Round 2 Review – NPL Women’s NSW
The National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s is heating up, with several sides in competition for the top four. Even as day turned to night, the scorching conditions in Sydney and NSW were felt by players, fans, coaches, and volunteers alike with temperatures hitting the high thirties.
Have a read of our full breakdown of Round 2.
Match of the Round – Western Sydney Wanderers 3 v Sydney Olympic 1 at Wanderers Football Park
It was a first ever win for the Western Sydney Wanderers in the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition, defeating Sydney Olympic on Sunday night at Wanderers Football Park, 3-1.
The home side opened the scoring mid way through the first half when young gun Miriam Zumaya found the back of the net.
It was the visitors that would come out firing in the second, equalising through Maxine Peak early before the Wanderers responded, scoring a further two goals through Anika Stajcic and Gemma Ferris.
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Northern Tigers 2-2 Sydney University at North Turramurra Recreation Area
The Northern Tigers shared the spoils with Sydney University in Saturday’s lone fixture, drawing 2-2 at North Turramurra Recreation Area.
Having fought hard to earn the three points in a tough clash with the Newcastle Jets in the opening round, the Tigers would have returned to their home ground in Round 2 buoyed by the victory. However, coming up against a Sydney Uni side gunning for their own first points of the season will have been seen as a big challenge for the home team.
The Tigers began the match with a brilliant corner routine that undid the Sydney Uni defence. The quick set piece then gave an unmarked Haley Johnson the opportunity to drive straight into Uni’s 18-yard box and play the ball to Olivia Cartwright, who got the better of an unsuspecting Uni defender and proceeded to toe-poke the ball into the bottom right corner. 1-0 in the 30th minute.
An unfortunate mistake in the backline quickly undid the Tigers’ lead however, as Isabella Keech became caught in her own swift attempt to bypass the press of Ruby Egan-Brown and gave up possession to the No. 18, who spotted goalkeeper Anna Norton off her line and guided a sensational strike beyond the Tigers No. 1 and in for 1-1 in the 33rd minute.
The home side would have to wait until the 73rd minute to retake the lead after Bo Burton chipped a superb ball in behind the Uni defence for Johnson, who was unable to get her strike off, leading to the play ultimately being finished off by Nicola Dominikovich – whose initial header to Burton started the sequence in the front third. 2-1 to the Tigers.
Sydney Uni were unwilling to leave North Turramurra without taking something away from the match, and would find an equaliser through Amelia Feeney, who matched the individual brilliance of Egan-Brown’s initial leveller to make it 1-1 by curling a beautiful strike from range that eclipsed Norton and nestled into the top right corner in the 83rd minute. 2-2 the final score.
APIA Leichhardt 2-1 Gladesville Ravens at Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt continued their winning start to the season with a confident 2-1 win over the Gladesville Ravens at Lambert Park.
Coming into Round 2, APIA will have been riding the high of overcoming the Macarthur Rams in the Grand Final rematch last time out. In comparison, the Ravens were unable to defeat Sydney Olympic despite performing well in the opening round, and will have known the importance of taking their chances against a strong APIA team.
From the outset, APIA looked to secure a foothold on the match with their pressure on the Ravens defence, and in the 36th minute they would be rewarded for their efforts. The goal was scored by Christina Kiceec, who assuredly buried her header whilst unmarked in the box from a corner. 1-0 to APIA.
Nearly 35 minutes into the second half and APIA would recreate their opener, as Kiceec followed the trajectory of the cross to the back post and met it calmly to guide her header in for 2-0 in the 82nd minute to the delight of her teammates.
A late error from APIA’s backline would hand the Ravens a way back into the match when an unsuspecting Kaylie Shannon was gifted time and space to best an onrushing Sophie Magus in the 89th minute. However, it would only prove to be a consolation with APIA earning the three points in the end.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 0-0 Illawarra Stingrays at Popondetta Park
An even contest played out between the Mt Druitt Town Rangers and the Illawarra Stingrays, with the two sides unable to separate the points come the final whistle as the match concluded 0-0 at Popondetta Park.
The newly-promoted Rangers will have savoured the prospect of starting their season with back-to-back home fixtures, though a visit from the Stingrays would not have been taken lightly by the Western Sydney side. The South Coast representative in the NPL Women’s began their season well in Round 1 as they held onto the three points against Sydney University.
The match was an impressive showcase of both sides’ defensive capabilities, with neither backline taking a backward step in performing the duties. Urgent defending, last-minute tackles, and composed challenges were what characterised this clash.
Rangers captain Leena Khamis had a good chance in the 14th minute saved by Stingrays goalkeeper Kiara Rochaix, with her header from close range impeded by the Illawarra custodian.
Both the Rangers and the Stingrays continued to build up attacking opportunities, but were denied on numerous despite their best efforts. The Rangers concluded the match with 16 shots (7 on target), whilst the visiting Stingrays got away 10 shots with 3 on target. 0-0 was the final score in the end.
Macarthur Rams 0-1 Manly United at Cromer Park
Playing out of their beloved Cromer Park, Manly United were able to earn an incredible 1-0 win over Grand Final and Premiership winners Macarthur Rams.
The Rams will have entered Round 2 wanting redemption after losing to APIA Leichhardt in Round 1, but facing a red-hot Manly side fresh from defeating the newly-promoted Western Sydney Wanderers 5-1 away last weekend would have had the home team on their toes.
Manly were able to produce a higher number of chances throughout the first half, though the Rams were resilient in withstanding the barrage of Manly attacks.
Quality team play that involved much of the side playing through the Rams midfield was what led to Manly’s winning goal in the 55th minute. It was the individual brilliance of Nicole Stuart that put the Northern Suburbs side in front as she confidently ran down the ball from a lofted pass and turned inside with a flicked cut-in before firing a rocket of a strike with a half-volley. 1-0 to Manly.
The question remains whether Manly – who were a contender for 1st place on the ladder in the early stages of the 2024 season as well – can maintain this level of performance against the other big sides.
UNSW 1-1 Bulls FC Academy at The Village Green
UNSW and Bulls FC Academy faced off in a tense matchup in Round 2 of the NPL Women’s, with the two sides ultimately seeing out a 1-1 draw in the end, which continued the weekend’s theme of teams sharing the spoils in their clashes
UNSW were seemingly unstoppable in Round 1, having triumphed 5-2 over NWS Spirit on the iconic Village Green turf in their opener. In comparison, Bulls FC were left frustrated by their 1-0 loss to Mt Druitt Town Rangers and were forced to endure a tough slog due to an early red card.
The first half saw both teams give a strong account of themselves, with chances in attack limited as a result. It was becoming clearer with every passing minute that it would require a stroke of luck for either team to score.
Aya Yamahata proved to be the stroke of luck for her UNSW side in the 52nd minute, after getting the final touch on the ball following uncertainty and chaos in the box after a corner, with the UNSW No. 4 burying her strike for 1-0.
Arguably the best goal of the round was then scored by the Bulls in the 68th minute as Isabella Coco-Di Sipio planted an effortless one-touch volley over UNSW goalkeeper Stephanie Grimbilos from the right wing of the field. 1-1 the final score.
NWS Spirit v Newcastle Jets – POSTPONED
-By Matt Badrov
