The penultimate round of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition was always nailed on to deliver the drama as several sides fought for a spot in the top four.

Read on for the full breakdown of Round 25.

Match of the Round – Macarthur Rams v Bulls FC Academy at Lynwood Park

The Macarthur Rams put on a clinic in the second half as they defeated Bulls FC Academy 5-0 at Lynwood Park on Sunday night.

After a tense opening 45 minutes, it was all the home team in the second period, scoring five unanswered goals to set up a blockbuster clash next weekend against APIA Leichhardt at Lambert Park for the Premiership.

Bronte Trew opened the scoring in spectacular fashion, before Kelli Brown and India Breier both scored a brace each to round out the scoring.

Click here to view the full report.

Northern Tigers 4-1 UNSW FC at North Turramurra Recreation Arena

A dominant performance saw the Northern Tigers overcoming UNSW FC 4-1 at North Turramurra Recreation Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Tigers entered this fixture knowing that a win was essential to keep them in the running for a spot in the top four come the end of the regular season. By contrast, UNSW have staved off relegation and will focus on enjoying this matchup with the Tigers and on putting the building blocks in place for 2025.

The home side began the match on the offensive immediately and would quickly be rewarded for their attacking intent after Isabella Keech glided a superb free-kick in behind the UNSW defence that was directed in off the far post by captain Lily McMahon. 1-0 to the Tigers in the 4^th minute.

McMahon would again step up for her side, scoring an assured penalty into the bottom right corner in the 22^nd minute after Nicola Dominikovich was brought down in the box. 2-0 to the Tigers.

Dominikovich would again be involved in her side’s goalscoring exploits as she stormed down the right wing before firing a pass across goal that was unwittingly latched onto by Talia Backhouse, who scored an own goal in the process. 3-0 to the Tigers in the 31^st minute.

UNSW found a way back into the match through Allira Toby, who showed her quality in planting a sensational free-kick over the Tigers wall to best Aimee Hall in the Tigers goal. 3-1 in the 55^th minute.

An excellent bit of play down the right wing opened up an opportunity for Dominikovich to add her name to the score sheet, with the dynamic forward receiving a perfect squared ball before guiding her strike into the bottom left corner. 4-1 to the Tigers in the 57^th minute.

The fourth goal was enough to extinguish any hope of a fightback from the visitors, and the Tigers enter the final round still with a chance of a finals spot but needing other results to go their way.

Football NSW Institute 3-2 Blacktown Spartans at Blacktown Football Park

Football NSW Institute and the Blacktown Spartans played out an end-to-end match at Blacktown Football Park on Sunday evening, with FNSW Institute coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 over the visitors.

A matchup between the similarly-positioned Spartans and FNSW Institute at this point in the season had the potential to be an entertaining affair, with both sides showing plenty of attacking flair throughout the season.

An even early period saw both sides generate opportunities with neither team willing to take a backward step, though the Spartans would strike first in the 14^th minute following a terrific run by Alyssa Whinham which saw the Blacktown midfielder dancing through the Institute defence before lining up a speculative shot from a tough angle that was unwittingly turned in by Zanthe Juric for an own goal. 1-0 to the Spartans.

A mistake from FNSW Institute opened up an opportunity for the Spartans to make it 2-0, with Roukayah Al Fararjeh pouncing on an Institute back pass and bypassing goalkeeper Jasmine Black before firing an emphatic finish into the back of the net to double her side’s lead before the half-time break.

FNSW Institute knew they needed to start firing in the second half and would find a goal through Anita Zordan, who smashed in a loose ball at a corner to put her side back in the fight in the 64^th minute.

The Institute bench had barely sat down by the time they scored their second of the day, with Zordan making an intelligent run to meet a cross at the near post before firing into the top left corner and giving herself a brace and her side the equaliser. 2-2 in the 65^th minute.

Lauren Nada then completed the dramatic comeback for her side in the 67^th minute, firing in from the centre of the goal after a ball was headed back into the mixer after the Spartans failed to clear from a corner. 3-2 the final score, with all of Institute’s goals incredibly arriving in succession.

Emerging Jets 1-3 APIA Leichhardt at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility

APIA Leichhardt put their loss in Round 24 behind them by overcoming a resurgent Emerging Jets side 3-1 at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Sunday night.

