The South West Phoenix Firebirds were knocked out of the BankWest Women's State League Cup on Saturday night, when they were thrashed 7-0 by NTC.
It was always going to be a brutally tough assignment for the Firebirds against NTC, who are currently top of the WA Premier League.
On the team sheet, NTC's most notable players were Perth Glory's Leticia McKenna and Junior Matilda Hana Lowry. Both superstars showed their class and quality throughout the game.
For the Firebirds, this was primarily a learning experience.
Even in their worst nightmares, they could not have envisioned the start that they had - conceding three times in the opening five minutes.
All three goals were attributable to big game nerves and uncharacteristic errors.
Three-nil down after five minutes, it was always going to be a case of damage control thereafter.
The Firebirds settled into the game and managed to hold their own for the next hour, conceding only once in that time.
The side sustained possession during the first half, without really creating any scoring chances.
With NTC's depth of quality, it was always going to get tougher and tougher as the match wore on.
NTC pressed harder in the second half, leading to more Firebirds' turnovers and, in turn, more chasing.
The last twenty minutes were very tough, with a hungry and skilled NTC running the Firebirds ragged.
The visitors added three more goals to round out the score at 7-0.
Despite the heavy beating, Firebirds' coach Stephen Suttie said he was happier than he was following the 5-1 Night Series loss.
"This was a stronger NTC team than we faced in the Night Series and, after our terrible start, we fought well and held our own for the next hour," he said.
"They then went to another level. We tired, and their depth of quality showed.
"It's still a fantastic experience for us to be out on the park with players of that quality."
Looking to keep their 100 per cent record in tact, the Firebirds will resume their league duties when they travel to Curtin University this weekend.
Two weeks ago, the Firebirds claimed a commanding 6-0 victory over UWA at WML Stadium.
The Firebirds kicked off their season with a 4-2 win over Wanneroo City, before defeating Port Kennedy 2-0.
Captain Lucy Scott was applauded for scoring in all three league games.
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