There were only three matches played last weekend in the #NPLWNSW and with the weather looking clearer, we will come close to getting a full quota played in Round 14. 

Manly United v Blacktown Spartans 

The action kicks off on Sunday afternoon at 3pm at Cromer Park as Manly United host the Blacktown Spartans.

Manly did not play last week as a result of the poor weather and will need to go back a few weeks for their last victory, a convincing one against Bankstown City.

They are yet to lose at their fortress of Cromer Park this season, notching up two wins and a staggering four draws so far this campaign. Draws have been a problem for the Northern Beaches team this season but will need to take all three points here to not drop further away from finals football.

The Blacktown Spartans enter this one in poor form. Head coach Brad Attard has been frustrated by not being able to call upon his team for a large number of training sessions and with a portion of his squad away with the national team, the task does not get any easier.

After dropping points only once in their first six games, the Spartans have only won once in their last seven outings. Their early season form has kept them within touching distance of finals football but they are just one loss away from that gap getting bigger.

Blacktown have struggled to score goals this season, scoring just over a goal a game, but created enough chances against the Institute to win two fixtures which was encouraging.

The last time these two met there were no goals in a 0-0 draw (only points Blacktown dropped in first six games), who will come out on top here?

Football NSW Institute v Sydney University 

Will the Football NSW Institute be the ones to stop Sydney University on Sunday afternoon at Valentine Sports Park?

A strong showing last weekend had the Institute record a fine 3-1 victory over the Spartans, only their second of the season.

Do not be fooled by that though, the Institute are a quality team and with Sienna Saveska currently performing at the peak of her form, they could do some damage here.

It really is a question of who can stop Sydney Uni? Their form, incredible. Just one loss all season and the new competition leader after Sunday.

10 matches in a row without defeat, more than two months undefeated, confidence is very high for Emily Husband’s team. Rola Badawiya is another who has exploded in recent weeks, taking her goal scoring tally to seven for the season.

It was a Badawiya goal that separated these two just over a month ago as Uni took the points with a tight 1-0 victory.

Macarthur Rams v Emerging Jets 

It’s the first time this season that the Macarthur Rams and Emerging Jets meet, this one taking place at Lynwood Park on Sunday afternoon.

Four games without a victory and Stephen Peters’ side does not make for good reading. They drove in their last game but were probably disappointed not to walk away from Christie Park with all three points.

They have the opportunity to break the duck this week and move back into a finals position with a win. Patty Charalambous should be back this week which will mean the team is almost at full strength with the return of Mel Caceres.

It has been a tough season for the Jets, with only one point to show after the first 13 round of football.

Positive signs though were seen on Sunday when they won the second half against the league leaders, Brinley Gentle pouncing on a rebound to pour some confidence in the Jets ranks.

Illawarra Stingrays v APIA Leichhardt 

The Illawarra Stingrays are back at JJ Kelly Park on Sunday as they host an in-form APIA Leichhardt.

We could yet see a change of venue or postponement once more here with the wet weather persisting post the weekend. The terrible luck continued in terms of the rain for the Stingrays, postponing another match last weekend.

It’s the Stingrays that also seemed to find some form in June, losing just one game in the month of June, against the Northern Tigers. They will need to be right up for it against APIA on Sunday.

Spencer Prior’s team looks to have finally turned a corner and clicked into gear. Four straight wins, the goals flowing and defence looking sharp, APIA is one of the in-form teams in the competition without a doubt.

Leah Davidson is showing everyone what she is capable of and seems to have lifted her team mates around her, with both Sophie Hoban and Shea Connors in great scoring form.

APIA won the first match between these two, coming away with a 3-1 victory from Lambert Park.

Northern Tigers v NWS Spirit 

It’s derby time at North Turramurra as the Northern Tigers welcome NWS Spirit on Sunday evening at 5pm.

The Northern Tigers lost their grip on first place last weekend but will be keen to get back to the top of the table as soon as possible.