A visit to Christie Park last weekend saw the Jets prevail 4-3 over NWS Spirit in a rollercoaster clash, instilling confidence in a young side set to take on an APIA team battling for the Premiership in the penultimate round of the season. Significantly, APIA endured the complete opposite in Round 24 as they were upset by UNSW.

APIA got the scoring underway after a superb interchange of successive passes from defence to attack ended with Sophie Hoban holding off a Jets defender before calmly slotting the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. 1-0 to APIA in the 15^th minute.

Former Jets star Brinley Gentle then doubled APIA’s lead in the 68^th minute after successfully stealing the ball from the goalkeeper and calmly slotting it into the back of the net for 2-0.

APIA’s third of the day was a ruthless showcase of their quality going forward, with the side efficiently cutting through the Jets defence before Hoban finished off the chance with confidence. 3-0 in the 73^rd minute.

The Jets did well to force an error from APIA in the 79^th minute after a back pass proved too unexpected for the APIA defence, which allowed Josie Allan to leap on the opportunity to get her side back into the match with a well-taken strike into the far post. 3-1 the final score.

Sydney University 1-0 Manly United at Sydney Uni Football Ground

Sydney University held onto to a 1-0 lead to successfully defeat Manly United in a tense match at Sydney Uni Football Ground on Sunday.

Sydney Uni came into Round 25 unbeaten in their previous three matches, with the side finishing the season strongly. In contrast, Manly have experienced an up-and-down season and will have aimed to secure the victory here to give themselves any chance of playing finals football.

And it was Sydney Uni who took the lead in this match through Jaime Beaufils in the 13^th minute, with the No. 8 striding forward to pick up the loose ball after Manly struggled to deal with an Amelia Kirby cross from the right wing, leaving Beaufils with the space to clean up and drive into the box before burying her strike underneath Jodie Drever. 1-0 to Sydney Uni.

The match then became a battle between a Sydney Uni side wanting to sustain their 1-0 lead and a Manly team desperate to push for the three points.

However, Sydney Uni remained resilient all the way through to the final stages of the match, as Manly threw a host of players forward in search of an equaliser that resulted in several attempts being blocked by Uni’s defenders and pushed away by goalkeeper Chelsea Hromek.

Illawarra Stingrays 1-1 NWS Spirit at Macedonia Park

The Illawarra Stingrays and NWS Spirit could not be separated in a closely-fought match at Macedonia Park, with the two sides sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

Despite an unpredictable run of form, the Stingrays were still able to lock in a finals spot with victory over the Northern Tigers last time out. Heading into this match, Spirit ensured that the battle for fourth place remained open as they defeated Sydney Olympic 1-0 midweek and will be gunning for another three points here.

Although the first half saw the home side carve out a majority of chances, Spirit made it difficult for the Stingrays due to their sturdy defensive work which ensured that the two sides would enter the sheds at half-time with a goal to break the stalemate in the second period.

And it was Spirit who broke the deadlock in the 68^th minute through Skye Halmarick, who found herself in luck when Stingrays goalkeeper Sophie Emery mishandled a Spirit through ball and allowed her to take the ball and bury it into an empty net for 1-0.

In a moment that was emblematic of the tone of match, the Stingrays notched a goal of their own immediately after Spirit took the lead when Caitlin Cooper hit a lethal first-time finish from outside the box, after some nifty work by Sakura Nojima opened up the opportunity for the Illawarra No. 15 to equalise for her side in the 69^th minute. 1-1 the final score.

Gladesville Ravens 0-1 Sydney Olympic at Christie Park

Sydney Olympic bravely held onto a 1-0 lead in Sunday evening’s match with the Gladesville Ravens at Christie Park to keep themselves in the running for a spot in the top four heading into the final round of the season.

Like many teams around them, the Ravens headed into Round 25 fully focused on earning the three points to give themselves a chance of playing finals football. Olympic’s form of late (which included a midweek loss to NWS Spirit) will have left the Ravens wanting to take the opportunity to heap further misery on a side struggling to secure a win lately.

The two sides were well-matched in the first half, with chances limited as both teams demonstrated a desire to maintain control of the match.

