Round 5 Review – NPL Women’s NSW
Round 5 of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition was characterised by a heap of goals and several dominant wins.
Have a read of our full wrap-up of all the matches that took place over the Easter long weekend.
Match of The Round – Gladesville Ravens v UNSW at Christie Park – Full Match Report
Gladesville Ravens made a statement of intent in the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition on Sunday afternoon at Christie Park as they dismantled UNSW FC 4-2.
Four quickfire goals in the first 45 minutes got the job done for the high-flying Ravens, while UNSW made a battle of it with two goals in the second half four it to finish 4-2.
Manly United 4-1 Blacktown Spartans at Cromer Park
Manly United recorded a dominant 4-1 win over the Blacktown Spartans on Sunday evening at Cromer Park.
Manly entered the match hoping to return to winning ways after a draw with NWS Spirit last week. In contrast, the Spartans have shown themselves to be an entertaining attacking side in the NPL Women’s this season and will want to put a heavy loss to the Stingrays last week behind them.
However, it was Manly who found the opener through some tidy linkup play on the edge of the box which allowed Daisy Arrowsmith room to dance through the Spartans defence, fend off a strong challenge from Chantelle Maniti and place the ball beyond Anna Norton in the Blacktown goal. 1-0 to Manly in the 14th minute.
A corner in the 42nd minute provided Manly with the opportunity to extend their lead, which they promptly did through Emily Minett, who was able to get her head to the ball in a crowded area and guide a strong header home. 2-0 to Manly.
The Spartans willed their way back into the match in the second half when Helena Daniele picked up a Manly clearance from a corner and excellently swerved the ball in off the post for 2-1 in the 70th minute.
The home side proceeded to add a third goal as Arrowsmith made no mistake in burying the ball into an empty net after Sienna Dale was well prevented by an onrushing Norton, with the goalkeeper unable to prevent the follow-up.
Dale, having been denied by Norton earlier, was determined to notch a goal of her own and delivered a magnificent effort in the 90th minute that curled into the far left corner from outside the box for a triumphant 4-1 scoreline.
Sydney Olympic 7-4 Bulls FC Academy at Peter Moore Field
Peter Moore Field played host to a miraculous 7-4 victory with Sydney Olympic defeating the visiting Bulls FC Academy.
Heading into Round 5, Olympic sat in 2nd place and knew they needed to be at their best when taking on an unbeaten Bulls FC side sitting just underneath them in 3rd place.
The away side would quickly surprise their hosts when in the 8th minute Isabella Volkanovski launched a looping ball in behind the Olympic defence for Tamires Souza to head the ball past Susanna Behne-Smith in the Olympic goal. 1-0 to the Bulls.
Olympic would soon respond with new signing Rochelle Borromeo scoring her first goal of the season after rounding Bulls keeper Trudy Simmons and sliding the ball in for 1-1 in the 22nd minute.
Maintaining her excellent form this season, Demi Koulizakis would give her side the lead in the 34th minute after eluding the Bulls defence and beating Simmons for 2-1.
Brianna Oliverio added a third for her side after Aya Yamahata’s shot landed at her feet and the Olympic captain took a touch and buried the ball into the bottom right corner for 3-1 in the 36th minute.
The home side remained determined to pile on the goals and would earn a fourth in the 41st minute after the ball was pressed high and won by the energetic Oliverio, who spotted Koulizakis at the back post and crossed for the No. 9 to head home.
The goals kept on coming with the Bulls putting themselves right back into contention in the 44th minute through Amber Luchtmeijer, who was able to guide an assured finish after Behne-Smith’s save landed in a perfect spot for the Bulls striker to capitalise.
Koulizakis and Oliverio would again linkup in the second half for Oympic’s fifth, as the striker confidently took the ball down and played her captain through with a nifty reverse pass, with Oliverio eventually able to smash the ball home after being initially prevented by Simmons. 5-2 to Olympic.
A quick release from Simmons allowed her side to counter effectively, with Luchtmeijer showing the quality that has made her a standout in the NPL Women’s this season as she hit a low finish into the bottom left corner from range for 5-3.
A terrific chipped through ball from Koulizakis in the 78th minute setup Maxine Peak, who was smartly positioned behind the Bulls defence, to capitalise and fire a rocket beyond Simmons that nestled in off the underside of the bar for 6-3.
Barely a minute later, Alyssa Rose stepped up to hammer a lethal free kick that evaded Behne-Smith and crashed into the back of the net for 6-4.
The final goal of the game would be scored by substitute Lacie Bowling, who showed plenty of assurance as she dragged an assured finish across the face of goal that nestled itself into the bottom left corner. 7-4 the final score.
Football NSW Institute 1-4 APIA Leichardt at Valentine Sports Park
Despite taking the lead, Football NSW Institute would go down 4-1 against a determined APIA Leichardt side on Monday evening’s clash at Valentine Sports Park.
FNSW Institute displayed plenty of resilience and quality in their 3-1 win over the Northern Tigers in Round 4, and were seeking to maintain that level of performance against an APIA side finally hitting form after a poor start to the season.
Institute would be the first to open the scoring on the day, with Lauren Nada remaining resilient as she raced into the box and fashioned a chance for Tiana Fuller, who proceeded to strike a trivela finish beyond the outstretched Sophie Magus and in for a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute.