Only one loss all season so far for the Tigers shows their strength and the potential this team has. Their blockbuster game against APIA last weekend was washed out giving the Northern Tigers an extra week to prepare for this and it should not have an effect on their momentum.

NWS Spirit was one of only six teams that played last week in terrible conditions at Christie Park. They put up a good fight and looked well structured for most parts of the game, making themselves difficult to break down.

June was a good month for Spirit, almost doubling their season points. Two wins, two losses and a draw have seen a visible improvement. They will need to be at their best on Sunday against one of the competition heavyweights.

When these two met last time, it was the Tigers that took all three points with a 2-1 victory.

Sydney Olympic v Bankstown City – PP 

-By NPL NSW Women’s Chief Writer and Commentator Nikola Pozder  

At the conclusion of Round 13 on Sunday night we may have ourselves a new leader at the top of the #NPLWNSW competition. There is a top of the table clash in the inner-west and a few more interesting fixtures with a lot on the line.

Sydney Olympic vs Manly United MATCH DEFERRED 

Manly United will travel to Belmore Sports Ground for an early, 1:30pm Sunday afternoon kick off against Sydney Olympic.

United added another draw on the weekend, taking their season tally to seven draws. They are the draw specialists but it seems as those draws could cost them a finals place unless they add more victories to the win column.

Last week they led for the majority of the game but could not consolidate and take all three points. The Northern Beaches team was lethal last week from set pieces and will look to create Sydney Olympic the same problems this week.

The under-strength Sydney Olympic have now gone two matches without a win, dropping down to fourth place on the ladder. With the AFF Championships kicking off next week, they will be without their stars for a further two weeks.

It makes this match all the tougher for Olympic but also important not to drop any further points to stay within that Top 4. Claudia Cholakian and Sarah Yatim need to be the difference in the front third with no Mackenzie Hawkesby and Cortnee Vine come Sunday.

When these two met early on in the season, it was Manly United who took the points in what was a shock 3-0 victory at Cromer Park. Can they do the double?

Emerging Jets v Sydney University

The Emerging Jets will host Sydney University on Sunday afternoon at Lake Macquarie.

It was a sorry Sunday for the Jets last week as the Northern Tigers put away seven without reply at North Turramurra.

Five straight losses for the Jets and a bag of goals conceded do not make for good reading but there were signs of life in some of the clashes.

Travelling north, Sydney Uni is in a great place at the moment. Nine games without defeat and sitting pretty in second place on the competition ladder.

It was a confident performance last time out against the Spartans (the only team to beat Uni this season) and they will look to build on that this weekend. Goal scoring has not been their best attribute so far this season but encouraging signs for their attackers Rola Badawiya (4 goals) and Holly Caspers (6 goals) who both found the back of the net on Sunday.

Uni defeated the Jets 2-0 in round 2.

Illawarra Stingrays vs Bankstown City

The Illawarra Stingrays will once more return to their home for only the second time this season as they host Bankstown City at JJ Kelly Park.

Illawarra thought they had taken all three points last week but were foiled by the assistant referee’s flag. A victory here is imperative, especially when they still have two games in hand on many teams above them on the ladder.

The last time the Stingrays were at JJ Kelly it was the Chloe Middleton show with two spectacular goals and Anthony Guido will be hoping for more of the same from her.

This is Bankstown’s chance to quash the ‘inconsistent’ claims thrown their way. A fantastic win last week against the Rams will mean nothing if Bankstown can’t take the three points here.

Matt Costantini’s team has shown how good they can be but have also shown how quickly they can capitulate and fall. If they want to give themselves a chance of finals football, victory is imperative here.

It was a tight 2-1 victory for Bankstown when these two met earlier in the season.

Football NSW Institute v Blacktown Spartans

On Sunday at Valentine Sports Park, the Football NSW Institute will host the Blacktown Spartans.