However, Olympic would notch a pivotal goal on the stroke of half-time courtesy of Brianna Oliverio, who did brilliantly to bring down a lofted pass from Tara Baudana and beat the onrushing Renee Pourtney before planting the ball into the open net, with the captain’s strike sending a palpable relief throughout a squad who have found it tough of late to score goals. Olympic would then see out the duration of the match as 1-0 victors.

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Words by Matthew Badrov

Round 24 of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition gave us a new league leader as the battle for a spot in the top four ramped up.

Have a read of our full summary of the weekend that was below.

Match of the Round – Blacktown Spartans 2 v Gladesville Ravens 3 at Blacktown Football Park

The Gladesville Ravens came away with the spoils from Blacktown Football Park on Sunday evening with a last gasp 3-2 victory over the Blacktown Spartans.

Blacktown got off to the perfect starting, hitting the front after five minutes, before being hit back on the half hour mark.

They wouldn’t be level for long, pushing in front again shortly after to take a 2-1 lead into the break.

The final half hour would be the Bella Habuda show though as she scored two goals, one in the final minute of normal time to secure all three points for the Ravens.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL REPORT!

NWS Spirit 3-4 Emerging Jets at Christie Park

A 7-goal thriller played out on Saturday afternoon, with the Emerging Jets prevailing 4-3 over NWS Spirit in their visit to Christie Park.

Spirit entered Round 24 with slim hopes of pushing into the top four, with the side coming into their own as the season has progressed. Similarly, the Jets have been one of the NPL Women’s standout sides in the back half of this campaign and will have travelled to Christie Park ready to put on an attacking display.

And it was the Jets who opened the scoring in the 6^th minute after Josie Allan received the ball on the edge of the box and successfully manoeuvred around her defender before unleashing a sublime strike into the opposite corner. 1-0 to the Jets.

Spirit muscled their way back into the match and found an equaliser in the 38^th minute through Clare Holder, who was played into open space by Erin Tavares and finished her subsequent opportunity with ease. 1-1 in the 38^th minute.

The Jets then reestablished their lead just a few minutes into the second half through Isahbella Threlfo, who was well-placed after a header deflected into her path for an instinctive tap in. 2-1 in the 48^th minute.

Holder did exceptionally well to earn herself a brace and to again level the scores for her side in the 53^rd minute, with the wily forward cutting inside one-on-one with her defender and firing a rocket of a strike that bounced in via the underside of the crossbar.

Having seen what her teammate produced just a few minutes earlier, Skye Halmarick stepped up to launch her side into the lead with an outstanding hit from distance that eclipsed the goalkeeper and nestled into the back of the net. 3-2 to Spirit in the 55^th minute.

The Jets showed off their attacking prowess in the build up to their equaliser in the 81^st minute, with Allan putting the finishing touches on a well-worked move after creating space for herself and planting an assured strike into the goal.

Allan was then at the heart of her side’s winning goal in the 87^th minute, having driven into the box before playing a squared ball to Milan Hammond, who had no trouble tapping home into an empty net. 4-3 the final score.

Bulls FC Academy 0-1 Sydney University at Northbridge Oval

Bulls FC Academy’s hopes of finishing in the top four took a dramatic dent after Sydney University came away with a 1-0 win at Northbridge Oval on Sunday evening.

Fresh from a win over the Emerging Jets last weekend, the Bulls will have understood the need to earn the three points in a matchup against a Sydney Uni side that have steadily honed their qualities this season. And with a top four spot within their grasp, the Bulls will have been focused on getting the win here.

The contest began evenly with both sides working their way into the match, but would soon take a surprise turn after Bulls midfield maestro Avaani Prakash reacted to a shove from a Sydney Uni player and was subsequently sent off in the 8^th minute.

Sydney Uni then took the lead in the 29^th minute after star striker Talia Kapetanellis picked up the ball on the edge of the box from a cleared corner and bent an extraordinary finish into the top left corner of the net from range to give her side the lead. 1-0 to Sydney Uni.

The Bulls generated several chances after going behind but were unable to place a shot on target, meaning the match finished 1-0 in favour of the visitors.

