legs, and the follow up went over the top.
Eight minutes later, the Azzurri hit the front. Once more they pushed up strongly on UWA-Nedlands trying to play out from the back and gained possession, with the ball falling perfectly for Maja Archibald to fire home from around 15 yards.
Ruby Marshall had a real chance to double the lead shortly afterwards when she advanced to be one on one with Sauer, but her shot went over.
Perth were turning the screw and the hosts were in trouble seemingly every time that they tried to re-start play at the back.
Pressure on the home defence continued to mount, and with 25 minutes played, Marshall advanced once more up the left and squared a pass into the centre of the box for Tana. UWA-Nedlands defender Ella Gaspar got a touch which presented Hannan with perfect opportunity unmarked on the right of the area to fire home.
The Azzurri were well on top and playing some superb attacking football at times. One such move before the break showed the immense qualities that Longmore has. Striding forward in the centre of the park, she played a sumptuous curled pass into the path of McAllister. The home side averted the danger, but it was a sensational passage of play from the youngster.
Perth continued their dominance in the second period, breaking clear along the right with a shot flying narrowly wide of the left hand post.
Then, with 63 minutes played, a third goal of exceptional quality effectively wrapped up the points. UWA-Nedlands lost possession from a throw inside the Azzurri half, earning the visitors a throw of their own.
The move gradually built to substitute Insch who drove up the left hand flank before squaring a pass inside her. The ball was further moved across to the right for Epril Nossent to hit a sensational first time lob from the edge of the area that flew over Sauer and in. Superb vision for a superb goal.
The final exchanges minutes saw Perth claim a fourth that their dominance deserved. Substitute Sam Mathers played a cross in for McAllister to turn the ball home.
The Azzurri remain top of the ladder on goal difference from Football West Academy (formally Hyundai NTC) – the only two sides to have won three from three this season.
Teams: UWA-NEDLANDS: Sauer, C. Gaspar, Cain, Dadswell, Visic, E. Gaspar, Beese, Dinsdale, Seeley, Franklin, Riches. Substitutes: Kinkaid, Muller, Hartley, Rodrigo, Gibson, Large.
PERTH SC: Schroeder, Ottobrino, McCartney, Hope, Longmore, Collins, Archibald, McAllister, Tana, Marshall, Hannan. Substitutes: Nossent, Hunt, Warburton, Garcia, McCready, Mathers, Cavill, Insch.
Scorers: Archibald 17’, Hannan 25’, Nossent 65’, McAllister 78’.