Fans of the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition were certainly not left wanting in Round 8 as the weekend provided plenty of action and goals galore in the face of wet weather.
Read on for a full breakdown of the round that was.
Match of the Round – Bulls FC Academy 3-1 Northern Tigers at Campbelltown Sports Stadium
It was a stunning performance by the Bulls FC Academy side as they proved too strong defeating the Northern Tigers 3-1 at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulls found an early lead courtesy of Claudia Valletta, before adding a second thirty seconds into the second half by Avaani Prakash.
Charlotte Lancaster then made it three for the Bulls, only for Claudia Cholakian to score a late solo goal which would be a consolation for the Tigers.
Click here to view the extended match report.
NWS Spirit 1-1 Gladesville Ravens at Christie Park
Christie Park hosted a competitive match-up between local rivals NWS Spirit and the Gladesville Ravens on Saturday afternoon, a 1-1 draw the final result between the two sides.
The hosts began the match in the ascendancy, with Skye Halmarick at the centre of all things positive for the Spirit. However, the Ravens nearly shocked the hosts in the 7th minute when Jess Wootton conjured a fantastic opportunity through a smart turn under pressure and sent a scorching shot towards the Spirit goal that emphatically rattled the crossbar.
Wootton would again attempt the spectacular in the 45th minute of the first half, this time on the right edge of the 18-yard box with a looping strike that just landed on the top of the net.
Sarah Morgan – who backed up her impressive start to the season with an industrious showing in midfield – was critical to the Spirit taking the lead at the beginning of the second half when her free-kick into the centre of the box was met by a brave Morgan Roberts, the forward knocking the ball beyond an onrushing Romina Parraguirre and into an open net.
The Ravens, determined to match it with their local rivals in the first-ever derby at Christie Park, began to craft greater opportunities in the second period, their ultimate equaliser arriving late in chaotic fashion in the 89th minute following a harsh deflection off of Kaiya Buchanan that Keisha Allen pounced on and volleyed onto Spirit’s bar for a perfectly-placed Wootton to then finish off.
A flurry of late chances saw both Rachel Perrins and Wootton go close for their sides, however 1-1 would be the final scoreline.
The result leaves the Ravens and NWS Spirit sitting in 5th and 6th respectively on the ladder at the conclusion of Round 8.
Football NSW Institute 0-1 Illawarra Stingrays at Valentine Sports Park
Football NSW Institute went down 1-0 on Sunday to an Illawarra Stingrays side that celebrated their first win of the 2023 season.
Having begun the better of the two sides in the first half, the Stingrays were clearly determined to make up for previous results and push their way up the ladder, their first chance arriving in the 18th minute when a corner from Alicia Meuronen was met by a strong header from Bronte Pyke that just brushed the top of the crossbar.
In the 31st minute, against the run of play, FNSW Institute had their first substantial chance when Caley Tallon-Henniker capitalised on an errant back pass from Mia McGovern and burst through on goal, only to see her resulting shot comfortably held by goalkeeper Aimee Hall.
The Stingrays again found themselves in advantageous position from a corner in the 43rd minute, Meuronen spotting Bella Voisey-Youldon open on the edge of the box and laying a platform for the midfielder to curl a magnificent strike beyond an outstretched Hall. 1-0 to the Stingrays.
With chances limited in the second half, the Stingrays would take a 1-0 away win back home with them to the delight of coach Steven Gordon and a squad overdue a favourable result in the competition.
Blacktown Spartans 1-2 APIA Leichardt at Blacktown Football Park
Blacktown Spartans took on APIA Leichardt at Blacktown Football Park on Sunday afternoon, the match finishing 2-1 in favour of the away side.
It was the Spartans who had the abundance of chances early in the first half, with Donelle Moore going close in the 8th minute when her volley was prevented by Courtney Halpin’s close-quarters goalkeeping.
