Incredible goals and a closing of the gap at the top of the ladder characterised Round 16 of the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition.
Read on for the lowdown on all of this round’s results.
Match of the Round – Macarthur Rams 2-0 Northern Tigers at Lynwood Park
The Macarthur Rams continued their pursuit of top spot with a convincing 2-0 victory over the Northern Tigers at Lynwood Park in Round 16 of the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition.
A goal either side of the break for Stephen Peters’ side was enough to overcome their 2022 Grand Final foes who were considerably weakened for this clash.
NWS Spirit 2-0 Blacktown Spartans at Christie Park
In the sole Saturday game of the round, NWS Spirit came away with a 2-0 victory over Blacktown Spartans at Christie Park.
As the first half began, Spirit showed their intent from the outset to press the Spartans high up the pitch. Undoubtedly, the home team were playing like a side determined to secure the three points needed to keep them in the running for top spot.
The Spartans however, appeared overawed by their opponents at times in the first half, and struggled to carve out chances outside of the occasional shot from distance.
Spirit maintained their commitment levels in the second half, and would be rewarded in the 56th minute when Morgan Roberts found herself in an ideal position in the box for an easy finish, only to be taken out by an onrushing Anna Norton. Penalty to Spirit.
Spartans goalkeeper Norton was definitely not done for the day however, as she pulled out an outstanding penalty save in the bottom right corner to deny Sarah Morgan. Morgan was quickest to the rebound though and rectified for her prevented spot kick.
A second goal for Spirit arrived in the 78th minute after a free kick was cleared and inevitably found its way to Rachel Perrins on the left wing, Perrins spotting a run from Roberts and swinging in a deft ball for the Spirit captain to volley against the post and in. 2-0 the final score.
Bulls FC Academy 1-0 Sydney University at Northbridge Oval
Bulls FC Academy delivered another of their signature tight wins with a 1-0 victory over Sydney University on Sunday.
The Bulls, fresh from the confidence boosting result of keeping league leaders APIA Leichardt to a 2-all draw, would have been delighted to see out the win against Sydney Uni, who have failed to win a game since the backend of April.
The first stanza saw limited opportunities fall to either side, though it was not for a lack of willpower.
However it was Trudy Simmons who pulled off a fantastic penalty save as Bianca Galic’s spot-kick was expertly saved by the Bulls custodian.
A handball by Sydney Uni defender Gabrielle Peak just inside the box would give the Bulls their first tangible chance at goal. Aideen Keane, who has featured for Perth Glory in the Liberty A-League Women’s, took on the responsibility of the resulting penalty kick and slotted it into the bottom right corner with ease. It was a special moment for a player scoring her first goal since suffering an ACL injury.
Throughout the rest of the match, the Bulls used their speed to foster the occasional moment going forward, whilst Sydney Uni mustered few chances against the well-disciplined Bulls defence.
The Bulls have made it a habit of winning games by few goals this season, with their team chemistry and cohesion helping them through tougher fixtures.
Sydney Olympic 1-2 Football NSW Institute at Peter Moore Field
Football NSW Institute travelled to Peter Moore Field to take on Sydney Olympic, notching a 2-1 win and a surprising result away from home.
Both teams were resolute in wanting to take something away from the game, with Olympic wanting to stay in the top four, and FNSW Institute looking to increase the gap between them and the relegation spots.
And it was FNSW Institute whose wishes appeared to be coming true in the 21st minute through a clever goal crafted by Sienna Saveska, with the ball trickling over the backline past Olympic goalkeeper Courtney Newbon.
Olympic’s Lucy Johnson was integral to her side’s equaliser as she found space in midfield and drove at the FNSW Institute defence to setup the in-form Kiara De Domizio for an emphatic strike into the roof of the net. 1-1 at the end of the first half.
The second half saw FNSW Institute deliver a crushing blow to the home side, with Daniella Naeimi scored from distance to befuddle Newbon in goal. 1-2 to FNSW Institute.
It has to be said that Olympic’s attacking prowess has been on show of late, but on Sunday, FNSW Institute’s defenders were up to the task of containing their opposition attackers.
Illawarra Stingrays 8-1 Emerging Jets at Macedonia Park
The Emerging Jets were no match for the Illawarra Stingrays, who stampeded to an 8-1 win over the away team.
Illawarra set the tone for the match with an opener in the 7th minute that resulted from Michelle Carney’s curler being mishandled by the Jets keeper and Sasha Grove arriving on the spot to bury it. 1-0 to the Stingrays.
Back-to-back goals in the 21st and 24th minute respectively gave the Stingrays a 3-0 lead, with Chloe Middleton impressing for the second goal by relentlessly pressing the Jets defence and crossing deep for Sarina Bolden to tap home. Goal no. 3 was well-worked by the Stingrays, who patiently waited for the opportunity to cross to the far post for Bolden to smash it into the top corner and in for her brace.