Manly United 0-6 Macarthur Rams at Cromer Park

The Macarthur Rams made a statement in their 6-0 demolition of Manly United, with the result meaning they left Cromer Park on top of the NPL Women’s ladder.

These two sides entered Round 24 with plenty on their line for their respective seasons. A win last week kept Manly within touching distance of a spot in the top four, which they will have been determined to achieve coming up against a Rams team fighting for the Premiership with APIA Leichhardt.

Macarthur showed plenty of quality in the buildup to their opener, with Bronte Trew tucking the ball home after being slipped through by Kelli Brown’s delicate touch in behind. 1-0 to the Rams in the 4^th minute.

The Rams then doubled their lead in the 36^th minute after Jodie Drever mishandled a corner into her own net.

A third goal would arrive for the Rams just before half-time, with Melissa Caceres displaying immense quality to take down a Manly clearance and drive home a scorching half-volley into the back of the net from the centre of the box. 3-0 in the 41^st minute.

A determined Caceres was at the heart of her side’s fourth goal as she weaved her way through a crowded Manly defence before eventually working the ball out to Brown, who made no mistake in burying her finish for 4-0 in the 65^th minute.

Brown and Bethany Gordon then linked up for Manly’s fifth of the evening, with the pair forcing Manly to relinquish possession, leaving Brown with time to play Gordon into space for a confident finish that initially deflected off the post before being put away by Gordon. 5-0 in the 80^th minute.

Gordon then put the finishing touches on a dominant performance by the Rams, curling the ball in from a free-kick on the left edge of the box to make it 6-0 to the Rams in the 87^th minute.

Illawarra Stingrays 3-2 Northern Tigers at Macedonia Park

The Illawarra Stingays were forced to fight for the three points, with the South Coast side scoring in extra time to secure a 3-2 win over the Northern Tigers on Sunday evening’s clash at Macedonia Park.

Despite a mixed run of results, the Stingrays remained in the top four heading into Round 24, however they will have known the importance of securing a run of wins to consolidate a finals football spot. The Tigers are one of the sides gunning for the Stingrays’ top four spot, and will have wanted to upset the Stingrays away from home.

Having shown plenty of determination for her side throughout the opening half, Hannah McNulty gave the Tigers the lead in the 31^st minute after a ball from a corner deflected into her path, which the No. 7 promptly seized upon and calmly slid into the back of the net through a crowd of defenders. 1-0 to the Tigers.

The Stingrays would have to wait until the second half to notch their equaliser, with Brooklyn Hudson scoring the goal after seeing the ball fall at her feet just inside the box and smashing it into the bottom left corner. 1-1 in the 53^rd minute.

A superb header from Sakura Nojima saw the Stingrays take the lead in the 57^th minute, with the crafty No. 8 planting a bullet header beyond the goalkeeper and in for 2-1.

The Stingrays could only savour their lead for a few moments as McNulty stepped up to put her side back into the match after storming past her defender and firing across goal to make it 2-2 in the 59^th minute.

With the game seemingly set to end as a draw, the Stingrays mustered one last dangerous foray into the Tigers area, causing chaos in the box before Kaelah Austin finally put the ball away to give her side a dramatic winner. 3-2 the final score.

UNSW 3-2 APIA Leichhardt at The Village Green

UNSW triumphed 3-2 over APIA Leichhardt at The Village Green over the weekend, and shook up the top of the NPL Women’s ladder in the process.

Many sides will have hoped that UNSW could be the ones to spring an upset on a high-flying APIA outfit, however the away side have proven difficult to beat in recent times with several last-minute winners keeping them on top of the NPL Women’s ladder.

An Allira Toby double gave UNSW a substantial lead in the early stages of the first half, with the No. 10 for the home side holding off her defender before guiding the ball in to make it 1-0 in the 3^rd minute before earning herself a brace in the 19^th minute with an extraordinary finish from the edge of the area that sailed in underneath the crossbar.

Gisella Pipino then got a goal back for APIA after being well-placed in the box to finish off a great build-up play by the visitors in the 39^th minute.

A switch of play by UNSW to the right wing generated a fantastic opportunity for the home side to make it three, with Toby driving in a challenging ball for the APIA defence to deal with that was touched on by Tiana Petkovski to make it 3-1 in the 54^th minute.