However, it was APIA who would strike first in the 19th minute when Charlotte Young won a header from a Spartans goal-kick and set her team on the way to an opener, the goal courtesy of an excellent through ball from Ashlie Crofts that was finished off superbly by an unstoppable Isabella Coco-Di Sipio volley.
APIA extended their lead in the second half through remarkable linkup play between Crofts and Isabella Habuda, the resulting lethal cross from Habuda on the right-wing finding Coco-Di Sipio in the six-yard box for a pinpoint header and her second goal of the day.
Spartans captain Annabelle Daczko would earn her side a way back into the match when her free-kick was unexpectedly turned home by Young by means of an admittedly superb header which left the APIA defender perplexed by the resulting own goal.
Despite the best efforts, the home side were ultimately unable to contain an APIA side that ends Round 8 atop of the NPL NSW Women’s ladder.
Manly United 1-1 Sydney University at Cromer Park
Cromer Park played host to a 1-1 draw between Manly United and Sydney University on Sunday evening.
With both sides desperate to make up for their rollercoaster seasons so far, and both coaches looking to shore up their respective defences, the first half was characterised by astute and urgent defensive efforts.
As the first half ticked along Manly began to stamp their foothold on the game and found a way to break the deadlock in the 45th minute when Emily Minett rose highest to meet a lofted Caitlin Jarvie corner and guide the ball into the back of the net. 1-0 to Manly on the stroke of half time and a 6th goal of the season for Minett.
Manly keeper Nicole Simonsen was called into action in the 72nd minute when Talia Kapetanellis received the ball and turned smartly on the edge of the box to fire a splintering low-range effort at goal, however the stalwart in between the sticks was able to push it away.
Simonsen could do little but watch on however when Sydney Uni equalised in the 91st minute through Jaime Beaufils’ spectacular header into the bottom right-hand corner, the away side showcasing a never-say-die attitude that has long been a trademark of their footballing ideology.
The 1-1 draw leaves Manly and Sydney Uni in 10th and 9th place at the end of Round 8.
Macarthur Rams 6-0 Emerging Jets at Lynwood Park
The Macarthur Rams delivered an astonishing 6-0 result to the home crowd at Lynwood Park on Sunday evening, leaving their opponents, the Emerging Jets, consigned to last place at the end of the weekend.
A fantastic long ball from Rams defender Alexandra Huynh would prove to be the catalyst for the home side’s eventual dominance, the impressive pass picked up by Tegan Bertolissio for a low cross that the Jets failed to clear, with Leena Khamis the ultimate goal scorer via a well-taken finish.
Goal no. 2 arrived as a result of Macarthur’s sleek linkup play in attack, with Miku Sunaga’s graceful back heel pass played by Kelli Brown through to Laura Murtagh who replicated the sequence that led to the first goal to see India Breier to finish off the clinical team move.
The next three goals for Macarthur arrived in quick succession, with goal number three scored by Murtagh when the Rams forward held off a Jets defender following a corner and eluded goalkeeper Xanthe Parsons with a volleyed chip that found its way in via the underside of the crossbar.
Parsons was found wanting in the 21st minute when she struggled to deal with a Jets cross from deep and mishandled the ball onto the path of a grateful Murtagh who earned her second of the day by tapping it home. 4-0 to the Rams.
Sunaga was again involved for Macarthur when she spotted Brown making a run and beat the Jets offside trap with an excellently-timed through ball that resulted in Breier smashing home goal number five for the Rams following clinical play by Brown.
With the Jets evidently overawed by the attacking prowess of the Rams and limited to a few forays into the opposition’s defensive third, goal number six seemed destined to be when Sunaga spotted Breier open on the left wing and set the pacey off for an eventual cross into a well-positioned Brown who finally earned a goal off the back of a strong effort throughout the match.
Depending on which team you asked, it was an evening that gave cause for celebration or self-reflection. Significantly though, the result showcased a Macarthur side rediscovering the rhythms that proved so fruitful in 2022.
Sydney Olympic vs Bankstown City – WASHED OUT
By Matthew Badrov