Round 2 Review – NPL NSW Women’s
Round 2 of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition delivered plenty of action and surprise results.
Read on for a full breakdown of the weekend’s action.
Match of the Round – Macarthur Rams 2-0 Sydney University at Lynwood Park
Macarthur Rams continued their perfect start to the NPL Women’s NSW season after accounting for Sydney University 2-0 at Lynwood Park on Sunday evening.
After a scoreless first half, goals from Lola Sossai and Bronte Trew in the second 45 minutes were enough for the home team to secure all three points.
Click here to read the full match report!
Bulls FC Academy 4-2 Football NSW Institute at Valentine Sports Park
Two youthful sides faced off at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday, with Bulls FC Academy prevailing 4-2 over Football NSW Institute in the opening match of Round 2.
With the Bulls getting off to a strong start in Round 1 with a 3-1 victory over the Blacktown Spartans, coach Jamie Gomez will have prepared them for a challenging matchup against a FNSW Institute side who were left rueing their missed chances after UNSW FC managed a last-gasp equaliser in Round 1.
And it was FNSW Institute who opened the scoring through Adelaide Wyrzynski, who made it back-to-back goals to start the season after Amelia Cassar took control of a Bulls clearance in the box and picked out Wyrzynski who curled the ball beyond Giovana Vidal in the Bulls goal. 1-0 to FNSW in the 15th minute.
The Bulls, showing the same ruthlessness that they displayed against the Spartans in the first half in Round 1, proceeded to equalise in the 17th minute when Amber Luchtmeijer skilfully stepped away from her defender and lobbed a cross onto the head of Isabella Coco-Di Sipio, who deftly put away the finish for 1-1.
Luchtmeijer remained a danger for the Bulls and would notch her first goal of the day after collecting the ball on the edge of the box, fending off her defender and hitting a low finish past FNSW goalkeeper Sofia Fante in the 18th minute.
FNSW would unfortunately add to the Bulls’ first half turnaround after the ball was given away out of defence and Daniella Naeimi seized upon the opportunity to score into an open net. 3-1 to the Bulls.
The second half kicked off in incredible fashion when FNSW captain Alvina Khoshaba intercepted a loose ball outside of the box and magnificently lofted a chipped finish just above Vidal to give FNSW a lifeline.
However, the Bulls held strong and extended their lead in the 49th minute through Luchtmeijer, who snuck in at the back post to put away a FNSW clearance and secure the three points for her side.
Manly United 1-2 Illawarra Stingrays at Cromer Park
A stellar match played out between Manly United and the Illawarra Stingrays at Cromer Park, with the Stingrays taking home the three points in a 2-1 win.
After successfully holding out for ninety minutes in a 1-0 win away at Premiers APIA Leichardt, Manly returned to Cromer Park determined to keep the three points away from the visiting Stingrays.
The Stingrays, having fallen just short against Champions Macarthur Rams in Round 1, were readied for a tough away match against a Manly side buoyed by their opening round win.
However, it was the visitors who took the lead early on in the 4th minute following a brilliant counterattack that ended with Siobhan Edwards rounding Manly stalwart Nicole Simonsen and tucking the ball away for a 1-0 lead.
A turnover from Manly whilst attempting to play out from the back gave the Stingrays a perfect chance to capitalise and extend their lead, with Simonsen resolutely saving the initial effort from Chloe Middleton before Edwards pounced onto the ball and placed the ball into the goal. 2-0 to the Stingrays in the 13th minute.
Manly’s Tegan Biasi would put her side back into the game in the 58th minute from a corner, but it proved to be not enough for the home side to successfully follow-up on their win last week.
Blacktown Spartans 2-2 NWS Spirit at Blacktown Football Park
The Blacktown Spartans put on an impressive display to hold league heavyweights NWS Spirit to a 2-2 draw at Blacktown Football Park on Sunday evening.
The clash with Spirit presented itself as a tough fixture for the Spartans, who endured defeat at home in Round 1 to Bulls FC Academy.
By comparison, Spirit were left frustrated after being forced to settle for a draw at North Turramurra in the opening match of the season, and therefore were determined to notch their first win of the season at Blacktown.
The Spartans looked the stronger of the two sides in the early stages, with Spirit struggling against the energetic high press. And the Spartans would quickly be rewarded when in 4th minute the ball was won high up the pitch and expertly worked to Kitwarla Mkali, who confidently dispatched the ball past Spirit goalkeeper Mio Nemoto.
Although the high press earned the Spartans a deserved goal, it would leave space for Spirit to exploit their opposition in the 6th minute with a lethal counterattack resulted in Siena Hawkins burying her effort from a rebound.
A well-taken finish from Morgan Roberts in the 27th minute – which was built off the back of a sensational through ball out of defence from Kaiya Buchanan – ensured that Spirit headed into halftime in the lead.