Similar to Manly, the Institute do not mind a draw, racking up five so far this campaign. They added another on Sunday with Sienna Saveska scoring a worldie to round up her hat-trick and secure a point.

The young side has not one in their last four games, tasting victory for the last time almost a month ago. It will be extremely difficult for them to make a run for the finals but don’t expect them to roll over either, they’ve made it extremely difficult against everyone they have come across and this will be no different.

Only one win in their last six matches, and you can say the Blacktown Spartans definitely out of form. It has been tough for Brad Attard with so many of his players in the Young Matildas program, unable to conduct training sessions with a full squad at his disposal.

They will be desperate for points in this one having had a tough last week, playing three games in seven days. The Spartans come into this one on the back of two straight defeats, losing midweek to Spirit and on Sunday to Uni.

When they met in mid-April, it was a late Rachael Goldstein goal which proved to be the difference as the Spartans triumphed 1-0.

NWS Spirit v Macarthur Rams

When NWS Spirit and the Macarthur Rams met last year at Christie Park, the game was abandoned due to one of the craziest storms ever witnessed, let’s hope this Sunday’s game is played in good weather!

There looked to be a change on the horizon at Christie Park following two straight wins but Spirit was brought right back down to earth on the weekend.

A win two weekends ago against the Jets and a fine performance and three points mid-week against the Spartans, it looked as though Spirit turned a corner. They could not repeat the feat against APIA though, going down 3-1.

Tahlia Macri has picked up her form in front of goal, notching up five goals for the season and placing her as Spirit’s most dangerous attacking threat.

Things seem to work in threes at the Rams. They go undefeated in three, then winless in the same amount of games, turn it around for three games again and are currently on, you guessed it, a three match winless run.

This inconsistent form has seen Stephen Peters’ side drop to fifth on the ladder, just outside finals football. It’s almost that point in the season when these games are ‘must wins’ for the Rams.

When they met earlier in the season it was a catastrophe for Spirit, losing 6-1 in one of the Rams’ best showings this season. There will be revenge on the cards for Spirit no doubt.

APIA Leichhardt v Northern Tigers

Last, but by no means least, the match of the round kicks off at 7:15pm at Lambert Park as APIA Leichhardt host the Northern Tigers in a top of the table clash.

APIA have quickly become one of the form teams of the competition. It was a perfect week for Spencer Prior’s team, winning all three games they played. In order fell the Rams, Institute and Spirit, with only one of those three games played at home.

Currently on a four match winning run, Prior’s team enter this one full of confidence with the league’s top scorer Shea Connors sewing fear in opposition defences.

Prior’s team have come a long way in the recent times, having been as low as eighth only three weeks ago with the opportunity to go top with a win here on Sunday.

The Tigers enjoy another week at the top of the table. You definitely feel a loss of form since the injury to Aideen Keane but still, they remain at the head of the pack.

Still with only one defeat to their name this season, coming two weeks ago, the Tigers found their goalscoring boots on Sunday against the Jets, smacking seven passed them.

Ash Brodigan (9), Hannah McNulty (5) and Maddie Bart (5) have 19 of their 26 goals this season and have been in fantastic form. It is obvious where the biggest danger to the APIA goal will come from.

The Tigers took the points when they met earlier in the season after a five-goal thriller, winning 3-2. Interestingly, it was 3-0 for the Northern Tigers within the hour in that one before APIA came to life.

What result do we expect on Sunday we don’t know but we can definitely count on a spectacle.

Five points separate the top four after 11 rounds of the #NPLWNSW competition with a few more hoping to throw their hats in for finals football. 

We are on the home stretch now and there can be no more mistakes for most teams. 

Bankstown City v Macarthur Rams 

Jensen Park will be the venue for Sunday’s clash between Bankstown City and the Macarthur Rams.

Since their massive win two weeks ago against APIA, Bankstown have not been able to back that up in their next two games, capitulating in the second 45 against Manly and drawing blanks against the Institute on the weekend.

