Round 3 Review – NPL Women’s NSW
The National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition always serves up entertainment in abundance, and Round 3 was no different. Upsets, huge scorelines, and intriguing battles played out across all seven matches, with the ladder yet to take shape early in the season.
Have a read of our full breakdown below.
Match of the Round – APIA Leichhardt 2 v Macarthur Rams 1 at Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt FC continued their perfect start to the NPL Women’s NSW season on Sunday afternoon, defeating a spirited Macarthur Rams side 2–1 at Lambert Park to make it three wins from three.
Check out the full match report here.
Manly United 1-1 Northern Tigers at Cromer Park
Manly United kicked off Round 3 with a North Sydney derby against the Northern Tigers, with the former gaining confidence from a Brinley Gentle-led win and the latter fresh off a heavy defeat to the Illawarra Stingrays. However, it was the Tigers who took the lead in emphatic fashion in the first half after a cross into the box was only cleared as far as Ellie Head, who promptly buried an unstoppable half-volley.
Manly withstood plenty of Tigers attacks in the first half and found it difficult to secure an equaliser. However, Alexia Forner stepped up off the bench with a spectacular long-range strike that swerved superbly into the top right-hand corner in the 63rd minute. Despite the best efforts of both sides, the match ultimately finished 1-1.
NWS Spirit 0-5 Bulls FC Academy at Christie Park
After a challenging start to the campaign, NWS Spirit were looking to kick their season into gear against a Bulls FC Academy side eager for victory. The Spirit put themselves under pressure early when Shani Cooney-Cross’s attempt to play out from the back led to the Bulls regaining possession in the box, allowing Petria Phillips an easy finish to make it 1-0 in the 14th minute.
Jade Guichon followed up Phillips’ opener with a brace—the first a well-taken one-on-one finish in the 22nd minute, and the second a superb strike from a tight angle just before half-time. Olivia Vanderlaan’s excellent hold-up play helped create the Bulls’ fourth, with Phillips firing home after receiving the ball just inside the 18-yard box. A fifth and final goal sealed the 5-0 victory, with Chelsea Harpur finishing after an initial shot was parried by the goalkeeper.
UNSW 1-0 Illawarra Stingrays at The Village Green
The Village Green hosted an intriguing matchup on Saturday afternoon, with both UNSW and the Illawarra Stingrays having unexpectedly dropped points to Western Sydney Wanderers. A dominant first half from UNSW saw them create the majority of the chances, while the Stingrays struggled to break down a resolute defence.
After sustained pressure, UNSW found the breakthrough through a well-worked move. Angelique Hristodoulou delivered a precise pass to the back post, where Alexia Karrys-Stahl finished comfortably in the 38th minute. The second half followed a similar pattern, though the home side could not extend their lead, with the match ending in a 1-0 win to UNSW.
Western City Rangers 1-4 Gladesville Ravens at Popondetta Park
Western City Rangers welcomed a winless Gladesville Ravens side to Popondetta Park on Sunday, with the home side eager to impress. The Ravens made a strong start, taking the lead in the 13th minute when Miku Sunaga scored directly from a corner that sailed beyond Rangers goalkeeper Renee Krstanovska.
Jakeelie Hook produced a stunning equaliser in the 25th minute, turning her defender before unleashing a powerful strike into the top left corner. However, the visitors regained the lead in the 35th minute when Hannah McNulty rounded Krstanovska and calmly finished.
McNulty was involved again early in the second half, embarking on a slaloming run before cutting the ball back for Laura Murtagh to score in the 48th minute. Krstanovska’s mishandled clearance later allowed Leena Khamis to score into an empty net from distance in the 65th minute, sealing a 4-1 win for the Ravens.
Hills United 1-2 Western Sydney Wanderers at Valentine Sports Park
Valentine Sports Park hosted Hills United and Western Sydney Wanderers, with Hills looking to bounce back from a difficult start and the Wanderers aiming to build on their strong early form. The Wanderers opened the scoring in the 20th minute through a well-worked move, with Alyssa McKenzie arriving at the back post to finish.
They doubled their lead early in the second half when a cross was turned into the net for an own goal by Olivia Sloan. Hills responded in the 68th minute when Erin Tavares won possession high up the pitch, drove at the defence, and unleashed a brilliant long-range strike to make it 2-1. Despite the late push, the Wanderers held firm to secure the win.
Sydney Olympic 4-0 Sydney University at The Crest
Back-to-back home games gave Sydney Olympic a great opportunity to impress at The Crest, while Sydney University arrived full of confidence after a big Round 2 win. Ruby Nathan gave Olympic the perfect start in the 9th minute, sneaking between defenders to guide a cross over the goalkeeper.
Olympic dominated the first half and doubled their lead in the 21st minute when Tiana Petkovski surged down the right wing and set up Giuliana Nicholas at the back post. Nicholas quickly added her second with a superb strike into the far corner just minutes later.
Petkovski then got on the scoresheet herself, heading home a pinpoint cross from Kyra Bolden. Although Sydney University improved in the second half, they were unable to break through, as Olympic secured an emphatic 4-0 victory at home.
Words by Matthew Badrov
