Six of the Best: Sydney Uni Hit Spirit for Six
Sydney University SFC kept pace with the top four after a convincing 6-0 victory over NWS Spirit FC in the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW Match of the Round on Saturday afternoon at Christie Park.
Three goals either side of half-time were enough for the visitors to secure the points, with Poppy Tay and Kia Bonora scoring, while Isabella Raad and Grace Cho-Triganza both grabbed doubles.
It was the home side who had the first opportunity, Frankie Morrow turning well on the edge of the area but only finding Gray in the Uni goal.
Uni’s first chance of the game led to the opener eight minutes in. Tahliya Sambrook found space at the far post after a corner, heading back across goal for Bonora to swipe home.
A few minutes later, the visitors almost doubled their lead through Tay, who made an incredible run with the ball, placing her effort just wide.
They did have their second shortly after. Asha Sutton let fly with a free kick from some way out, forcing Jasmin Selva to tip the ball onto the bar, with the rebound falling to Raad, who reacted quickest to head into an empty net.
Tay was in the mood and rattled the bar on 20 minutes with a shot from distance.
Just before the half-hour mark, Uni’s lethal striker made it 3-0. Tay drove through the Spirit defence, cut onto her left, and placed the ball into the back of the net.
Jasmin Selva was called into action again for the home side, saving a Nour Hijazi effort from well out. Raad and Hijazi had further chances before the break for Uni but weren’t able to add to the scoreline.
On 50 minutes, it was 4-0. Tay headed towards goal from a corner, seeing her effort saved on the line, with Raad reacting fastest to tap home inside the six-yard box.
Morrow looked the most likely for the home side, again shooting towards goal, the ball flying inches from the top corner.
Tay almost had another for Uni, a lovely first touch, but the finish didn’t match, the ball flying over the bar.
Sutton could have made it five after an error from Selva but was denied by a fabulous goal-line clearance.
In the final five minutes, it was 5-0. Having come off the bench only 15 minutes prior, Grace Cho-Triganza took advantage of a poor defensive error by Spirit and made the home side pay with a neat finish into the back of the net.
In stoppage time, the substitute Cho-Triganza had her second. Again, Spirit tried to play out from the back and the striker sensed an opportunity to press, forcing an error and calmly placing the ball home to make it 6-0.
Uni pushed in the time that remained to add more to the scoreline but were unable to, extending their unbeaten run to five games.
Match Stats
NWS Spirit FC: 0
Sydney University: 6 (Bonora 8’, Raad 14’, 50’, Tay 28’, Cho-Triganza 86’, 90 + 1’)
Saturday 2 May
Christie Park
NWS Spirit: 1. Selva, 11. Gavranic (22. Avery ( 25. Greenberg), 13. Brewster, 14. Drysdale, 16. Attard, 19. Morrow, 24. Finnerty (35. Govind-Aley), 27. Plaatjes, 28. Leggatt, 29. Mallia, 34. Lalor.
Substitutes not used: 12. Foote, 23. Deeley, 33. Roumeliotis, 52. Paki.
Yellow Cards: Drysdale
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney University: 31. Gray, 4. Sambrook, 5. Kirby, 6. Harris (33. Pickett), 8. van Dijk, 9. Tay (30. Cho-Triganza), 18. Onora, 19. Hijazi (20. Hughes), 24. Juric (25. Bieri), 28. Raad, 39. Sutton.
Substitutes not used: 17. Brewster, 21. Wilmot, 23. Zec.
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
-By Nikola Pozder