A win here would slot them just behind the Rams who sit just outside the top 5. A loss though would really dent Matthew Costatini’s finals hope. A team that on their day can beat the best but just like that can also lose to those less fancied.

You can’t really say Sunday’s loss was a shock but when taking into consideration the Rams’ form and their performance last week, you would have put them in a good position to take the spoils. It was their first loss after going four games on the bounce without defeat.

It did not seem like a typical Rams performance and they were punished by their opponents. They sit outside the five but a win could propel them to third place on the ladder.

Macarthur have only three games at home in the second half of the season and won’t have the advantage of Lynwood Park as much as they would like.

When these two met back in round one, the Rams came away with all three points with a 3-1 victory. It was not as straight forward as the result seems though with Bankstown definitely feeling as though they should have got more from that one.

Northern Tigers v Emerging Jets 

It’s first against last at North Turramurra Rec Area on Sunday as the Northern Tigers host the Emerging Jets.

After a fantastic start to the season, the Tigers lost their first match of the year last Sunday. Despite that defeat, they remain at the top of the competition ladder.

Ash Brodigan has been in excellent form and comes up against her A-League Women’s employers here, looking to do some damage. For only the second time in the season, the Tigers didn’t score a goal and Brodigan, Hannah McNulty and Maddie Bart will need to set the record straight.

There was definite improvement in the ranks at the Jets until Spirit came to town last week. The Jets suffered another heavy defeat and will need to regroup and refocus again.

These two met just over 20 days ago in a round one re-scheduled fixture. The Tigers came away with a commanding 5-0 victory and will be hoping for the same again.

Manly United v Football NSW Institute 

The Football NSW Institute travel north to face Manly United at Cromer Park.

Two defeats, a win and a draw has seen Manly’s form dip and rise over the last month. This has resulted in them sitting in seventh position on the ladder.

They are yet to taste defeat at home this season and they have made Cromer Park a fortress difficult to take points from.

Victory for Manly would move them back into the five and having played a full quota of games, it is imperative they win to remain within touching distance of their rivals.

Only one win in the first half of the season has the Institute sitting in 10^th place. They have been much better than their ladder position suggests and could do some damage in the second half of the season.

Their third straight away game, the Institute could feel they could cause some damage here against Manly.

Two teams with the most draws in the competition face off here and you guessed it, they drew when they met in round one, 0-0.

Sydney University v Blacktown Spartans  

All eyes will be on the round 12 clash at Sydney University Football Ground as Sydney Uni host the Blacktown Spartans.

When these two met last time, you could say it was a real tactical battle which the Spartans managed to sneak away all three points from with a 1-0 win.

That loss remains Sydney Uni’s only loss this season, winning five and drawing three since that match.

Uni come into this one inflicting the league leaders with their first defeat of the season. Taren King returned to the squad in the heart of defence and Uni looked extremely difficult to break down. Only one point off first place and a game in hand, Uni are in pole position to return to the top of the table.

The Spartans took a confidence lifting come from behind win against Sydney Olympic on Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t Brad Attard’s teams best performance on the weekend but a team that win when they aren’t performing at the best of their capabilities, are signs of a quality unit.

Until Sunday, the Spartans weren’t in the best form over the last month, losing two and drawing the other. Attard will be hoping the win on Sunday will be a confidence boost, in particular for Rosie Galea who had a good game.

These two have only conceded 11 goals between the two of them which would still make them the best defence in the competition, incredibly.

NWS Spirit v APIA Leichhardt 

At 5pm on Sunday night NWS Spirit will host APIA Leichhardt at Christie Park, also known as ‘The Arctic Circle’.

Picking up only their second win of the season last round, NWS Spirit enter this one with wind in their sail. It was a dominant victory for Spirit with Rachael Patterson and Tahlia Macri both scoring doubles.

They made APIA work for it when they played back in round one and will be hoping to go a step further and take some points at home.