Carney’s pinpoint free-kick proved to be too difficult to handle for the Jets defence, with Bolden there to take advantage and as a result earning her hattrick with a perfectly-guided header. 4-0 to the Stingrays.
The Stingrays must have studied their opponents thoroughly before the game because goal no. 5 was yet another free-kick and Bolden combination, the Illawarra striker doing fantastically to hold off her defender and tuck it home for a magnificent four goal haul.
There were no signs of slowing down for the Stingrays in the second half, with Meg Roden crossing well to Tara Cannon, who proceeded to turn away from her defender and rifle a strike in the vein of her namesake for 6-0.
Michelle Carney could arguably claim the goal of the match when, in the 60th minute, she curled in an exquisite free-kick from just outside of the box into the back of the net. 7-0 to Illawarra.
The continued good form of Jets star Brinley Gentle was rewarded in the 68th minute when she earned her side a clear penalty as a result of Illawarra’s desperation to keep a clean sheet. Gentle would provide her side with a consolation goal by then burying the subsequent penalty.
Grove would bring the match full circle in the 73rd minute when her ball somehow found its way into the back of the net from the right wing. Whether it was a cross or a shot is unclear, however it certainly rivalled Carney for goal of the match.
The final result reaffirms that the Stingrays are a formidable force in the NSW NPL Women’s competition, whilst the Emerging Jets stay without a first win of the season.
Manly United 2-0 Gladesville Ravens at Cromer Park
Manly United ended their winless run with a 2-0 result over the Gladesville Ravens at Cromer Park.
Sunday’s clash would be the third time these two teams have faced off this season after a draw in round three and a Ravens victory in the Sapphire Cup earlier this season.
New signing Daisy Arrowsmith would score her first goal in Manly blue on Sunday, the opener arriving off the back of some delightfully nifty work from Phoebe Gilbane in the build-up after she spotted the run of Arrowsmith behind the high Ravens line and ensured the striker was able to plant a thumping finish past Ravens goalkeeper Romina Parraguirre.
The first half would end on a sour note when Manly striker Emily Minett receive a second yellow card and therefore a red seemingly for reacting after having her shirt pulled back mid-run.
The home team would put the red card behind them in the second half when Gema Simon bypassed the Ravens defence via a well-taken free-kick that landed in the path of Arrowsmith for a superb volleyed finish above Parraguirre. 2-0 the final score.
Manly went into this match desperate for a result to change their fortunes this season, and in spite of the red card, the Northern Suburbs side put in an excellent and resilient performance at home against a Ravens ensemble that have shocked teams this season, earning an overdue victory for their troubles.
APIA Leichardt 2-3 Bankstown City Lions at Lambert Park
Sensationally, league leaders APIA Leichardt went down 2-3 to a strong Bankstown City Lions outfit at Lambert Park on Sunday.
The loss for APIA follows successive draws and an apparent downturn in form, with Bankstown happy to stifle the home side’s run to the end of the season by taking the three points back to South-West Sydney.
It was the home side who got off to a horror start as the Lions looked to dismantle the high-flyers immediately.
The first goal for the Lions arrived when the deadly Rasamee Phonsongkham sniffed out some loose possession on the edge of the APIA box and shifted past her defender to slide the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.
Bankstown were ruthless in winning back possession and countering for the second goal, with Phonsongkham this time on the end of a quality Alexia Apostolakis cross to bury the ball underneath Morgan Aquino at the near post, leaving APIA with a mountain of work to get through after just five minutes played.
APIA and Bankstown proceeded to battle it out for a period, with momentum fluctuating like a tug of war between the two sides. Moreover, the Lions had their goalkeeper Stephanie Grimbilos to thank for keeping a certain Leahz De Oliveira volleyed finish out.
Buoyed by going toe-to-toe with Leichardt, the Lions sensationally added a third in the 24th minute when Demi Koulizakis’ clever chip in behind the APIA defence was chased down by Phonsongkham, who unselfishly seized the opportunity to setup Alexia Karrys-Stahl for a tap-in at the far post. 3-0 to the Lions.
A penalty at the end of the first half meant the Lions’ clean sheet was to be spoiled, the resulting spot kick taken with aplomb by APIA forward Ashlie Crofts.
APIA ramped up the pressure as the second half raged on, with Natasha Prior leaving the Lions defence scrambling after her initial finish hit the far post and she was first to the rebound and bury it home for 3-2.
Some close chances for APIA would follow, but neither an equaliser nor a winner could be found for the side endeavouring to extend their lead at the top of the table.
The win for the Lions presents as perhaps the most significant result of the season so far, with the table now closer than ever at the conclusion of Round 16.