APIA would then level the scores on the cusp of halftime through Ashlie Crofts, who was able to fire a precise finish through a sea of players after FNSW Institute were unable to clear APIA’s corner. 1-1 in the 44th minute.
Back-to-back goals for APIA in the 52nd and 61st minute respectively saw the away side extend their lead to 3-1 in the second half. The first was notched by an unmarked Gisella Pipino volleying home a pinpoint Crofts cross, and was soon followed up by Pipino return the favour by putting the ball on a platter for APIA’s star No. 11 to take a touch and bury her finish into the bottom right corner.
Substitute Zoe Panagopoulos would ensure that her side concluded the match on an emphatic note as she picked up a loose ball on the edge of the 18-yard box, took a touch and proceeded to blast it in for a huge 4-1 result.
Macarthur Rams 0-0 NWS Spirit at Lynwood Park
Macarthur Rams dropped points for the first time this season, with NWS Spirit keeping the top of the table Rams to a 0-0 draw at Lynwood Park on Monday.
The Rams entered the fixture in 1st place on the ladder and full of confidence after winning all of their games so far this campaign. Spirit on the other hand were yet to win a game this campaign, and will have been focused on derailing the Rams as they sought to get their own season back on track.
Both teams had limited chances in the early stages of the match, with neither side willing to give an inch defensively. The Rams kept their focus on retaining possession and moving up the field in a calculated manner, whereas Spirit were quick to counter whenever they won the ball back.
The mammoth defensive effort of both sides continued into the second half, as both backlines sought to maintain a high level of urgency and focus to prevent even the slightest of chances.
The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock came in the 83rd minute when Spirit goalkeeper Mio Nemoto was caught out by a quality Rams free-kick, leaving Bronte Trew with a half a chance to get a shot on target away in a crowded area, however she was only able to unleash a rushed finish.
Although the match would end 0-0, credit must be given to both sides for the determined display in defence.
Sydney University 1-5 Illawarra Stingrays at Sydney Uni Football Ground
Sydney University were unable to prevent the Illawarra Stingrays from earning a comprehensive 5-1 win in a one-sided contest at Sydney Uni Football Ground.
Sydney Uni had begun to find form in the NPL Women’s competition prior to Round 5, and will have wanted to be wary defensively up against a Stingrays outfit filled with talent.
An early blow for Sydney Uni saw the home side give away a penalty that was successfully buried by the Stingrays’ Alicia Meuronen in the 11th minute for 1-0.
A superb ball in behind the Sydney Uni defence from Layla Etherington would setup the Stingrays for a second goal in the 40th minute, Chloe Middleton the provider with a terrific curled finish above Chelsea Hromek in goal.
The second half would continue the momentum in favour of the Stingrays, who added a third goal in the 58th minute through Kaelah Austin blistering strike which bounced before clattering with the far post and nestling itself into the back of the net. 3-0 to the Stingrays.
Alicia Meuronen would get another chance from 12 yards in the 70th minute after Etherington was brought down in the box, which the No. 6 for the Stingrays would duly finish with aplomb for 4-0.
A fifth goal for the Stingrays was the result of Siobhan Edwards being well-placed in behind the Sydney Uni defence for a header back which left the attacker with plenty of time to set herself up for a sensational strike into the top left corner of the net. 5-0 to Illawarra.
Sydney Uni would earn themselves a consolation late in the match when Olivia Vanderlaan confidently dispatched a through ball past the onrushing Sophie Emery, meaning the match would finish 5-1 to the Stingrays.
The Stingrays will now head back to Macedonia Park on Thursday, April 4th to play their rescheduled fixture against the Gladesville Ravens, with match commentary from Tomas Phillips.
Northern Tigers 5-0 Emerging Jets at North Turramurra Recreation Area
North Turramurra Recreation Area was the setting as the Northern Tigers earned their first three points of the season in a 5-0 win over the Emerging Jets.
The Tigers entered the match sitting just above the Jets in 13th place, having been kept off the bottom of the ladder due to their goal difference. The home side knew that they needed to improve coming up against a plucky Jets side who pushed Sydney Uni right to the end last weekend.
The home team would be the side to open the scoring in this match, with the Tigers taking the lead through Lily McMahon who showed excellent composure to chip Jets goalkeeper Lily-Rose Dunbar from distance on the left wing. 1-0 to the Tigers in the 22nd minute.
The Tigers would extend their lead by again being offered a fortuitous chance by the Jets, with Ameera Makunja successfully able to bypass Dunbar and launch a strike from distance into an empty net for 2-0.
McMahon would earn herself a brace early in the second half after intercepting the ball on the edge of the box and making a driving run toward the goal before holding off a Jets defender and firing a sublime finish across goal for 3-0.
The Tigers certainly showed no signs of slowing down as the second half ticked along, with a fourth goal provided via Jade McAtamney’s lethal finish taken just outside the box which deflected off of Dunbar and in.
The final goal of the Round would see McAtamney match McMahon’s efforts and secure a brace for herself, with the No. 8 showing total assurance in placing a free-kick into the top left corner of the net.
Unfortunately for the Jets, Emma O’Hagan would receive a second yellow card and a subsequent red in the 80th minute after her challenge impeded Phoebe Handcock, who was through on goal for the Tigers. The final result meant that the Tigers triumphed 5-0 over the Jets.
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By Matthew Badrov