An own goal to Jasmine Limon in the 56^th minute then gave APIA an avenue back into the match, with Teal Kilbride’s header finding an unwitting Limon before deflecting into the back of the net. However, UNSW would hold on for a huge 3-2 victory.

Football NSW Institute v Sydney Olympic – MATCH POSTPONED

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Words by Matthew Badrov

The competition is heating up as we step closer to the conclusion of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition, with Round 23 delivering plenty of surprises to shake up the ladder.

Read on for our full breakdown of the weekend’s matches.

Match of the Round – Macarthur Rams v Sydney Olympic at Lynwood Park

The Macarthur Rams continued their fine run of form in the NPL Women’s NSW competition with another controlled and convincing victory, this time over Sydney Olympic at Lynwood Park, running away with a three-goal win.

They keep the pressure on league leaders APIA Leichhardt with the win, snapping at their heels and taking this Premiership race to the wire.

Kelli Brown opened the scoring in the first half before Darcey Malone and substitute Bronte Trew rounded off the scoring in the second half.

Read the full report here.

Northern Tigers 3-0 Blacktown Spartans at North Turramurra Recreation Area

The Northern Tigers proved to be too dominant on their home ground, taking out a 3-0 win over the Blacktown Spartans at North Turramurra Recreation Area.

Charlotte Mortlock got the Tigers on their way in the 33^rd minute after making a smart run in behind the Spartans defence and tucking an assured strike into the back of the net to put the finishing touches on a brilliant through ball from Isabella Keech.

The Tigers then doubled their lead in the 70^th minute after an exquisite interchange of passes opened up the opportunity for a squared finish that was initially saved by Anna Norton, with Lily McMahon stepping up to bury the loose ball to make it 2-0.

The final goal of the day was well-finished by Nicola Dominikovich, who rose highest after a free-kick was lobbed into the box and headed the ball over the outrushing Norton. 3-0 the final score.

APIA Leichhardt 2-1 NWS Spirit at Lambert Park

A consistent theme of this season has been APIA Leichhardt’s tendency to procure late winners, and the league leaders triumphed yet again over the weekend with a late 2-1 result over NWS Spirit in a hard-fought battle at Lambert Park.

A loss to the Illawarra Stingrays last weekend left APIA with little breathing room at the top heading into Round 23, and a matchup against an in-form Spirit side will have had the home team trepidatious about falling away from the race for the premiership.

However, it was APIA who took an early lead when Kiara De Domizio blocked an attempted clearance by the Spirit defence and raced on the loose ball before unleashing an instinctive floating chip beyond Mio Nemoto and into the bottom left corner. 1-0 to APIA in the 3^rd minute.

Spirit would push APIA throughout the match and would be rewarded for their efforts with an equaliser through Nikkita Fazzari, who turned her defender inside and out before cutting in and sneaking a lethal strike into the near past to beat Sally James in the APIA goal and to make it 1-1 in the 73^rd minute.

The intensity of the match was elevated late on as the need for a goal became increasingly more urgent, however Natasha Prior stepped up in the 90^th minute to follow up from Sophie Hoban’s initial blocked strike and fire a rocket of a finish from the same spot that slotted perfectly into the back of the net, giving APIA the three points in a game that required yet another late-winner for the home side.

Emerging Jets 0-4 Bulls FC Academy at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility

Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility played host as Bulls FC Academy earned a strong 4-0 win over the Emerging Jets on Sunday evening.

The Jets have experienced a resurgence late in the season, and have shown themselves to be far from pushovers throughout the season. The visitors arrived to this match in-form and gunning for the three points to put them in the running for a finals spot.

As has been the case throughout this campaign, Amber Luchtmeijer was on fire for the Bulls in this match and earned a quickfire brace with back-to-back goals in the 17^th and 18^th minute respectively.

The Bulls No. 20 notched her first goal via a confidently dispatched chip from distance after receiving an errant back pass from the Jets defence, and scored her second with a thumping strike that was well-earned after stealing the ball away from a Jets defender.

Luchtmeijer was again involved in a goal for her side, this time feigning a touch to allow a low cross to land at the feet of Gemma Ferris, who demonstrated total confidence in slamming her finish into the back of the net to give her side a 3-0 lead before half-time.

