Only two games of a possible six took place in Round One of the NPL NSW Women’s competition.
COVID, Young Matilda’s and wet weather put four games out this weekend.
APIA Leichhardt 3-0 NWS Spirit
The action kicked off at Lambert Park in Sydney’s Inner West as APIA Leichhardt hosted NWS Spirit.
A clean sheet and three goals in the away team’s net was enough for APIA to celebrate victory.
The home team should have been in front on seven minutes but Shea Connors wasn’t able to take advantage of a golden opportunity.
It was Spirit’s turn next to put on some pressure and with a few half chances, could’ve been in front. The best opportunity falling to Isabella Volkanovski.
APIA went the other way and knocked hard on the Spirit door but could not find a breakthrough before the break.
It took just over five minutes in the second though to hit the front.
A swift counter was finished off by Sophie Hoban, squeezing the ball passed Katie Offer who needed to do better.
The gates opened up from here as the home side doubled their advantage with their next foray forward.
APIA captain Rhianna Pollicina left fly with a thunderbolt from outside the area which found its way into the back of the net.
With 20 minutes to go the score was settled.
Deborah-Anne De La Harpe’s shot come cross from almost 40 metres out caught Offer out as the ball sailed into the back of the net.
It was exactly how APIA coach Spencer Prior wanted the season to kick off, while Spirit manager Adam Keramea will look for positives from round one.
Macarthur Rams 3-1 Bankstown City
The final game of the first round took place at Lynwood Park between the Macarthur Rams and Bankstown City.
In a tight first half, the team would go into the break all square. The second half saw the home team put just enough in to give Rams coach Stephen Peters the perfect start to the season.
It took the Rams only six minutes to hit the front.
A free kick from the left was not dealt with as a goal mouth scrambled soon followed.
It was Kylie Ledbrook that would react first, blasting the ball into the back of the net.
Bankstown grew into the game and slowly took the ascendancy.
They had their equaliser mid-way through the first half.
A corner from the left was met by a powerful header at the back post to send the away side into the break level.
As the second half went on, it seemed the away side were more likely until jut under 15 minutes left on the clock
Another set piece was the un doing of Bankstown, this time a corner deflected in off one of their defenders.
With not much time remaining, it was 3-0.
Laura Murtagh wrapped the game up after Patty Charalambous led a counter with the Rams striker finishing well to seal the points.
-By NPL NSW Women’s Chief Writer and Commentator Nikola Pozder
