Macarthur Rams and Macarthur Bulls Academy will contest the 2023 NPL NSW Women's Grand Final after winning their semi final fixtures!
APIA Leichhardt 1-2 Bulls FC Academy
Bulls FC Academy booked their place in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s Grand Final with a 2-1 victory over the newly crowned Premiers APIA Leichhardt on Wednesday night.
In an intense game, the fourth placed Bulls overcame APIA in an intense match up, the home side falling at the same stage for the second consecutive year with another late goal.
Charlotte Lancaster opened the scoring for the Bulls just before half time.
League top scorer Ash Crofts then equalised with 10 minutes remaining, before Lancaster won it late from the spot.
Jaime Gomez’s side pushed hard from the beginning and tried to put APIA under pressure from the kick off.
Their first chance came inside the first 10 minutes as the home side failed to clear a corner, the ball falling into the path of Avaani Prakash who side footed her effort over the crossbar.
With both Sophie Magus and Morgan Aquino unavailable, youngster Emilija Vidakovic stepped up in goals and was soon called into action, making an excellent finger tip save from an Isabella Volkanovski pile-driver.
The APIA attack was too cut off from midfield with Rhianna Pollicina missing and the likes of Ash Crofts and Bella Habuda could not get involved.
It would be the visitors that would go close again next, Tamires Souza breaking into the box, rounded Vidakovic before Claudia Cicco cleared the effort off the line.
As the game approached half time, the Bulls scored a well-deserved goal.
Daisy Cheeseman found space on the left, delivering a fine ball into the box to find Lancaster who held off two defenders, turned in the area and buried the ball with a powerful effort into the bottom corner.
The second half saw two tiring teams with APIA improving somewhat.
Spencer Prior’s tactical change pushing Claudia Cicco higher to the right wing almost led to immediate success, her dangerous ball in the area only just cleared.
APIA went down the same flank again, this time finding the equaliser in the 77th minute.
Cicco’s delivery to the edge of the area found an on coming Ash Crofts who let fly with a first time volley, burying it beyond Trudy Simmons in the Bulls goal.
The game opened up from here with both teams pushing forward to try and steal the win and book a grand final ticket.
The best chance in that period fell the way of the Bulls who reacted well, some fine combination play between Amy Chessari, Cheeseman and Prakash had the latter popping up in front of Vidakovic, only for Tanya Borazio to make a phenomenal last ditch challenge.
With the match destined for extra time, Souza went down in the box following a challenge from the APIA keeper, the referee with no choice but to point to the spot.
Lancaster stepped up and once more found the bottom corner to secure her brace and the lead for the Bulls.
APIA pushed hard for another equaliser but the Bulls managed the match expertly and secured their place in the big dance next week where they face the winner of the Macarthur Rams and NWS Spirit match.
Match Stats
APIA Leichhardt 1 (Crofts 77’)
Bulls FC Academy 2 (Lancaster 42’, 88’)
Wednesday, 6, September, 2023
Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt: 40. Vidakovic, 2. Cicco, 3. Borazio (22. Jasnos), 4. Prior, 7. Habuda (14. Coco-Di Sipio, 11. Crofts, 15. Pipino (17. Bozanic), 16. Fragale (21. Kiparizov), 18. Hoban, 24. Young, 32. Daczko.
Substitutes Not Used: 99. Halpin.
Bulls FC Academy: 1. Simmons, 3. Grey, 4. Seaman, 5. Lancaster, 7. Prakash, 9. Chessari, 10. Souza (8. Rutstein), 11. Valletta, 13. Di Sciascio, 17. Volkanovski, 19. Cheeseman.
Substitutes Not Used: 12. Corry, 18. Clout, 21. Segavcic, 22. Popovic.
Macarthur Rams 3-0 NWS Spirit FC
A late flurry from the Macarthur Rams booked their spot in the National Premier Leagues Grand Final as they overcame NWS Spirit at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday.
Stephen Peters’ side left it late but got the job done in the final 10 minutes of regulation time as Bethany Gordon, Alex Huynh and Leena Khamis all got themselves on the scoresheet.
The Rams will now face Bulls FC Academy in this Sunday’s Grand Final at Valentine Sports Park in hope of making it back-to-back championship victories.
Despite both teams missing a number of players, Tiana Gauci’s team perhaps hurting more with their absentees, it was an excellent tactical display from both sides.
The first test for Mio Nemoto in the Spirit goal came after a long distance strike by Kelli Brown which was comfortably held.
Sham Kamis’ first call to action came late in the first half as Skye Halmarick tried getting on to a long ball but the Rams keeper reacted well.
With five minutes to go in the first period, again Nemoto was tested, this time by India Breier but the keeper dealt with it comfortably.
Brown, who has become somewhat a free kick specialist this campaign, then had an opportunity from a set piece but again Nemoto came on top, palming the effort wide.
The Rams were on the front foot immediately in the second period, putting the Spirit defence under pressure and calling Nemoto into action with another good save.
But it was Spirit that almost went in front with maybe the best chance of the game so far, Erin Pridmore picking up a lose ball and placing it wide of Khamis’ goal.
The Rams were the dominant side from here but were unable to create anything that would really trouble Nemoto.
But with 10 minutes to go the Rams were awarded a penalty.
Spirit were slow to react to a short corner which Beth Gordon and Mel Caceres took advantage of, the latter bought down in the area.
Gordon stepped up to the spot and sent her effort right but the fantastic Spirit keeper read the penalty and saved, the rebounding falling back into the path of a fortunate Gordon who blasted it into the back of the net.
With minutes remaining in the 90, the Rams doubled their advantage.
Alex Huynh took a free kick from some way out, it avoided everyone and bounced into the side netting away from a fully outstretched Nemoto.
With Gauci’s team throwing no caution to the wind and with nothing to lose, the Rams added a third.
Short in numbers at the back, Khamis picked up the ball and hit it first time after a blocked Brown show to find the top corner and seal their place in the big dance next week.
Match Stats
Macarthur Rams 3 (Gordon 81’, Huynh 88’, Khamis 90+1’)
NWS Spirit FC 0
Sunday, 10, September, 2023
Valentine Sports Park
Macarthur Rams: 1. S. Khamis, 3. McComasky, 10. Caceres (19. Sloan), 14. Sunaga (9. Khamis), 17. Breier (20. Duggan), 22. Huynh, 25. Malone, 26. Barton (8. Dipple), 32. Gordon, 35. Hay, 44. Brown.
Substitutes Not Used: 21. Clarke, 28. M. Malone.
NWS Spirit FC: 21. Nemoto, 2. Perrins, 3. Pridmore, 7. K. Buchanan, 12. Tavares, 13. Roberts, 15. Thomas (8. Schembri), 16. E. Buchanan, 18. Casha, 32. Halmarick, 97. Sullivan (23. Holder).
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Offer, 5. Martin, 45. Osborn, 98. Fazzari.