The second half saw Luchtmeijer complete her hattrick with a tidy finish after receiving a square ball from Avaani Prakash after the Bulls No. 7 eluded her defender with some tidy skill. 4-0 the final score.

Illawarra Stingrays 1-3 Football NSW Institute at Macedonia Park

The Illawarra Stingrays fell 3-1 to a plucky Football NSW Institute side in a surprise result at Macedonia Park.

A win over APIA Leichhardt in Round 22 would have had the Stingrays primed and ready for a match against visitors FNSW Institute, though they will have known to be weary coming up against a team who has proven to be competitive even if the season has not gone their way.

It was Institute who opened the scoring when Lillian Skelly received a quality through ball and proceeded to sidestep the outrushing Sophie Emery before knocking the ball into an empty net to make it 1-0 in the 8^th minute.

A penalty gave the Stingrays a route back into the game, with Sienna Saveska stepping up to plant a ball to the left of Jasmine Black, who despite getting a hand to the ball was unable to deny the Stingrays No. 23 from scoring from the spot. 1-1 in the 17^th minute.

Institute then wrestled the momentum back from the Stingrays to take the lead again in the 36^th minute as a well-positioned Tiana Fuller tucked the ball in after Maria Tsavalias’ initial strike deflected into her path in front of goal. 2-1 to FNSW Institute in the 36^th minute.

Skelly showed some fantastic attacking instincts to extend her side’s lead in the 39^th minute, having received a brilliant through ball to cap off a dynamite run in behind the Stingrays defence and putting the ball in with assurance to earn a 3-1 win for her side.

Sydney University 2-2 UNSW at Sydney Uni Football Park

The two university sides in the NPL Women shared the spoils over the weekend as Sydney University drew 2-2 with UNSW at Sydney Uni Football Park.

With neither side in particularly positive form leading into this fixture, fans of Sydney Uni and UNSW will have expected an even game between two teams pushing to keep clear of relegation from the top tier.

The home team grabbed a hold of the lead in the 12^th minute, with Talia Kapetanellis receiving a fantastic pass over the top before taking the ball in her stride and racing toward goal and unleashing a superb low strike into the far corner to give her side the lead. 1-0 to Sydney Uni.

Kapetanellis, an ever-reliable source of goals for Sydney Uni throughout this campaign, was quick to secure a brace for herself after Giuliana Nicholas successfully turned her defender and play an inspired pass that cut through the UNSW defence, leaving Kapetanellis with a chance to double her side’s lead with a strong hit that was initially saved by Tiahna Robertson, though the UNSW No. 1 could do little about the follow-up as Sydney Uni went ahead 2-0 in the 21^st minute.

Despite going down 2-0, UNSW remained intent on getting back into the game and would find an avenue through Allira Toby, who touched down a pinpoint cross into the box from Talia Backhouse and rounded the keeper before quickly ushering the ball in to make it 2-1 in the 34^th minute.

Backhouse then bundled in a goal of her own after Toby forced Hannah Callaghan to lose possession of the ball, leaving Backhouse with a small window of opportunity to see her strike past a wave of Sydney Uni defenders and in for 2-2.

Gladesville Ravens 1-2 Manly United at Christie Park

Despite taking an early lead, the Gladesville Ravens were unable to hold on as Manly United came from behind to win 2-1 at Christie Park.

Gladesville and Manly will have known the importance of this fixture heading into it, with both teams looking to keep in the running for a spot in the top four come the end of the regular season.

The Ravens would take the lead early on in the 6^th minute after capitalising on a Manly mistake and seeing the ball out to Isabella Habuda, who drove toward the end of the pitch before crossing deep to the back post for Claudia Cholakian, who dispatched a classy finish into the ground that bounced beyond Jodie Drever and in for 1-0.

Manly wasted little time in finding a way back into the match as Tegan Biasi improvised her touch to bring down a ball that was played in behind to her before volleying a quality strike beyond Romina Parraguirre. 1-1 in the 15^th minute.

