Round 3 Review – NPL NSW Women’s
Despite rainy conditions, the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition did not hold back in delivering plenty of action, goals and late winners across all of the matches in Round 3.
Have a read of our full breakdown of the round that was.
Match of the Round – Sydney University 0-1 NWS Spirit at Valentine Sports Park
NWS Spirit FC recorded their first win of the 2025 National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW season with a 1-0 victory over Sydney University SFC at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday evening.
With the complete opposite conditions to last week’s extreme heat, Skye Halmarick scored the only goal of the game mid-way through the first half as the rain came down.
It was a dominant performance for Tony Candy’s team, from kick off through to full time, creating a number of opportunities throughout the game.
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Sydney Olympic 1-1 Northern Tigers at Peter Moore Field
An even contest played out at Peter Moore Field on Sunday evening, with Sydney Olympic drawing 1-1 with the visiting Northern Tigers.
Olympic entered Round 3 with zero points to start the season, and will have wanted to make a statement in front of their loyal home fans against the Tigers. As for the visitors, a win and a draw to begin the campaign had them building positive momentum in the lead in to this match.
Though Olympic fashioned a few chances of their own, it was the Tigers who dominated the stats at the end of the first half with 13 shots total (4 of which were on target).
The away team continued that trend into the second half, and would open the scoring following a bombarding run by Nicola Dominikovich down the left wing to open up the Olympic defence. The Tigers attacker then played her pinpoint cross into the path of the in-form Haley Johnson, who made no mistake in collecting the cross and tucking her strike into the bottom left corner. 1-0 to the Tigers in the 52nd minute.
Olympic refused to let the Tigers take the three points back to the Northern Suburbs and would score a dramatic late equaliser in the 92nd minute after a chipped strike from an Olympic attacker struck the crossbar and landed fortunately at the feet of a resolute Gabrielle Peak, who tapped the ball in to ensure that the match finished 1-1.
Newcastle Jets 3-2 Bulls FC Academy at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility
The Newcastle Jets earned a dramatic late winner to defeat Bulls FC Academy 3-2 in front of the home fans at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
Following a close loss in Round 1, the Jets will have been raring to go against the Bulls after their match was rescheduled last weekend. The Bulls would have expected a tough matchup with a resurgent Jets side, and will have understood the importance of keeping their defence sturdy in the face of the home side’s attacking flair.
The Bulls would open the scoring via a set piece after a corner kick found the head of Isabella Coco-Di Sipio, who held strong in a sea of defenders to steer her header in to make it 1-0 in the 16th minute.
Jets captain Emma Bates was pivotal to her side’s equaliser in the 24th minute after she spotted the run of Kate Heap and launched a long ball from her own half that sliced through the Bulls defence and into the path of the speedy No. 7 who proceeded to bury the ball underneath an onrushing Mio Nemoto. 1-1.
However, Bates was again at the centre of the goalscoring, except this time for the Bulls. The Bulls took the lead toward the end of the first half, with Ashlee Brodigan pressuring the Jets defender to cough up possession in her own 18-yard box, which the No. 23 for the Tigers finished assuredly. 2-1 in the 44th minute.
The Jets remained eager to score in the second half though, and would level things up after Navah Crofton met a corner kick at the back post and fired her strike into the ground over a crowd of defenders, giving Sophie Howarth ample time and space to guide the ball in off of her head. 2-2 in the 54th minute.
In a moment of magic that only football could provide, Alexis Collins – who a minute earlier missed a guilt-edged chance in front of goal – remained composed as she was given a golden opportunity to win the match for her side, which did with aplomb after firing her shot low into the bottom corner from the edge of the box and in for 3-2 in the 91st minute.
Manly United 0-0 Mt Druitt Town Rangers at Cromer Park
A well-anticipated matchup between league veterans Manly United and the newly-promoted Mt Druitt Town Rangers would conclude in a 0-0 draw at Cromer Park on Sunday evening.
Facing an unbeaten Rangers side would have been seen as a major test for Manly in the lead-up to this fixture, however the home side have begun the season well with back-to-back wins. However, the Rangers would have been prepared to face an experienced and confident Manly side and will have fancied their chances in a visit to the Northern Suburbs.
Both sides were kept relatively quiet throughout the first half, with attacking opportunities kept at bay by the respective defences. The Rangers especially have become adept at frustrating their opponents this season and were intent on doing the same for Manly in their visit to Cromer Park.
