Only three points separate the top six teams in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition after four completed rounds.
The competition is as tight as ever with results being increasingly unpredictable in this early part of the season.
Time to dive into the round 5 preview as the Easter Long Weekend takes centre stage.
APIA Leichhardt v Manly United
Round 5 action begins on Good Friday as APIA Leichhardt host Manly United at Lambert Park in an early season top four blockbuster.
Both teams enter this fixture with two wins and two draws in their first four games, Manly slightly edging their opponents with a better goal difference on the ladder.
After two tough away games and picking up four of a possible six points, Spencer Prior will be very pleased with how his team have performed.
Sophie Hoban for a long time has been spoken about as one of those players that deserves an A-League Women’s spot and so far this season has been taking the league by storm, scoring two goals in four appearances for APIA.
With Tash Prior, Siahn Bozanic, Gisella Pipino and Jordan Jasnos all available for selection, Spencer Prior will have some welcome selection headaches.
After three straight away games, Manly United finally came home to Cromer Park and recorded another victory to propel them into second place.
They are back on the road again this weekend but it won’t matter much as they are oozing confidence at the moment.
Emily Minett is in fine form and is the competitions top scorer at the moment with five goals to her name.
With 15-year-old Sienna Dale making noise and scoring her first goal in senior football, this Manly team looks rampant and Tom Hopley will be eager to see how his team performs against one of the competitions strongest outfits.
Northern Tigers v Emerging Jets
At North Turramurra on Easter Sunday, the first game of the afternoon has the Northern Tigers taking on the Emerging Jets.
The Northern Tigers have started the 2023 campaign in excellent form with two victories and one draw, along with a game in hand after last week’s postponed clash against Sydney Olympic.
They have been free scoring thus far with six different scorers and are determined to go one better than last year.
In the two games the Tigers have played at North Turramurra, they’ve recorded two 3-0 victories and will be confident they can do the same again at their fortress.
The Jets are one of two teams yet to record any points this season in the women’s top tier.
In saying that, they have been far from not being competitive in the games they have played and in fact have been a free-scoring side also. Brinley Gentle has been the star of the show for the Jets so look to see more of her skill and speed on Sunday.
The problem is at the other end where they have conceded 11 goals in the first three games, their inexperience the cause.
If they can tighten its defence they could cause a major upset here.
Sydney Olympic v Bulls FC Academy
The second game of Sunday afternoon has Sydney Olympic taking on Bulls FC Academy at Peter Moore Field.
Top of the table and the only team yet to drop any points in 2023 are Sydney Olympic after three straight victories.
The defensive additions of Ash Irwin and Courtney Newbon in goals have assured things at the back with the team yet to concede a goal.
Last week’s game was postponed due to the rain against the Tigers and George Beltsos is hoping his team can continue their rich form against a tough Bulls team who will arguably be their toughest test of the season so far.
The newly promoted Bulls FC Academy have had a solid start to the year but tasted defeat for the first-time last week against local rivals the Gladesville Ravens.
Peta Trimis has been one of the team’s standouts so far and was once more one of the most dangerous players on Sunday afternoon. She will need to shine in order for the Bulls to get back to winning ways.
Jaime Gomez’s team haven’t won since round one and will need to turn their form around as quickly as they can.
Gladesville Ravens v Illawarra Stingrays
The final game on Easter Sunday kicks off just after 5pm as the Gladesville Ravens host the Illawarra Stingrays.
It has been a fantastic start for Andrew Galbraith’s newly promoted team going three games undefeated and winning their first game in the top tier on Sunday against local rivals the Bulls.
Keiko Tanaka scored a screamer worthy of the three points last week and the Japanese star has been one of the Ravens’ best.
Defensively though, the Ravens have been a difficult team to break down with Romina Parraguirre playing an important role in between the sticks.
After two straight defeats in their opening games of the season, the Stingrays are hoping that a win here can change their fortunes around.
The Stingrays beat the Emerging Jets two weeks ago and were minutes away from a major victory against the Bankstown City Lions had it not been for a last-minute equaliser.
A win for the Stingrays would see them leap over the Ravens on the competition ladder.
Bankstown City Lions v Macarthur Rams
What a game we have on our hands in the match of the round as the Bankstown City Lions and the Macarthur Rams do battle at Jensen Park on Easter Monday.
A big crowd is expected with an Australian/Macedonian Community Festival taking place and a double header with the men’s League One team in action after the women’s game.
The Lions have had to dig deep in their last three games to pull late draws out of the fire and are winless since round one.
But still, Matt Costantini’s team is undefeated, they’ve shown character but need to find more finesse in front of goal if they are to get back to winning ways.
Are the Champions back? They picked up their first victory of the campaign on Sunday and come into this clash full of confidence.
They did not get a lot of credit, but Macarthur’s back four was fantastic last week and despite their younger years, they showed great confidence, resilence and ability.
Set pieces have been their weak point this campaign and the Rams will need to remain focused if they are to claim points in this one.
Sydney University SFC v NWS Spirit
The final game of the round takes shape at the Sydney Uni Football Ground on Monday night as Sydney University SFC host NWS Spirit.
Much like the 2022 Champions Macarthur Rams, Sydney University recorded their first win of the 2023 season last weekend, defeating the Emerging Jets 5-3 on the road.
In-form striker Stephanie Augoustis has continued her goal scoring form, picking up her third of the campaign in the weekend victory.
Uni’s biggest weak point this season is their defence, conceding the most goals in the whole competition after four games, 11 in total.
They’ll need to tighten that part of their game moving forward.
Tiana Gauci’s team has had a solid season so far, winning two and losing two games in their first four fixtures.
Rachel Perrins’ return has been welcomed as well as the speedy Morgan Roberts who could be key here on Monday night.
It will be a tough game for Spirit, but they could really stir things up with a win here.
By Nikola Pozder