With her side needing the winning goal to keep their finals hopes alive, Emily Minett latched onto a sublime through ball that evaded the Ravens defence and proceeded to drive forward and fire a quality long range strike into the top left corner, giving her side the win in the process.

Don’t miss a game! Subscribe to Football NSW’s YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/footballnsw

Words by Matthew Badrov

Surprise results in Round 22 of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition means that plenty will be on the line heading into next weekend’s matches.

Have a read of our breakdown of what was an exciting Round 22 in the NPL Women’s NSW.

Match of the Round – NWS Spirit 3-1 Gladesville Ravens at Christie Park

NWS Spirit FC continued their second half of the season renaissance with another victory, this time defeating the Gladesville Ravens in the local derby at Christie Park on Sunday evening.

It was cold, it was windy, but the home side was just too strong and in the end, deservedly took the spoils.

The home side took the lead courtesy of the in form Ella Abdul Massih, before Morgan Roberts made it two in her 150th game in Spirit colours.

Bella Habuda halved the deficit just before the break for the Ravens but Abdul Massih secured the points with her second half strike.

Check out the full report here!

Bulls FC Academy 4-2 Northern Tigers at Northbridge Oval

Bulls FC Academy proved to be too strong for the Northern Tigers in the end, prevailing 4-2 over the visitors at Northbridge Oval on Sunday evening.

The Bulls entered this fixture with the knowledge that a win was a critical to give them any chance of consolidating a spot in the top four. Standing in their way: a confident Tigers side similarly desperate to play finals football come the end of the season.

And it was the Tigers who found the lead early in the 4^th minute via Shadeene Evans, who rose highest in a crowded box to plant a strong header over Bulls goalkeeper Trudy Simmons. 1-0 to the visitors.

The Bulls gradually worked their way back into the match, finding an equaliser ahead of the break through Avaani Prakash’s deft touch and volley finish in the box. 1-1 in the 36^th minute.

The second half continued the back-and-forth nature of the first forty-five, with Amber Luchtmeijer delivering for the home side after instinctively slipping the ball past Aimee Hall in the Tigers goal. 2-1 in the 48^th minute.

Barely a minute later and the Tigers responded with another goal of their own, with Evans bagging a brace after seizing upon a small window of opportunity to bury a quality, intuitive finish into the back of the net. 2-2 in the 49^th minute.

In a show of their determination to get the three points, the Bulls would go ahead again following a bit of individual brilliance from Daniella Naeimi, who unleashed a lethal strike from range after picking up a loose back pass from the Tigers and driving forward to plant a thunderous finish over an outstretched Hall. 3-2 in the 51^st minute.

A fourth goal in the 58^th minute would be enough for the Bulls to consolidate their victory, as Luchtmeijer showed her class in winning a contest with the Tigers defenders and hitting a sublime strike into the top left corner. 4-2 the final score.

Football NSW Institute v Sydney University at Valentine Sports Park

Sydney University recorded a 2-0 win over Football NSW Institute in a tightly-fought contest at Valentine Sports Park.

FNSW Institute have endured a poor run of form of late and will want to see out their season on a high by picking up a few positive results. In contrast, having lost midweek to the Emerging Jets, Sydney Uni will be gunning for the three points here against a team lacking in confidence.

Though FNSW Institute were able to carve some chances of their own, Sydney Uni was the better of the two sides in the first half in what was a quality attacking display consistent with their form of late.

Uni’s many forays forward eventually led to them unlocking the Institute defence with a great ball in behind that was eventually squared to Olivia Vanderlaan, who showed total assurance in guiding the ball into the bottom left corner. 1-0 to Sydney Uni in the 43^rd minute.

A late goal in the second half ensured the victory for Sydney Uni, as Vanderlaan popped up again to put the finishing touch on an initially deflected strike, capping off a strong performance from Sydney Uni. 2-0 the final score at the end of the match.

Manly United 1-1 Emerging Jets at Cromer Park

A 94^th minute equaliser earned the Emerging Jets a huge 1-1 draw with Manly United in a close encounter at Cromer Park.

Manly have rediscovered their groove late in the season, with a run of results propelling them in contention for a spot in the final four. Comparatively, the Jets had back-to-back wins to their name coming into the match and have undoubtedly experienced their finest season over the past few years of the NPL Women’s competition.