APIA has won two in a row now but their performance on Sunday against the Macarthur Rams was probably the best of the campaign with Nikki Flannery putting in a fine performance.

Two straight clean sheets will also be encouraging for Spencer Prior and his team as they look to throw themselves back into the premiership mix. A tough run of fixtures lie ahead for APIA and this would be the perfect way to kick it off.

Sydney Olympic v Illawarra Stingrays 

The round finishes off on Sunday night at Belmore Sports Ground as Sydney Olympic face the Illawarra Stingrays.

George Beltsos’ depleted team put up a brave fight last Sunday and would have left Blacktown Football Park they didn’t go home with at least a point. Missing five of their super stars, Olympic took the lead and looked on their way until two errors cost them the game.

If Olympic can repeat that performance and minimise those errors, they should be able to take the points on Sunday. Sarah Yatim and Claudia Cholakian both stepped up for Beltsos and put in fine performances, much will be expected of them again this week.

The Stingrays finally came back home last week and celebrated that return with their third win of the season. Chloe Middleton scored two, one of those an absolute worldie to secure the three points for the south coast side.

A victory for the Stingrays puts them closer to the finals, in particular with two games in hand, they can really throw themselves in the mix for the top five.

The first round of the #NPLWNSW competition comes to an end this week as we reach the half way mark with the Northern Tigers at the top of the table.  

Only four points separate second to seventh on the ladder with some important fixtures taking place this week. 

 

Emerging Jets v NWS Spirit 

It’s last against second last at Lake Macquarie on Sunday as the Emerging Jets host NWS Spirit in the first game of the afternoon.

There has been visible improvement from the Jets in the last month and aside from the 5-0 defeat to the Northern Tigers, they have been right in the battle in the other three matches.

In that time, they secured their first point of the season and will feel quietly confident going into this game to add to their tally of points.

In short, more was expected at Christie Park for 2022. They have struggled to put it together and have been on the back of some heavy defeats.

After coming from behind to draw with Manly, defeating Bankstown, you would not have been mistaken for thinking they had turned a corner. That win was followed by a 6-1 drubbing by Olympic and another defeat to the Institute.

Should Spirit lose here, the Jets will find themselves on equal points with their rivals.

Bankstown City v Football NSW Institute 

At Jensen Park on Sunday afternoon, Bankstown City host the Football NSW Institute.

Frustrating. It is the best way to describe Bankstown City at this point of the season and Matt Costantini will not be feeling any better in the Jensen Park dugout.

Consistency has been the major issue for Bankstown and after two phenomenal results against the Northern Tigers and APIA Leichhardt, City was pummelled by Manly on Sunday afternoon. It was a second half capitulation after they led at the break and Bankstown throughout this season have been a strong second half team which only added to the surprise.

It was the Institute’s heaviest defeat on Sunday afternoon of the season as they went down to Sydney Olympic.

The young side had recorded their first win of the season the week before and despite being understrength, put up a good fight last weekend. They should have their top players back this week and will be confident they can inflict some damage on Bankstown.

Illawarra Stingrays v Manly United 

JJ Kelly Park is down as the venue for this one but will the Illawarra Stingrays finally host a game this season at their home ground is the question as Manly United come to town.

It’s been a tough campaign for the Stingrays this season with the above issues along with a range of others. They haven’t given up though and have been competitive. They could have hit the front last week against the league leaders but their captain fantastic Michelle Carney could not put away the spot kick.

They will feel they can come away from this one with something and potentially kick start their campaign. They have played two games less also so a win here is almost imperative for the Stingrays.

Manly United cracked into the top five after their big win on Sunday and will hope to stay there beyond this weekend. It was some second half performance from Tom Hopley’s team, coming out and blasting five un-answered goals.

They have still only lost one match this season, an incredible feat for this team. Six draws though haven’t really helped United and they will need more results like that from Sunday.

