The South West Phoenix Firebirds made a strong statement with a 6-0 thumping of UWA on Sunday afternoon.
In the third-versus-fourth clash, the Firebirds were all over UWA - scoring three goals in each half to claim a resounding victory.
After two somewhat unconvincing victories to start their season, this was seen as a serious test for the Firebirds against a potential title contender.
The Firebirds were without Golden Boot striker Eleanor Coventry for their clash at WML Stadium.
Captain Lucy Scott replaced Coventry up forward, and it was Scott who set up Nicole Suttie to open the scoring after fifteen minutes with a close-range strike.
The Firebirds maintained possession. Asha McClurg and Kashia King were strong in defence, with Jordan Sheedy and Shauna Wetherell controlling midfield.
Nicole Suttie doubled the Firebirds' lead after half an hour, converting a one-on-one.
Minutes later, Katie McDermott scored her first goal for the season to give the home side a 3-0 half-time lead.
The second half meandered for the first twenty minutes, before the Firebirds took complete control once again.
Jordan Sheedy twice set up Scott, with Scott converting both chances.
The captain rounded out her hat-trick when she scored from close range, following a corner kick.
The win moved the Firebirds up to third place, but Firebirds have played fewer games than Queens Park and Subiaco.
This weekend marks a return to the BankWest Women's Cup, with Firebirds hosting Premier League side NTC.
NTC gave Firebirds a lesson in the pre-season Night Series, winning 5-1. It will again be a very tough assignment, but nonetheless a very valuable experience.
The Firebirds kicked off their season campaign with a 4-2 win over last year's runners-up, Wanneroo City.
Coming back from 2-0 down, a hat-trick from Coventry and one from Scott saw the Firebirds take home the points.
The side struck again with a 2-0 away win over Port Kennedy on May 5.
Following a hit-and-miss first half, the Firebirds recovered thanks to goals from Coventry and Scott.
South West Phoenix's Under 13s drew 1-1 with Joondalup United, before the U14s lost 3-4.
Phoenix's U15s (3-1) and U16s (8-0) both notched up convincing wins.
Read more:
