The first round of the second half of the season kicked off in some style in the women’s PlayStation®4 NPL NSW competition.
24 goals were scored across the five games as the Macarthur Rams re-took the lead on top of the table.
Sydney University 3-3 Illawarra Stingrays
Monday afternoon’s clash between Sydney University and Illawarra Stingrays wasn’t one for the faint hearted after neither side could be separated in a six-goal thriller.
A match full of turnarounds finished 3-3 as both teams had to settle for a point apiece.
With eight minutes on the clock, Talitha Kramer burst down the right side and moved in on Georgia Boric’s goal but a fantastic challenge by Kendall Fletcher saved what would’ve been a certain goal.
Only a minute later and the away side had the lead.
Erica Halloway found herself with only Boric to beat but the striker could only shoot into the Uni keeper, before recollecting the rebound and tucking the ball away into an empty net.
On 14 minutes Uni had an equaliser.
Stephanie Ambrose crossed in a fantastic in swinging cross from a free kick on the right to find Clare Hunt at the back stick.
The towering defender made no mistake with her powerful header to bring the scores level.
But the away side retook the lead just before the half hour mark.
New Zealand international Emma Rolston rose highest from a corner to head home after Boric was caught in no mans land.
Halloway tried to get in on the action again on 34 minutes but she didn’t connect well enough with her shot, making it easy for Boric to collect the ball.
Mel Caceres was proving a nuisance all afternoon and when she robbed Caitlin Cooper of the ball inside the Stingrays half, there was only one possible outcome as the Uni striker found the back of the net.
Michelle Carney tried getting in on the action and almost found the back of the net with a header but her effort went inches wide.
Caceres showed all class a minute before the break, scoring her second and bringing the home side in the lead.
A fantastic turn on the edge of the area and a perfectly placed finish around the Stingrays keeper saw her find the back of the net for a 3-2 lead.
It is worth mentioning that Amy Sayer was another standout performer for Uni in the first half, causing many issues with her silky skills.
Uni started the second half well and almost extended their lead after a Rachel Soutar cross found the head of Ambrose who couldn’t find the target.
Kramer had the teams level again in the 54th minute.
The Stingrays speedster burst into the box, beat her marker and found the back of the net courtesy of the far post from a near impossible angle.
It was end-to-end action as both teams went in search of a winner.
Liz O-Reilly crossed in a ball begging for someone to get any sort of touch on it but it evaded all of Uni’s attackers.
O’Reilly came close again a minute later but her goal bound effort was blocked well by the Stingrays defence.
Free kick specialist Soutar then lined up an effort from at least 25 metres out with only 10 minutes left but her shot clattered against the underside of the bar, falling centimetres short of crossing the line.
Three minutes from the end the Stingrays had a chance of their own, Halloway managed to make enough space for herself get a shot away but Boric stood tall to hold onto the shot.
Halloway should’ve had the winner in the 90th minute but the striker failed to beat Boric again as Kramer scooped the rebound well over the bar.
Match Stats
Sydney University SFC 3 (Hunt 14’, Caceres 36’, 44’)
Illawarra Stingrays 3 (Halloway 8’, Rolston 27’, Kramer 54’)
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Sunday, June 12, 2017
NWS Koalas 0-2 North Shore Mariners
The North West Sydney Koalas hosted the North Shore Mariners on Sunday afternoon.
For the Mariners a win was imperative to keep their hopes of finals football alive while the home side couldn’t drop off the race for the Premiership.
It was the away side though that got off to a flyer, scoring two goals in the first half courtesy of Teigan Collister and Kahlia Hogg.
The Koalas couldn’t respond in the next 45 minutes as the Mariners held on to record a 2-0 victory.
The win puts them seven points out of the top four, while the Koalas could see their finals chances start to slip away if they don’t pick up their form.
Football NSW Institute 5-1 Emerging Jets
At Valentine Sports Park on Sunday afternoon, the Football NSW Institute took on the Emerging Jets.
Some good football was on display as some of the most talented players in the state were in action.
It was a tight first half with neither side able to go into the break ahead, moving intothe sheds locked at 1-1.
It was all one way traffic in the second half though as the Institute put on a master class, scoring four unanswered goals.
The win has Craig Foster’s side only one point outside the finals positions.
Blacktown Spartans 2-3 Northern Tigers
Blacktown Football Park played host to the Blacktown Spartans and Northern Tigers on Sunday afternoon.
The away side was desperate for points while the home side saw themselves in the mix for a Premiership push.
It was the Pat O’Sullivan’s team though that went into half time the happier of the two sides, leading 2-1.
They held out to the end, winning 3-2 and ending their winless run with a remarkable victory against one of the strongest sides in the competition.
Shayna Killey, Heidi Makrillos and goalkeeper Amanda Seskin were the heroes for the Tigers while Olivia Price and Cassidy Chidgey scored for the home side.
Manly United 2-3 Macarthur Rams
Manly United and Macarthur Rams did battle at Cromer Park in a highly entertaining matchup.
The Rams seemed to settle the better of the two sides and went into half time two goals to the good.
Manly is not a side to give up easy though and they put up a great fight in the second half, but it wasn’t enough as the away side held out for a massive 3-2 victory.
Remy Siemsen and Sunny Franco got on the scoresheet for United as the Rams scored their second win of the season again the Manly team.