Perth RedStar looking to go eight games unbeaten in NPLW clash with Hyundai NTC in Festival of Football clash

Perth RedStar will be aiming to continue their outstanding early season form in the National Premier League women’s competition when they do battle with Hyundai NTC at Retravision Stadium on Saturday. The match will be played as part of the Great Southern Festival of Football that runs until May 28 and will precede the NPL men’s fixture between Sorrento Football Club and Perth Glory. RedStar are the reigning champions and currently sit on top four points clear of Murdoch University Melville Football Club. The under-19 NTC squad follow just behind in third, having won five of their games and losing three. The NTC program is the elite pathway for talented junior female players in WA, an initiative supported by Football Australia. The young squad are the only team this season to defeat RedStar, having stormed to a 2-0 win in round one in late March. RedStar have only dropped points in one of their next seven fixtures, a 0-0 draw against Perth Soccer Club in round three. The match will provide a chance for RedStar to exact revenge on NTC. RedStar young gun Katie Ritchie said her side was looking forward to putting on a strong performance in front of a healthy crowd on the weekend. “We are looking to the weekend and travelling to Albany,” she said. “I think it will be a fun experience to travel such a long way for one match and help showcase the game we love to the Great Southern region. “We are expecting the match against NTC to be an exhausting end-to-end game.” The 18-year-old central midfielder is looking forward to squaring the ledger with NTC. “They have very dangerous and exciting players who can affect games massively,” she said. In last week’s round of fixtures, RedStar enjoyed a 1-0 win over Murdoch University Melville. A Reina Kagami strike from a corner kick separated the two sides and ensured RedStar head into round nine seven games unbeaten. NTC will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 3-0 loss to Balcatta Etna last week after going through the first four rounds undefeated. After a crushing 8-1 win in round six, the NTC women slumped to a 5-1 loss to Murdoch Melville in round seven before their loss to Balcatta in round eight at the weekend. The NTC v Perth RedStar match will kick-off at 2pm.