South West Phoenix Firebirds clinched the Division One title on Sunday with a thumping 12-0 win over bottom-placed Gosnells City.
The win moved the Firebirds more than a game clear of second-placed Wanneroo with just one game remaining, meaning Firebirds cannot be caught.
The Firebirds join their male counterparts in the history books as league winners, who won the Division One title in 2011.
Following two strong wins against good sides in Northern Redbacks and Subiaco, a win at Gosnells was seen as likely being a formality.
With top playing bottom, it was always set to be a one-sided encounter and so it played out with another dominant performance from the Firebirds.
Katie McDermott and Skye Dalton pulled most of the strings in the first half, and both got on the scoresheet along with Jordan Sheedy and Lucy Scott.
The league’s leading goal-scorer Eleanor Coventry was then able to cash in, scoring seven goals as it turned into a rout.
Winning the league championship has capped off a remarkable year for the reborn Firebirds, who set out primarily to build a young team and consolidate their Division One place.
Remarkably, nine schoolgirls were selected in the original 14-player squad.
Their ability to continually rise to each challenge was what saw them come out ahead of their rivals.
Firebirds have been on-top since Round Two, when an upset away win against 2017 Champions Wanneroo City made the competition sit up and take notice.
A few early season tight victories soon made way for later season dominance as the young side improved.
The Firebirds endured an injury epidemic towards the season’s climax, but managed to pull through and even excel in the absence of high-profile players Asha McClurg and Courtney Butlion, wrapping up the title without losing a game.
The Firebirds will now look to build on this year’s success in 2019 and beyond, with further opportunities for young female players in the South West to play higher-level soccer.
The side has claimed 17 wins and three draws, ahead of second-placed Wanneroo with 16 wins, two draws, and two losses.
Northern Redbacks sits third on the ladder in front of Subiaco, Joondalup City FC, Curtin University, Perth Soccer Club, and Gosnells.
McClurg recently represented Western Australia’s Schoolgirls side in the 2018 School Sport Australia Championships in Shepparton.
The team claimed bronze after defeating the Australian Capital Territory side, 2-1.
The South West Phoenix men’s side had a less-than-stellar weekend, going down 7-1 to top-of-the-table Rockingham at WML Stadium.
The Phoenix squad remains sixth on the ladder with eight wins, three draws, and nine losses after 21 rounds.
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