Round 9 Review – NPL Women’s NSW

Round 9 of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW served up a series of entertaining clashes and spectacular goals.

Read on for our breakdown of the weekend’s action.

Match of the Round – NWS Spirit 0-6 Sydney University at Christie Park
Sydney University SFC kept pace with the top four after a convincing 6-0 victory over NWS Spirit FC in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s 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 getting on the scoresheet, while Isabella Raad and Grace Cho-Triganza both grabbed doubles.

Bulls FC Academy 3-2 APIA Leichhardt at Northbridge Oval
Bulls FC Academy hosted league leaders APIA Leichhardt in a Grand Final rematch at Northbridge Oval, with the home side eager to disrupt APIA’s strong start to the campaign.

The Bulls were made to pay early on when Ashlie Letta latched onto a defensive lapse and set up Talia Kapetanellis for a tap-in. Amber Luchtmeijer equalised for the home side in the 32nd minute after Jynaya Dos Santos played a superb pass into Petria Phillips, whose initial strike was saved before Luchtmeijer buried the rebound.

Phillips was unstoppable in the lead-up to the Bulls’ second goal, beating two defenders before rifling her strike in from close range. A stunning free-kick from Gemma Ferris forced an outstanding save from Jacinta Gulabovski, with Elizabeth Barwick-Grey reacting quickest to the loose ball to score the follow-up in the 61st minute.

Kapetanellis then put the ball on a platter for Letta to finish at the back post just minutes later. However, the Bulls were able to hold on to their 3-2 lead.

Macarthur Rams 2-3 Gladesville Ravens at Lynwood Park
Two teams looking to climb the ladder faced off at Lynwood Park on Sunday, with ninth-placed Macarthur Rams hosting the Gladesville Ravens in 12th.

A Leena Khamis double—a penalty and a composed one-on-one finish—had the Ravens flying either side of half-time. A lovely dipping strike from Marcella Santos gave the Rams a way back into the game in the 58th minute, before Khamis set up Hannah McNulty for a tidy finish across goal to make it 3-1 in the 84th minute.

A 90+6th-minute goal from Summer Smith proved too little, too late, as the Ravens ultimately held on for a 3-2 win.

Manly United 1-2 UNSW FC at Cromer Park
Manly United entered Round 9 wary of a UNSW side sitting second on the ladder and growing stronger each week.

It took until the 72nd minute for the deadlock to be broken, with Brinley Gentle guiding a first-time strike from just outside the box to give Manly a 1-0 lead. Poppy Channing responded just minutes later, rising above the pack to head home a crucial equaliser for UNSW.

Bianca Galic then secured the winner in the 88th minute, meeting a corner at the back post with a well-timed header to ensure UNSW claimed all three points.

Western City Rangers 1-4 Western Sydney Wanderers at Popondetta Park
Western City Rangers hosted the Western Sydney Wanderers in a derby at Popondetta Park, with the two sides sitting at opposite ends of the ladder.

A brace from Alvina-Marie Khoshaba gave the Wanderers an early advantage, opening the scoring with a brilliant free-kick into the top left corner in the 11th minute before adding a second with a composed finish at the back post just four minutes later.

Nikkita Fazzari matched that effort with a double of her own, first tapping home from close range before adding another with a volley at the back post to make it 4-0.

The Rangers grabbed a consolation in the 90+2nd minute through Trudy Camilleri, who produced a spectacular free-kick to cap off an otherwise difficult match for the home side.

Hills United 1-2 Northern Tigers at Macedonia Park
Hills United were looking to shake off a challenging start to the season against a Northern Tigers side still searching for consistency.

Ellie Head gave the Tigers an early lead in the 14th minute, driving down the left wing before finishing superbly beyond the goalkeeper. Hills found their equaliser in the 41st minute through Neve Burns, who outpaced the defence and calmly slotted home.

Head restored the Tigers’ lead in the 62nd minute, finding space on the left wing before finishing at the near post to seal a 2-1 victory for the visitors.

Sydney Olympic 2-2 Illawarra Stingrays at The Crest
The final match of the round took place at The Crest, where Sydney Olympic hosted the Illawarra Stingrays in a clash between two mid-table sides.

All four goals came in an action-packed second half, with Ruby Nathan opening the scoring in spectacular fashion—cutting in from the left wing and guiding a brilliant strike into the far corner in the 48th minute.

The Stingrays responded almost immediately, with Ruby Egan Brown tapping home just a minute later after a free-kick caused chaos in the Olympic defence. A similar set-piece situation saw the Stingrays take the lead in the 67th minute.

Giuliana Nicholas then levelled the match in the 71st minute, rifling a precise finish inside the near post to secure a 2-2 draw.

By Matthew Badrov