La Fiamma’s women’s team stars in Perth at the Women’s League Cup

La Fiamma Soccer Club sent its top women’s team to Perth after discussions with Football West, paving the way for them to compete in the Women’s League Cup against the best.

The squad faced Wanneroo in their first game in the Women’s League Cup last weekend. Wanneroo were coming off clean sheet wins — 12-0 win in their first game and a 5-0 win in their second game.

It was a quick start from La Fiamma with Chilean player Monse Fernandez scoring in the first three minutes, shocking the opposition in the process.

Macie Gray scored the second goal for La Fiamma in the 10th minute extending their lead to 2-0 early in the piece, well and truly putting Wanneroo on the back foot.

Indiana Burns came through in the 18th minute with a goal, with Olivia Bidwell following up in the 31st minute and Cassie Green in the 33rd minute, making it 5-0 to La Fiamma.

With a 5-0 lead at half-time La Fiamma jumped out the blocks in the second half with a Bidwell goal in the 46th minute.

Fernandez found the back of the net once more in the 54th minute, drawing La Fiamma’s lead out to 7-0 and piling more scoreboard pressure onto Wanneroo.

Bidwell scored her hat-trick in the 79th minute just a day after her game for Towns back home.

In the final minute Paige Carslake scored the final goal for La Fiamma, finishing 9-0 victors.

La Fiamma’s coach Mark Gray said he couldn’t have asked for a better outcome after a long road trip to Perth.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more, they were incredible,” he said.

“They gave it their all and put together one of the best games I have seen them play in the five years I have been coaching them.

“It has been something that they have been wanting for a number of years, to go down to Perth and compete with the best and to see them smash it out of the park was really special.”

Opening the door for women to have the opportunity to play in Perth like the men’s team, Gray said it was vital to growing the women’s game in the Mid West.

“It gives the girls an opportunity to test themselves against other teams in Perth,” Gray said.

“It just opens up more possibilities for women in this sport and I think that is really important for the growth of the game here.”

The squad will continue to play in Geraldton and in the Women’s League Cup this season.