Macarthur Rams v APIA Leichhardt 

Another massive fixture takes place at Lynwood Park on Sunday as the Macarthur Rams face off against APIA Leichhardt.

The Rams are coming and they are coming hard. One of their best performances of the season ended in a draw but they showed great character to take a point after being down a goal and a player after Alex Huynh was sent off.

They will need to do it without their leading central defender this week and Holly Williams will need another repeat performance. Leena Khamis has played herself into form and if she performs as she did on Sunday, the APIA defence will have their hands full.

Something is not right at APIA at the moment. They sit in seventh place and finals football could start getting away from them should they not win here. Their hopes of finishing top with the squad they have are almost extinguished, sitting eight points behind the league leaders.

They will be missing some key players this week, including Tori Tumuth who had to go off injured on Sunday night with a suspected serious injury. Shea Connors has been their most potent player and will need to test the Rams defence in this one.

Sydney University v Northern Tigers 

It’s a top of the table clash at Sydney University Football Ground as the first placed Northern Tigers take on the second placed Sydney University.

Uni managed to come away with a point from a tough clash at Lynwood Park on Sunday where they were not at their best. Having lead though and having a player more on the park, they probably should have taken all three points.

Holly Caspers was dangerous against the Rams and has been one of Uni’s best this season. She will be key on Sunday to what Emily Husband’s team does in the attacking third.

The Tigers managed to extend their lead at the top of the table after registering their sixth win of the season and remain the only undefeated team in the competition.

Blacktown Spartans v Sydney Olympic 

What a cracker this promises to be at Blacktown Football Park on Sunday afternoon as Sydney Olympic travel to take on the Blacktown Spartans.

The Spartans were at the top of the table a few weeks ago, they now sit in sixth place, albeit with two games in hand. That’s how quickly things can change in the top tier of women’s football in NSW.

A Spartans victory on Sunday could move them above their opponents should they win their mid-week clash with the NWS Spirit. Finding the back of the net remains an issue for the Spartans and something coach Brad Attard will be working on.

Two games in hand, third place and some fine form. Seven games without defeat for George Beltsos’ team and they are scoring at will as well as holding the fort defensively.

We know that this team really does not have many weaknesses, if any and their strength is all over the park.

Having been selected into the Matildas squad, there will be no Taylor Ray, Mackenzie Hawkesby, Winonah Heatley and Cortnee Vine. How will Olympic cope without their four stars with the likes of Sarah Yatim having to step up.

-By NPL NSW Women’s Chief Writer and Commentator Nikola Pozder 

We’re at the penultimate round before the halfway mark in the #NPLWNSW competition and still only five points separate the top five with those from second to fifth with a game in hand. 

Manly United v Bankstown City 

A massive clash in regards to finals football takes place at Cromer park on Sunday afternoon as Manly United host Bankstown City.

Both of these two sides have played their full quota of games in 2022 and a loss could put them just that little bit too far from post season football.

Manly have only one defeat this season, a fantastic stat. The one that hurts though is in the draw column, six draws from nine games is not a great return and has pushed them outside of the top five.

Maddie Zahra has been the star for Manly United and they will need her to continue her goalscoring form as well as Japanese import Yuka Honda and club favourite Emily Minett.

Bankstown secured a huge win last week against one of the competition favourites. We spoke about Matthew Costantini and his side being the dark horse in 2022 and they’ve proved that, taking points from APIA, Northern Tigers and Sydney Uni.

But consistency has been an issue at Jensen Park and something that could cost them when we get to the pointy end of the season. Daisy Arrowsmith was brought in to score goals and she is starting to deliver while Paige Hayward has been one of Bankstown’s best.

This should be a fine game with a victory for either seeing them potentially jump into the five.

Macarthur Rams v Sydney University 

A blockbuster at 5pm awaits us at Lynwood Park on Sunday night as the Macarthur Rams host Sydney University.

The Rams have found their grove again and at the perfect time, after three games without a win, it is now three games without a loss. They knocked off the league leaders on Sunday in what looked a fairly comfortable victory.