The second half would continue the trend of the first 45, however the urgency shown by both defences was remarkable. Not only did it demonstrate Manly’s growth from last year as a defensive outfit, but it demonstrated the quality of the Rangers in what is the debut year in the NPL Women’s competition.
Although the match concluded 0-0, it was clear that neither side wanted to give an inch in their long-term pursuit of a top four spot.
APIA Leichhardt 2-1 UNSW at Lambert Park
League-leading APIA Leichhardt continued their winning streak to start the season after defeating UNSW 2-1 late on at Lambert Park.
Leading into Round 3, APIA had set strong foundations after successive wins in front of their home fans at Lambert Park. A mammoth win and a close draw to start their campaign saw UNSW flying high in 3rd place prior to the beginning of the week, and they would have wanted to keep their place by spoiling APIA’s positive run.
The home side would take the lead in the 28th minute after a back pass from a UNSW defender was intercepted by Gisella Pipino, who had ample time and space to fashion a brilliant strike that sailed beyond goalkeeper Stephanie Grimbilos and into the far corner. 1-0 to APIA.
Though UNSW were left ruing a defensive slip-up that was always going to prove costly against a rampant APIA side, they certainly put the goal behind them after Demi Koulizakis unleashed a Goal of the Season contender with a lofted strike that both curved and looped at the same time to best Sophie Magus in the APIA goal. 1-1 in the 42nd minute.
As they became known for last season, APIA would earn the three points in a theatrical fashion, with Brinley Gentle meeting a fantastic cross from Ashlie Crofts to head home from close range in the 92nd minute.
Illawarra Stingrays 3-1 Western Sydney Wanderers at Macedonia Park
A huge 3-1 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers saw the Illawarra Stingrays earn the three points at Macedonia Park.
The Stingrays have begun the year well after holding onto a win in Round 1 and earning themselves a draw in Round 2. In comparison, the Wanderers would have been buoyed by a strong 3-1 win over Sydney Olympic in Round 2, which did plenty to showcase their quality after a poor defeat in the opening weekend.
A beautiful attacking play opened the scoring for the Stingrays in the 23rd minute, with Layla Etherington playing a sumptuous pass in behind the Wanderers defence that was met by the run of Siobhan Edwards, with the Stingrays attacker showing plenty of composure to switch to her left foot and place her strike into the bottom left corner. 1-0 to the Stingrays.
The Stingrays found some fortune on route to scoring their second of the evening, with Alexia Karrys-Stahl first to a Wanderers defensive clearance that led to her subsequent strike deflecting wildly over the outstretched palm of Aimee Hall. 2-0 in the 32nd minute.
Etherington was then able to get on the scoresheet herself after the Wanderers struggled to deal with a cross from the left wing, leaving the Stingrays attacker to take advantage of a lucky deflection off of an onrushing Hall and poke the ball in for 3-0 in the 43rd minute.
Substitute Alyssa Mckenzie did well to earn a consolation for her side after stealing in behind an unsuspecting Stingrays defence to score for 3-1 in the 82nd minute, however it would prove to be not enough as the Stingrays saw out the victory.
Gladesville Ravens 1-2 Macarthur Rams at Lynwood Park
The Macarthur Rams secured their first win of the season in a 2-1 away win over the Gladesville Ravens at Lynwood Park.
Two teams looking for their first three points of the season would have entered this fixture determined to get a foothold on the match early. The Ravens experienced two tough opponents back-to-back in Round’s 1 and 2, and would come away with a single point out of a possible six. Comparatively, the Championship winning Rams sat in last-place to following two rounds of action and would have been focused on changing that quickly.
The Rams showed their intent to get the three points from early on in the match, with Halle Callow picking up a brilliant pass that bypassed the Ravens defenders to and racing at Ravens goalkeeper Eliza Coleman, who was unfortunate to see her attempted interception bounce back off of Callow and roll over the goal line. 1-0 in the 4th minute.
Chaos in the box led to the Ravens scoring a well-earned equaliser in the 24th minute, after Charlotte Wilford Carroll’s header hit the crossbar and landed at the feet of Claudia Cholakian who did brilliantly to control the ball, turn and tap the ball in for 1-1.
A penalty awarded following a tackle in the box on Tea Mucenski led to the Rams No. 9 stepping up to take the spot kick and comfortably lasering her strike into the bottom left corner. The Rams retake the lead in the 71st minute.
By Matt Badrov