Allyssa Ng Saad would be the recipient of a golden opportunity following a wonderful pressing effort by the Spartans and would plant a smartly-taken finish past the sea of Spirit defenders for the equaliser in the 48th minute.
Spirit would almost take the lead just a few minutes later when Clare Holder struck a thunderous free-kick from the edge of the area and was denied by the crossbar.
Miraculously, the Spartans had their crossbar to thank yet again in the 88th minute when Spirit substitute Pene Bonovas struck a beautiful free-kick that was met by the post, which ensured the match would finish 2-2.
Sydney Olympic 4-2 Northern Tigers at Peter Moore Field
Peter Moore Oval played host to an entertaining matchup between Sydney Olympic and the Northern Tigers, with the home side winning 4-2.
The Tigers, undoubtedly spurred on by their courageous performance in Round 1, will have wanted to cause strife for Olympic, who cruised to victory over the Emerging Jets last weekend and were focused on putting the inconsistency of last season behind them.
Olympic had their talismanic No. 9, Demi Koulizakis, to thank in the early stages of the match after a quickfire brace from the dynamic forward left the Tigers stunned. The first goal, a stunning header, arrived in just the 2nd minute of the match, before Koulizakis left the Olympic faithful in awe with a stunning volley from the edge of the area that bested Tigers keeper Aimee Hall.
Despite going down 2-0 early, the Tigers were determined to fight back and would earn a goal for their troubles in the 17th minute when Amy Hislop latched onto a pass across the goal mouth by Olympic goalkeeper Sayaka Koyama and slid the ball home for 2-1.
Ameera Makunja brilliantly notched an equaliser for the Tigers in the 21st minute after catching Koyama away from her net, beating her defenders and curling the ball into back of the net for 2-2.
Looking to get her side back on track, Maxine Peak took matters into her own hands in the 39th minute by bending a terrific long-range effort beyond Hall and into the top-left corner. 3-2 to Olympic.
Ebony McCue-Shore capped off a strong display by heading home from a corner in the 54th minute, ensuring that Olympic would finish the match as 4-2 victors.
UNSW FC 5-0 Emerging Jets at The Village Green
The Village Green got its first taste of NPL Women’s football on Sunday evening as UNSW FC triumphed 5-0 over the Emerging Jets.
Newly-promoted UNSW FC entered the match seeking out the three points after a last-minute equaliser earned them a draw against Football NSW Institute. By contrast, the Emerging Jets had the chance to show their capabilities away to UNSW after a tough loss to Sydney Olympic last round.
Midfield maestro Margaux Montegut kicked things off for UNSW after winning the ball from Jets defender Sian Wilde outside of the box and driving forward, only to be taken down as Wilde as she looked to recover the ball in the box. Tiana Petkovski then proceeded to dispatch the resulting penalty with a calm effort that just bypassed the outstretched arms of Tegan Harvey.
Petkovski was again involved for UNSW after skilfully turning and holding off her defender to play through Chloe Smith who subsequently bested Harvey with a confident chip to give UNSW a 2-0 lead.
Round 1’s hero Allira Toby made no mistake when she received a lobbed ball from her goalkeeper in the 43rd minute and did well to heave the ball over an onrushing Harvey. 3-0 to UNSW.
The second half brought with it even greater joy for the home side, with goals provided by Sarah Moore – who arrived at the back post for an easy finish into the roof of the net – and Corinna Medaglia after stealing the ball from a Jets defender and rifling the ball into the bottom right corner for 4-0 and 5-0 respectively.
Gladesville Ravens 3-2 APIA Leichardt at Christie Park
An incredible fightback by the Gladesville Ravens saw the home side defeat 2023 Premiers APIA Leichardt 3-2 at Christie Park.
APIA Leichardt entered this match looking for redemption after their loss to Manly United in Round 1. The Ravens, by comparison, arrived in Round 2 having been one of the standout performers in the opening round, with new Ravens coach Guillermo Rubio ensuring his side is firmly focused on being a strong contender this season.
APIA’s Gisella Pipino did well to open the scoring for the match with a sumptuous hit from range that bounced into the back of the net in the 9th minute.
The away side would then double their lead in the 31st minute after Charlotte Lancaster picked up the ball just shy of the 18-yard line and fired a screamer beyond the outstretched arms of Ravens goalkeeper Eliza Coleman.
Patricia Charalambous sparked the Ravens comeback in the 34th minute after being in the right place at the right time to tap the ball home after Lexie Moreno’s outstanding free-kick was saved onto the post by APIA captain Sophie Magus.
Isabella Habuda proved to be the hero for the Ravens with a second-half brace that included a lovely touch and finish into the bottom right corner in the 61st minute and a fortuitous poacher’s finish in the 81st minute that was created out of a mistake by the APIA defence. 3-2 the final score to the Ravens.
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