A Friday night double-header at VALO Football Centre kicks off an intriguing weekend of WNPLSA football. Thomas Perrotta previews Round Three.
Salisbury Inter vs Adelaide Comets
Venue: VALO Football Centre
Date: Friday 30 April 6:15 PM
Inter have started their season off at a cracking pace, winning both of their fixtures thus far, and face up against a Comets side searching for their first league win.
The women from Salisbury have been in imperious form in the league, most recently claiming a 2-0 away win against Uni to notch their second clean sheet to start the season.
Comets, meanwhile, have struggled to find their footing in 2021 and were soundly beaten by NTC in an entertaining affair that finished 6-3, although Valeria Guajardo’s 119th-minute winner saw them edge past Uni in the WNPL and WSL Cup last weekend.
Tonight’s matchup should be an entertaining one, as Comets will be hoping to replicate their Cup feats in the league and Inter will be aiming to make it 3-0 to start the year.
Salisbury Inter line-up: 4. Gabrielle Bentley, 5. Isabella Kouimtzis, 6. Nicole Calder, 9. Erin Hood, 10. Chrissa Pavlomanolakos, 12. Chantelle Ryder, 14. Emily Heazlewood, 15. Jaya Pagatpat, 17. Dragana Kljajic, 18. Khal Adam Khan, 23. Anna Pritchard, 25. Mina Nishitani, 29. Nicola Frazzetto, 76. Zafiro Papanikitas
Coaches: Simon Catanzaro, Brad Donovan, Darran King
Team Staff: Tamara Simeoni, Shreya Modi
Adelaide Comets line-up: 1. Claudia Jenkins (GK), 3. Chantelle Reed, 7. Valeria Guajardo (C), 10. Esther M Heywood-smith, 13. Elyse Moon, 14. Pirrie Weeks, 19. Hannah Jenkin, 21. Hannah Robson-Thoo, 22. Nicole Robertson, 27. Kate Seaton, 33. Nanako Sasaki, 34. Emily Gale, 40. Yuka Sasaki, 46. Clare Davey
Coaches: Andres Obieglo, Joshua Mcloughney
Team Staff: Arthur Skrembos
Football SA NTC vs Metro United
Venue: VALO Football Centre
Date: Friday 30 April 8:15 PM
The second of tonight’s double-header at VALO Football Centre is a familiar one for both sides, as NTC and Metro battled it out in the Cup last week in a contest that ended with Metro three goals to the good.
NTC blew Comets away a fortnight ago, netting five first-half goals en route to a 6-3 thrashing, with Emily Murray scoring a hat-trick and Michaela Belmonte adding a brace.
Metro’s last league fixture ended all square with Fulham, letting an early lead slip to prematurely end their hopes of building a spotless record to begin their title defence.
The two sides will enter the contest well aware of the challenge that lies ahead of them, with NTC keen to claim a big scalp and Metro looking to make it two wins in as many weeks against their opponents.
Football SA NTC line-up: 2. Abbey Burns, 3. Michaela Belmonte, 4. Zoe Tolland, 5. Katie Bowler, 6. Ella Tonkin (C), 8. Nicola Scalzi, 9. Anastasia Willoughby, 11. Emilia Murray, 12. Libby Davy, 13. Lily Barber, 14. Ella Smith, 15. Lily Di Cola, 16. Madeleine Wright, 17. Abby Middleton, 19. Danielle Harmer, 23. Erin Kontoutsikos, 25. Grace Wilson (GK)
Coaches: Michele Lastella, Mark Lobianco, Michael Moularas, Anthony Breaden
Team Staff: Sharee Mcnamara, Jason Collins, Nathan Tripodi
Metro United WFC line-up: 3. Emma Cotgrove, 6. Laura Stockdale, 7. Millie Scott, 8. Chrissy Panagaris, 10. Eleanor Bills, 11. Lauren Steer, 12. Rochelle Draper, 13. Vanessa Reed (C), 14. Annie Green, 17. Victoria Mansueto, 18. Isabella Scalzi, 20. Chanel Todino, 23. Kristy Moore, 24. Gabriella Demarco, 26. Michaela Hadaj, 29. Jessica Signoriello, 55. Olivia Bunge (GK), 90. Melanie Comyns (GK)
Coaches: Antonio Scalzi, Brenton Ellul, Emilio Librandi
Team Staff: Terry Kyriacou, Andreas Zacharia
Fulham United vs Adelaide City
Venue: Adelaide Shores Football Centre
Date: Saturday 1 May 5:00 PM
While Fulham are yet to register a league win in 2021, they’ll enter their contest with City, who remain in the same boat, with a renewed confidence after their Cup performance last weekend.
