NPL NSW Women’s Major Semi-Finals Review
What a season in the NPL NSW Women’s competition! Starting in mid-April, it was the Blacktown Spartans that got off to an impeccable beginning, undefeated in their first six starts. Stephen Peters and the Macarthur Rams as well as the Northern Tigers also got off to good starts respectively, following the Spartans close by.
There was one team going about their business quietly and consistently as Sydney University started their ascent up the competition ladder. By the end of the first round, star striker Rola Badawiya started making a name for herself, finding the back of the net more often than not.
APIA Leichhardt had a star import of their own who would end up taking the golden boot as Shea Connors led the inner-west side from the front.
By this stage the Spartans had begun to drop off while Bankstown City and Manly United continued to improve with the Illawarra Stingrays also throwing their hat about.
As we came to the last month of competition, things started heating up. Sydney Uni consolidated the Premiership comfortably while the battle for finals places stretched across six teams, Northern Tigers, APIA, Macarthur, Manly, Bankstown and strong finishers Sydney Olympic.
It was Olympic that made the late dash with 9 games in the final four weeks and needing two victories from their last two games. Bankstown defeated Manly to eliminate them and end their hopes of finals football while goal difference then put the Lions out with the margin to high.
Before the final day the Rams had secured their top four position as APIA defeated them on the last day of the season to confirm their spot and move into second place. The Northern Tigers lost at home to the Premiers and needed Sydney Olympic to lose to the Spartans. Fittingly, it would be the team that started the season so well that would put a stop to Olympic qualifying for finals football as the Tigers took the last finals spot.
Macarthur, having lost twice during the season to APIA needed extra time to overcome their rivals as Beth Gordon scored one of the best goals of the season to secure their spot in the Grand Final. The next day saw the Northern Tigers Shadeene Evans show everyone what she is about with a spectacular performance, single handily knocking out the 2022 Premiers Sydney University.
