After Round 5 of the #NPLWNSW there is one less undefeated team left in the competition with some shock results.
Only one team remain pointless after this round of games with a new leader at the top of the competition as well.
Sydney Olympic 5-0 Emerging Jets
The action kicked off at Belmore Sports Ground on Saturday afternoon as Sydney Olympic dismantled the Emerging Jets 5-0.
It was the second straight high scoring defeat for the Jets, while Olympic are starting to flex their muscles.
It didn’t take long for the home team to assert their dominance and hit the front. Mackenzie Hawkesby opened her account for the season, getting on the end of a Teigan Collister cross and heading the ball into the back of the net.
The Jets improved from their performance from last week and made it difficult for the home team to break them down.
That was all until Claudia Cholakian doubled Olympic’s lead. Picking up the ball after a delightful pass from Hawkesby, curling her effort into the far corner of the goal.
Just after the half hour mark, some exquisite one-touch football by Olympic could not be finished off by Cortnee Vine who lobbed the ball wide of the target.
Suzanna Behn-Smith then made some important saves to keep the Jets in the game, one in particular from Sarah Yatim.
15 minutes into the second half and it was 3-0. Cortnee Vine, who has been Olympic’s best so far this season, opened her account for the campaign after springing the offside trap, rounding the keeper and tapping the ball home.
The pick of the goals came five minutes later through Charlotte McLean in some style. The right back picked the ball up outside of the box and made a perfect connection to give Behn-Smith no chance in the Jets goal.
Olympic substitute Georgia Koutzoumis was fantastic after coming off the bench, setting up Sarah Yatim with a phenomenal pass, only for the later to miss the chance to score.
Yatim, who could have had a few goals, rounded off the scoring in stoppage time from the penalty spot. Koutzoumis again in the thick of it was brought down in the box following some quick feet inside the area, giving the referee no choice but to award the spot kick.
Bankstown City 0-1 Blacktown Spartans
The Blacktown Spartans secured a huge three points after a tough away game against Bankstown City at Jensen Park.
An early first half goal to Hana Lowry was enough for the girls from Blacktown to take the spoils.
There were only six minutes on the clock when Lowry received the ball outside the area before taking one touch and placing it into the bottom right corner of the goal.
With Sally James unavailable, Anna Norton was tested early but the Spartans keeper did well.
Maja Markovski then had a chance for the Spartans but could not get enough on her strike to trouble the Bankstown keeper.
Just before the break ,Bankstown thought they had equalised. A corner was not cleared by the visitors, allowing Steph Ambrose to pop up at the back post, but her head went inches wide.
Bankstown pushed hard for an equaliser in the second half but reward for their hard work would not come. Instead, they were dealt a further blow in stoppage time when Tiana Jaber received her marching orders.
Still, Brad Attard’s Spartans side are yet to concede a goal after 360 minutes of football.
Football NSW Institute 1-1 Illawarra Stingrays
It was first points of the season on the board for the Illawarra Stingrays as they drew 1-1 with the Football NSW Institute at Valentine Sports Park.
The young Institute team were in front just after the half hour mark. Sienna Saveska picked up possession 20 metres out, cut inside and curled her shot into the back of the net.
The visitors struck back almost immediately after the break. Michelle Carney with all her experience pinched the ball off the Institute defence and placed her effort beyond the Institute keeper.
Neither side could find the winner despite both teams having their own chances.
Manly United 3-3 NWS Spirit
Finally, the NWS Spirit managed to get their first point of the season in an amazing comeback against local rivals Manly United.
As the case has been already this season, high pressure and a strong start hasn’t been rewarded for Spirit.
Just like in their previous games, they were punished on 22 minutes. Kahli Johnson picked up a loose ball in the area for Manly and on the turn smacked it into the bottom corner to give the home team the lead.
Playing with fire in her belly against her former side, Sunny Franco let fly with a thunderbolt for Spirit from some 30 metres out, her shot crashing against the bar before Rachael Patterson took a touch and volleyed her shot against the underside of the bar and in to put Spirit level.
Confident they would be heading into the break level, Manly had other ideas. Manly were back in front after Emily Minnett tapped the ball in from close range after Johnson’s original header was saved.
15 minutes after half time and Manly thought they had the points sealed. A fine team move that started with their keeper, ended up at the other end where Yuka Honda on the turn made it 3-1.
Spirit pushed hard to get back into the game and had their reward 13 minutes from time. A great ball into the box by Sasha Grove found substitute Bianca Radman who headed the ball into the back of the net.
Spirit was level minutes later. Sophie Harding was terrorising down the left flank, crossing in a fantastic cross which was not dealt with by the Manly defence, only for Radman to volley home a powerful effort.
Both teams had chances to win it in the end, Bella Whitton pulling off a fabulous save against her former team to ensure Spirit went home with a point.
Northern Tigers 1-0 Macarthur Rams
The Northern Tigers inflicted the Macarthur Rams’ first defeat of the season on Sunday night, an early goal the difference.
It took only six minutes for the Tigers to hit the front. A heavy challenge on Aideen Keane was sanctioned with a free kick just outside the area which Ashlee Brodigan took full of advantage of, blasting her effort into the back of the net.
Morgan Aquino was the hero at the end of the day for the Tigers. The Tigers number one pulling off consecutive saves from Kylie Ledbrook in the dying embers of the game to secure all three points for the home team.
Jake Stephenson’s team moved to the top of the ladder with this victory while it doesn’t get any easier for Stephen Peters who will need his Rams to bounce back next week against Sydney Olympic.
Sydney University 2-0 APIA Leichhardt
Slow starts seem the way to go for Spencer Prior’s APIA team as two goals inside the first 10 minutes were enough for Sydney University to secure all three points.
Similarly to last week, APIA went down early but this time could not recover against a disciplined Uni team.
There were only two minutes on the clock when Emily Husband’s team hit the front. A cross from Sarah Morgan found an unmarked Taren King at the far post who had the easy job of volleying the ball into the back of the net.
Five minutes later and the home team doubled their advantage. Cushla Rue found space down the right wing before squaring the ball for Holly Caspers who did well to guide her shot over Sophie Magus and into the goal.
Uni weathered a late APIA storm but Courtney Newbon was never really tested in between the home teams sticks.
The victory pushes Uni ahead of APIA on the ladder and into third place, only one defeat to their name so far this campaign.
-By NPL NSW Women’s Chief Writer and Commentator Nikola Pozder