Round 12 – NPL NSW Women’s Review
Some big clashes took centre stage in NSW’s premium women’s competition with the Match of the Round taking shape at Lynwood Park as Macarthur Rams and Manly United shared the spoils.
Macarthur Rams 1-1 Manly United
Macarthur Rams and Manly United couldn’t be separated on Sunday afternoon with the sides drawing 1-1 at Lynwood Park.
Manly had a first half lead through Sophie Harding but were pegged back 90-seconds into the second half through experienced Leena Khamis.
The two sides remain locked on 25 points each after 12 rounds of play in the NPL NSW Women’s competition.
The action started through Leena Khamis when she found space inside the box on six minutes after turning her defender but she couldn’t get enough purchase on her effort.
Two minutes later and Emily Minett had a chance for Manly but volleyed wide.
On 10 minutes the away side should’ve been in front.
Sophie Harding showed great strength to beat her marker in the box before unselfishly trying to square the ball up for Claudia Cholakian. The ball went just beyond the United right back as a golden chance went begging.
Teresa Polias almost found the lead for the Rams on 20 minutes.
After a corner was cleared, Polias let fly from the edge of the area with her deflected shot slamming against the bar.
Only a minute later and Khamis missed a fine chance.
Another corner was poorly dealt with by United as the Rams striker was alone, volleying toward goal only for Claire Coelho to save.
The away side went close again on 24 minutes but Harding lost her bearings, shooting wide of the goal.
Harding’s persistence paid off for United on 27 minutes.
Picking the ball up on the right, the striker placed her ball in the top left corner of Shamiran Khamis’s goal, giving her no chance to save.
Eight minutes before half time Georgia Yeoman-Dale almost had Macarthur level.
A perfect through ball by Khamis had the Rams winger in on goal, only to shoot inches wide of the target.
The home side threatened again in the final minute of the first half but Rose Galea couldn’t get her shot on target from Yeoman-Dale’s cut back.
Only 20 seconds into the second half and Kylie Ledbrook let fly with a powerful shot, only for Coelho to do extremely well to tip the ball over the bar.
A minute later and the Rams had their equaliser.
Kate Hensman delivered a cross into the box, as Khamis rose highest to head the ball into the back of the net.
Macarthur kept the pressure on and in the 50th minute Yeoman-Dale went close with Coelho saving well again.
Renee Rollason could’ve had her first of the season in the 63rd minute but she skied her effort way over the bar.
It was a somewhat comical miss from the home side in the 70th minute as Manly managed to clear their lines after Khamis’s shot following a mix up.
Yeoman-Dale then had the perfect chance to put Macarthur in front on 81 minutes, but after a great first touch, she couldn’t poke the ball on target.
With five minutes left on the clock, the Rams pushed again.
A smart free kick from Ledbrook found Khamis with space but again Coelho did well to tip the ball out for a corner.
From the resulting corner, Galea was next to try her luck but she couldn’t find the target with her overhead volley.
It was Manly’s turn to go close next as Ally Green’s free kick went just over the bar.
The Rams would have final chance of the game but Khamis volleyed over the bar.
NWS Koalas 1-5 Football NSW Institute
On Thursday night, in the first game of the round, North West Sydney Koalas hosted Football NSW Institute.
Jaime Gomez was looking to pick up a valuable three points against his former side in the battle for the top five.
But it was the Institute that lead at half time 2-1 in a tightly contested 45 minutes of football.
The second half was all one-way traffic though as Institute piled on another three goals to run out 5-1 winners.
Five different scorers found themselves on the score sheet with Holly McNamara, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Melindaj Barbieri, Susan Phonsongkham and Rachel Lowe all hitting the back of the net.
Bankstown City 3-0 Emerging Jets
It was a battle of the bottom half of the table teams as Bankstown and the Emerging Jets faced off.
The Jets came into this one full of confidence but it was the home side who shocked them with a first half blitz.
A brace to Amy Dahdah along with a goal to Joanna Martino in the first half had the Lions 3-0 up at the break.
There was no change to the score line in the second 45 as Bankstown registered an important result for the club.
Illawarra Stingrays 4-2 Blacktown Spartans
The Illawarra Stingrays and Blacktown Spartans battled it out at JJ Kelly Park on Sunday afternoon.
Both sides needed points in this one, Illawarra to keep in touch with the league leaders and Blacktown with fifth spot.
It was the away side that weren’t going to lie down, putting up a real fight and going into the break locked at 1-1.
But the Stingrays quality stood out in the second period with the home team running out eventual 4-2 winners.
Michelle Carney, Evelyn Chronis, Caitlin Cooper and Liana Danaskos all scored for the south coast team while Eliza Ammendolia and Chloe Logarzo both scored for Blacktown.
North Shore Mariners 1-1 Sutherland Shire
Sutherland Shire went in search of their first points of the season on Sunday when they faced the North Shore Mariners.
The match started the way of the home side as the Mariners went into the break ahead courtesy of Hannah Peric.
A win would’ve re-started the Mariners season as they looked to chase down that elusive fifth spot.
But it’d be Sutherland who showed fight and determination, finding an equaliser through their captain Jordan Baker in the second period to rescue a point.
It was Sutherland’s first point of the season as they will now look to build on the positive result.
Northern Tigers 0-2 Sydney University
At North Turramurra Recreational Area, the Northern Tigers hosted Sydney University.
Uni knew that a win could see them build on the gap between them and the chasing pack.
They did just that, running away with the three points and a 2-0 victory.
It wasn’t what the Tigers needed, dropping further behind the finals places.
-By Nikola Pozder
