Round 5 Review – NPL Women’s NSW

The National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition delivered a weekend full of goals, with several sides putting in dominant displays and many hattricks being earned through terrific individual showcases.

Read on for our full report of Round 5.

Match of the Round – Manly United 4-0 Western City Rangers at Cromer Park

Manly United made a statement on Good Friday with a dominant 4–0 win over Western City Rangers in the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW clash at Cromer Park.

Nicole Stuart was the star, scoring either side of halftime, while late strikes from Chlo O’Brien and Grace Arnold sealed a comprehensive victory and all three points for the home side.

Bulls FC Academy 4-0 Sydney Olympic at Northbridge Oval

Facing off at Northbridge Oval on Saturday afternoon, both Bulls FC Academy and Sydney Olympic were looking to hit their stride with the season well underway by this point. The Bulls set the trajectory of the match in the 28th minute when seizing on Olympic’s dawdling possession in midfield and Olivia Vanderlaan unleashed a rocket from distance to make it 1-0.

Daniella Naeimi made herself a handful for the Olympic defence to setup Jasmine Meli for a brilliant first-time strike in the 36th minute that curled into the opposite corner. Vanderlaan’s superb improvised finish kept the momentum rolling for the Bulls in the second half, having been squared the ball in a tight area in the box and flicking it up before volleying confidently for 3-0. A cross lifted to the back post allowed Vanderlaan to head home for 4-0 and an incredible hattrick, giving the Bulls all three points in the process.

NWS Spirit 0-4 APIA Leichhardt at Christie Park

A visit from high-flying APIA Leichhardt could not have come at a worse time for NWS Spirit, who have suffered several tough losses to open their 2026 campaign. A mistake by Spirit in playing out from the back allowed Ashlee Brodigan the chance to strike at goal, which resulted in a hand ball and a penalty that Ashlie Letta promptly buried in the 12th minute.

Brodigan then produced a brilliant chip to take APIA to 2-0 in the 28th minute, having received a superb pass in behind the Spirit defence and forced keeper Jasmin Selva off of her line. The brace was on for Brodigan a few minutes later, however she had to settle for an assist as Selva saved well and APIA’s no. 9 setup Letta to tap home from close range. Spirit’s defence improved in the second half, however Letta was able to put the finishing touches on the match and earn a hattrick with a classic striker’s finish from the middle of the box, ensuring the win for APIA at Christie Park.

UNSW 4-1 Northern Tigers at The Village Green

Both UNSW and the Northern Tigers headed to The Village Green full of confidence after big wins last time out. Teagan Douglas sent the visitors into the lead early on with a thumping header beyond UNSW goalkeeper Erin Nayler. A poor back pass allowed Milan Hammond to cleverly sneak in behind the Tigers backline and direct the ball emphatically into the roof of the net in the 32nd minute to equalise.

Alexia Karrys-Stahl then whipped the home crowd into a frenzy in the 67th minute with an incredible strike that landed in the top right corner for 2-1. UNSW began to run away with the match as Aya Yamahata put the finishing touches on a corner by guiding the ball across goal through a sea of players from the back post. Finally, substitute Chloe Smith made it 4-1 after Demi Koulizakis set her up in front of goal in extra time, leading to UNSW winning 4-1 in the end.

Sydney University 6-2 Illawarra Stingrays at Sydney University Football Ground

Sydney University Football Ground played host to an intriguing clash, as Sydney University search for their first win against an Illawarra Stingrays side who are yet to have found their momentum. Poppy Tay opened the scoring for Sydney Uni in the 10th minute after her teammate won out in a contest for the ball in the box and Tay was on hand to follow-up with the goal.

Aileen Williams and Ruby Egan Brown combined well for the Stingrays’ 17th minute equaliser, with the former heading the ball into the path of the latter, who finished confidently into the opposite corner for 1-1. Tay manufactured a quality brace by shifting the ball away from her defenders and rifling her strike from distance for 2-1 in the 35th minute. Emily Brewster was well-placed to seize upon a loose ball in the box to give Sydney Uni a 3-1 lead just before half time.

Tay carved out a sensational third goal for herself in the 65th minute, having again dribbled past multiple Stingrays defenders before an assured finish made it 4-1. A deft finish from Lana Elkordi – having taken a quick touch to set herself up before striking on the half-volley – gave the Stingrays a potential route back toward earning at least a draw in the 67th minute. However, Asha Sutton was rewarded for her diligence with a strong solo effort in the 71st minute to make it 5-2 before Isabella Read struck well from distance to see out a 6-2 win.

Macarthur Rams 1-0 Hills United at Lynwood Park

Despite their best effort, the Macarthur Rams have been unable to secure their first victory and will be weary not to allow Hills United’s attackers space. Despite an even first half with chances for both sides, it was the Rams who in fact took the lead in the match, with Sakura Nojima’s clever pass finding Tea Mucenski in the box that the attacker brought down and struck on the half-volley to the delight of the home crowd at Lynwood Park. In spite of their best efforts, United were unable to find an equaliser, meaning the Rams would go on to win 1-0.

Western Sydney Wanderers 4-3 Gladesville Ravens at Wanderers Football Park

The high-flying Western Sydney Wanderers have impressed so far this season, and will have been aiming to sustain that momentum against a Gladesville Ravens side struggling for consistency. A 4th minute goal for Leena Khamis opened the Ravens’ account for the afternoon, with the striker confidently launching the ball into the back of the net.

The determination from Miku Sunaga to keep the ball in play allowed Gisella Pipino to meet a pass with just enough time in the box to make it 2-0 in the 24th minute. The Wanderers found a goal back through Ruby Betro in the 30th minute before Pipino put her side firmly in the lead heading into the half-time break with an effort from range that nestled into the bottom corner.

An unfortunate own goal to Keisha Allen in the 64th minute gave the Wanderers confidence to keep pushing, with back-to-back goals to Miriam Zumaya – a brilliant venomous strike from the edge of the box – in the 72nd minute and Nikkita Fazzari via a sturdy run and finish in the 76th minute ensured a comeback win for the home side with 4-3 the final scoreline.

– By Matthew Badrov