A brilliant Ariella Cabezas cross was matched by an equally-brilliant Daisy Arrowsmith strike in the 37^th minute, as the No. 16 for Manly took a superb touch before sizing up an opportunity and unleashing a sensational volley that glided directly into the back of the Jets net. 1-0 to Manly just before the half time break.

Though they were resilient in holding onto a 1-0 lead for a large portion of the match, Manly could only do so much as the Jets scored a miraculous late winner when Alexis Collins’ cross from the left edge sailed over Jodie Drever and dropped into the bottom right corner. It was a cruel outcome for Manly, however the late equaliser was a testament to how far the Jets have come as a squad this campaign.

Blacktown Spartans 1-2 Sydney Olympic at Blacktown Football Park

A late comeback secured a 2-1 win for Sydney Olympic over the Blacktown Spartans at Blacktown Football Park.

A victory in this match will be seen as critical for two sides on opposite ends of the ladder here, with the Spartans needing the three points to stave off relegation and Olympic wanting to solidify their place in the top four. A midweek loss to UNSW will have added to the urgency for Olympic, who require a win here above all else.

A cagey first half where both sides attempted to build their way into the match led to all of the goals being scored in the second half, with Roukayah Al Fararjeh intelligently picking up a pass behind an unaware Olympic defender and hitting a phenomenal first-time volley that rose precisely into the top right corner of the net. 1-0 to the Spartans in the 60^th minute.

A dangerous run from Olympic captain Brianna Oliverio led to the away side finding their hugely sought after equaliser in the 75^th minute, with Maxine Peak’s strike being well-saved by Spartans No. 1 Anna Norton before landing on the head of Gabrielle Peak, who dispatched her header into an open net with ease. 1-1.

A late chance to Olympic saw Norton fumble an Olympic header from a free-kick, with Ebony McCue-Shore on hand to see the ball over the line and to give her side a win in the 92^nd minute.

Illawarra Stingrays 3-0 APIA Leichhardt at Macedonia Park

The Illawarra Stingrays defeated league leaders APIA Leichhardt 3-0 at Macedonia Park on Sunday evening, leaving the competition for first place wide open heading into next weekend.

The Stingrays will have known that a matchup with the league leaders meant that they needed to be at their best to have any hope of holding onto their place in the top four. APIA on the other hand will have had the prospect of back-to-back premierships on their mind and will have been determined not to slip up against a quality Illawarra outfit.

The home team took the lead in the 25^th minute when a lofted ball into the box was mishandled by Sally James, leaving Sasha Grove with a pivotal opportunity to take the lead, which she did with aplomb after rounding the goalkeeper and squeezing the ball past the wall of retreating APIA defenders. 1-0 to the Stingrays.

Sofia Christopherson continued the momentum for her side when in the 30^th minute Hayley Taylor-Young chased down an APIA defender and picked up a loose back pass before setting up Christopherson for a simple finish into an open net. 2-0 in the 30^th minute.

The Stingrays then saved the best for last, as Danika Matos received the ball on the right edge before spectacularly curling the ball into the top left corner and giving her side an emphatic 3-0 win in the process.

UNSW FC 0-2 Macarthur Rams at The Village Green

The Macarthur Rams proved to be too strong for UNSW FC as the visitors came away with a 2-0 win at The Village Green.

A win in midweek against Sydney Olympic will aid UNSW’s efforts to beat the drop in their first season in the top flight, however coming up against a Rams team on a strong run of form will have been seen as a real challenge for the home side.

The Rams took the lead early in the first half after Melissa Caceres’ initial run and cross to Kelli Brown was impeded by a UNSW defender, leading to Miku Sunaga arriving late in the box to confidently dispatch a blistering finish into the far post. 1-0 to the Rams in the 14^th minute.

With the first half continuing to be dominated by the visitors, Caceres again stepped up 48^th minute to dictate proceedings for her side, playing Bronte Trew through on the right edge for the No. 11 to attempt a difficult strike from a tight angle which was saved by Tiahna Robertson. However, Sunaga was again in the right place at the right time and was able to bury her finish through the sea of UNSW defenders stationed in front of goal. 2-0 the final score.

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Words by Matthew Badrov