Hat-tricks to Siobhan Eastham and Angela Mills, as well as braces to Olivia Bramley and Josephine Trimboli, saw Fulham rout WSL side White City 9-0 and progress to the next round of the Cup, no doubt buoyed by coming from behind to draw 1-1 with the reigning champions.
City, meanwhile, didn’t have any Cup action over the weekend, so they will have had an extra week to stew on the late equaliser conceded against West in their 1-1 draw.
The Black and Whites find themselves in the unfamiliar position of the wrong end of the table, which they’ll be keen to rectify against a Fulham side looking to gain momentum.
Fulham United line-up: 1. Natalie Hayman (GK), 4. Natasha Vella, 5. Mia Lundquist, 6. Josephine Trimboli (C), 7. Katherine Ebbs, 9. Zoe J Turner-Davey, 10. Olivia Bramley, 12. Chloe Mortimer, 14. Angela Mills, 15. Hannah Doyle, 16. Caitlin Le Roux, 18. Jessica Nagel, 19. Siobhan Eastham, 22. Sarah Mills, 26. Francesca Queale (GK)
Coaches: Ayoub Hassine, Ali Ali, Masoud Teymouri, John RUSSELL
Team Staff: Adam Mortimer, Maggie Smith, Yacine Grar
Adelaide City line-up: 1. Kendall Jenner (GK), 4. Daniela Di Bartolo, 5. Alyce Macauley, 9. Caitlin White, 13. Sophie Leszczynski, 14. Chrissie Zikos, 15. Bianca Gray (C), 16. Isobel Dahlen-Flight, 17. Paige Heron, 18. Alana Fitzsimmons, 19. Shae Blackwood, 21. Mikayla Vidmar, 23. Natalie Frantzis, 28. Anastasia Nuttall
Coaches: Jamie Dunning, Rachid Maliki, Joe Vozzo
Team Staff: Seymour Di Bartolo, Alexander Tan, Nicholas Whiteside
West Adelaide vs Adelaide University
Venue: TK Shutter Reserve
Date: Saturday 1 May 5:15 PM
The final match of the round, albeit by just 15 minutes, pits West against Uni in a match that presents the opportunity for both sides to stake their claims early.
West had no trouble in the Cup last weekend, comfortably accounting for WT Birkalla 6-0 in which Nicole Tilley and Mawa Sumaoro doubled up, which came off the back of Georgia Macri’s 89th- minute leveller against City to rescue a point at City.
Uni weren’t able to cruise through their cup fixture, however, as they twice equalised (including in the 95th minute) but were unable to prevent Comets from scoring the winner deep into extra-time.
With a win against City under their belt, Uni will be hoping to continue their positive start and improve on last season, while West are shaping as one of the teams to watch again.
West Adelaide line-up: 1. Erin Murphy (GK), 3. Alison Atkins, 5. Christie Hillyer, 6. Elena Psaroulis, 8. Georgia Macri, 9. Harriet Burnett, 10. Georgie Nicola, 12. Nicole Tilley (C), 13. Maddie DuRieu, 15. Jasmine Styles, 17. Georgia Bailey, 19. Zoe Haralampopoulos, 24. Mawa Sumaoro, 37. Stefanie Lang
Coaches: Tracey Jenkins, Alice Gorman, Alex Macdonald, Leslie Allan Bell
Team Staff: David Lewis, Leslie Allan Bell
Adelaide University line-up: 1. Evelyn Goldsmith (GK), 2. Elle Pirintzis, 3. Gemma MacFarlane, 5. Sasha Coorey, 6. Alysia Panagakos, 7. Velvet Klass, 10. Georgia Iannella (C), 11. Ellie Sparrow, 12. Georgia Box, 13. Elysha Magor, 16. Milano Venter, 17. Tanaye Morris, 20. Aimee Benton (GK), 21. Sophie Burke, 22. Briarna Hamersley, 23. Hayley Needs, 77. Margarita Fitzharris
Coaches: Kosta Jaric, Danyon Loud, Ebony Charles
Team Staff: Giorgio Profiris, Mark Bosio, Alex Flood