IT was Round 3 in the Women’s Premier League on Saturday with Applecross again showing its power while Melville Marlins drew for a second straight week, this time up against North Coast Phoenix as Triton scored an impressive win over UWA City Beach Rangers.

Round 3 of the 2017-18 Premier League season signalled the end of the first stage of action with all teams in their respective conference having played one another once. That will now lead to the first Cross Conference battles between Fremantle and UWA teams this Saturday.

Saturday’s results in the Fremantle’s Conference at Bicton Pool in Round 3 saw Applecross defeat Dolphins 18-4 and the Melville Marlins and North Coast Phoenix finish up all squad at 7-7.

The UWA Conference contest at HBF Stadium saw Triton defeat Rangers 13-5 with the UWA City Beach Blues having the bye.

The results leave Applecross (2-1-0) atop the Fremantle Conference standings in the Women’s Premier League ahead of the Melville Marlins (1-2-0), North Coast Phoenix (1-1-1) and Dolphins (0-3).

Triton (2-0) is leading the UWA Conference unbeaten after two games while UWA City Beach Blues (1-1) have split theirs and Rangers (0-2) haven’t yet got on the board.

Erin Redbond from the Melville Marlins is the Women’s Premier League leading scorer following three rounds with nine goals while Kelly Parks of Applecross and Zoe Stenhouse of the North Coast Phoenix have scored three each.

Zoe Arancini (Marlins), Sofia Chaves (Applecross), Claire Pierce (Phoenix), Lara Zimmerman (Applecross), Chloe Nella (Marlins) and Sarah Leavy (Applecross) have all scored six goals apiece.

The Round 3 Fremantle Conference action at Bicton Pool began with Dolphins trying to topple the undefeated Applecross.

While Applecross got the game’s first goal from Sarah Leavy, Dolphins got the immediate response from Sinead Cockroft. Lara Zimmerman responded for Applecross before Gaby French converted a penalty.

Applecross soon led 4-1 when Sofia Chaves scored too and it was 5-1 by quarter-time thanks to Kate Abbey-Wardale scoring with two minutes to go.

A second goal for Cockroft kept Dolphins somewhat in touch to start the second period but Applecross managed the last five of the first half to lead 10-2.

Dolphins did well to limit the damage in the third period with both teams scoring two goals each, but Applecross again got rolling with six unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to end up winning 18-4.

Lara Zimmerman scored four goals for Applecross, Gaby French three, Sarah Leavy three, Kate Abbey-Wardale three and Sofia Chaves two. Sinead Cockroft scored three times for Dolphins.

Kate Abbey-Wardale received the three votes, Lara Zimmerman two and Ebony Brown one.

The second Women’s Premier League contest of the day at Bicton Pool saw the Marlins take on the Phoenix.

It proved a tremendously tight contest the whole way starting with a goal each within 22 seconds of one another midway through the first quarter before Claire Pierce put North Coast in front with 12 seconds on the clock.

Melville levelled things up to start the second with a goal to Erin Redbond and they took a 3-2 lead when Pia Rogers drilled a penalty. North Coast, though, responded through Catherine Ainsworth and then led 4-3 at half-time following a penalty by Zoe Stenhouse.

The Marlins tied things up 58 seconds into the second half with a goal from Chloe Nella but once more the Phoenix took a narrow lead with a goal from Zoe Rowcroft.

Things remained locked at three quarter-time, though, following Redbond’s second goal of the game for the Marlins.

Melville then looked to have opened up a match-winning lead with the first two goals of the final quarter from Nella and Chloe Lake. But the Phoenix wouldn’t be denied and scored twice in the last two minutes through Georgie Powers and Pierce to secure the 7-7 draw.

Erin Redbond and Chloe Nella scored two goals each for Melville while Claire Pierce finished with three for North Coast.

Pierce received three votes, Redbond two and Marlins’ Pia Rogers one.

Then in the UWA Conference match up at HBF Stadium, Rangers took on Triton and the teams played out a frantic first quarter.

Seven goals were scored in the opening period with Triton coming up leading 4-3 by the end of it.

They had pulled away slightly by half-time to lead 7-4 after the last two goals of the half from Erin Gray and Jenna Sanders, both playing their first games of the season.

Triton then dominated the second half with three goals to one in the third quarter and three to nil in the fourth to end up winning 13-5.

It was a strengthened Triton team and it showed with Millie Martino scoring three goals, Caitlin Read two, Erin Gray two and Jenna Sanders two.

UWA Torpedoes rising star Madi Rigo scored three goals for Rangers.

Caitlin Read was given three votes after the game, Rigo two and Martino one.

Round 4 of the Men’s Premier League will see the first Cross Conference battles take place and at Bicton Pool a 1.15pm that will see the Melville Marlins play Triton before at 2.30pm, Applecross takes on the UWA City Beach Blues.

And at HBF Stadium at 1.15pm, Rangers will play Dolphins.

PREMIER LEAGUE 2017-18 WOMEN’S COMPETITION RESULTS

ROUND 3 – Saturday October 28
Fremantle Conference
Dolphins 4 lost to Applecross 18
Melville Marlins 7 drew with North Coast Phoenix 7

UWA Conference
UWA City Beach Rangers 5 lost to Triton 13