Is it just coincidence that form has turned with the return of Patty Charalambous? Two goals since her return and Charalambous has picked up right where she stopped.

Added to that, the veteran has got her first goal of the season. If Leena Khamis is in the mood, opposition defences better be ready.

Only one defeat this season and going about their business in a quiet fashion, Sydney Uni sit in second place on the ladder.

Since that mid-week defeat to the Spartans at the end of April they haven’t tasted defeat, notching up six games without defeat. Holly Caspers has been in fine form this season, leading the club charts with six goals while at the other end, Taren King has been a rock in the league’s best defence.

Who will come out on top here, one of the league’s most potent attacks, or the competition’s best defence?

Northern Tigers v Illawarra Stingrays 

The league leaders Northern Tigers welcome the Illawarra Stingrays on Sunday evening to North Turramurra Rec Area.

The Tigers are flying at the moment and the only team yet to taste defeat this season. They were rocked with devastating news that star winger Aideen Keane will miss the rest of 2022 with an unfortunate season ending ACL injury.

Nevertheless, her teammates have stepped up and current golden boot leader Ash Brodigan can’t stop scoring. Added to her prowess in front of goal is the creativity of Maddie Bart and Hannah McNulty in behind.

Currently two points in front of their closest rival having played a game more, the Tigers will need to continue with the wins to stay in front of the chasers.

It has been an incredibly difficult season for Stingrays new boss Anthony Guido who hasn’t had the opportunity to play a game at JJ Kelly Park in 2022. They have played only seven games this season and should they get positives results in those catch ups, they’ll close the gap to finals football.

It’s the veterans that have been getting the job done for the Stingrays with both Michelle Carney and Caitlin Cooper leading by example. They will look to their experience to help them get over this difficult task this week.

APIA Leichhardt v Emerging Jets 

The Emerging Jets face a difficult trip to Lambert Park on Sunday night as they take on APIA Leichhardt.

A wounded APIA Leichhardt team. After a fantastic win against the Blacktown Spartans, Bankstown City brought them right back down to earth with a defeat. APIA has not been able to notch up two straight wins all season and thus lie in a disappointing 8^th position on the competition ladder.

The competition favourites should be in a much higher position and with the squad at Spencer Prior’s disposal, these results are not acceptable. Should APIA not win here on Sunday, more questions will be raised as to where it is going wrong for a team who set out to win the competition.

The Jets were right on their way last week, heading to win number one of the season. They fell apart to two extremely unfortunate goals, one coming in the dying embers of the game.

They can take positives from their performance and even performances of recent weeks. If they can jag any result here it would be an incredible achievement for the young squad. Claire Adams has found some form and could be key to a positive result.

Sydney Olympic v Football NSW Institute 

Football NSW Institute travel to Sydney’s inner-west to take on Sydney Olympic.

The Institute finally managed to score their first win of the season with an odd-goal victory over the NWS Spirit. When you say that, you’d say the Institute have been disappointing this season but on the contrary, they have pushed every one of their opponents to the limit.

Their four losses this season have all been by the odd-goal and this will not be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination for Olympic. They will be without a number of players due to Young Matildas duty but the factory that is at the Institute will have a new youngster ready to step up.

At the other end, George Beltsos’ team has been rampant this season. The league’s best attack was held to a draw on Sunday and currently sit in fourth on the ladder, having only played seven games.

It’s difficult to pick super stars in this team when they are all playing as good as each other. The attacking trio of Vine, Hawkesby, Rule has been lethal. They will be without the latter this week as Charlie Rule represents the Young Matildas on their New Zealand tour.

NWS Spirit v Blacktown Spartans – PP 

NOTE: Football NSW and the football community wishes Aideen Keane a speedy recovery and all the best with her surgery and rehab. 

-By NPL NSW Women’s Chief Writer and Commentator Nikola Pozder