ROUND 12 REVIEW – NPL NSW WOMEN’S

A new round, a new leader as Sydney Olympic race to the front of the pack of the NPL NSW Women’s competition. 

Manly United has started put in a dominant performance while the Illawarra Stingrays are starting to put a run together.

APIA are slowly becoming the draw specialists, while the Rams and Koalas also shared the spoils.

Sydney Uni also secured a massive three points against a top five rival.

Sydney University 2-0 Blacktown Spartans 

Sydney University faced a tough task against the in form Blacktown Spartans at Arlington Oval.

But two first goals were enough for the Students to register an important three points.

The points were made all the more important after Uni was defeated mid-week against Sydney Olympic.

Uni hit the front just after 10 minutes on the clock.

Sarah Morgan fed in Uni top scorer Kaitlyn Torpey who easily played the ball beyond the goal keeper.

Just before the half hour mark the home side doubled their advantage.

Bianca Galic picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area before scoring a spectacular goal on the half volley into the top corner.

The win moved Uni ahead of the Spartans and into the top five while Blacktown dropped to eighth place.

Bankstown City 1-4 Manly United 

Bankstown needed to bounce back on Sunday against Manly United at Jensen Park but the visitor’s wouldn’t have it.

After a tight first half, Manly steam rolled the Lions in the second half.

It took Manly 60-seconds to hit the front.

An Elizabeth Copus-Brown corner wasn’t dealt with as Emily Minnett volleyed the ball home.

With half time approaching, Bankstown drew level.

Georgia Plessas picked up the ball on the edge of the area, let fly, as her shot deflected off a Manly defender before looping in over Whitton.

You wouldn’t believe it if someone told you but it took 60-seconds again for Manly to go back in front in the second half.

A free kick was headed back by Remy Siemsen as Tara Andrews volleyed her effort into the back of the net.

It was 3-1 10 minutes later as Remy Siemsen scored one of the goals of the season with a piledriver from distance.

The points were safe shortly after as Tara Andrews picked up her second, tapping home her own saved effort.

Macarthur Rams 0-0 NWS Koalas 

At Lynwood Park, Macarthur was desperate to find their way back to the top of the league as the NWS Koalas visited.

When the two met earlier in the campaign, it was the Rams that came away with a dominant 3-0 victory.

It was a different story this time though on Sunday afternoon.

Patty Charalambous had a fine opportunity to open the scoring after an excellent Leena Khamis run but couldn’t direct her shot on target.

Despite the Rams dominating the first 45 minutes, neither side could break the deadlock.

It was more even in the second half but the same scenario with the full time score remaining at 0-0.

Northern Tigers 1-1 APIA Leichhardt  

It was an interesting clash at North Turramurra between the Northern Tigers and APIA Leichhardt.

As the rain continuously fell, it was a fine tactical battle between two sides fighting for the Premiership.

It would be the visitor’s that would hit the front though mid-way through the first half.

Youngster Claudia Chicco took advantage of a ball in the box before blasting home to give APIA a lead they’d take into the break.

Just as APIA looked set to claim all three points, the home team struck.

A ball to the far post saw Hannah McNulty pop up and volley into the goal to give Jason Eagar’s side a valuable point.

Emerging Jets 1-5 Illawarra Stingrays 

The Illawarra Stingrays travelled north on Sunday in search of all three points against the Emerging Jets.

It took the visitors until first half stoppage time to hit the front with Kaelah Austin scoring a thunderbolt after the Jets failed to clear the ball.

In the second half, Michelle Carney showed all her experience to double the Stingrays advantage.

Sheridan Gallagher then extended the Stingrays advantage, scoring at the near post to make it three.

Not long after Austin had her second and the Rays fourth as she stuck a foot in to poke the ball home.

The Jets had one back through Milan Hammond who powered a header into the back of the net.

Late on Talitha Kramer rounded off the scoring with a goal of her own to make it 5-1.

Sydney Olympic 5-0 Football NSW Institute 

The new league leaders, Sydney Olympic, knew that a victory would push them further in front of the chasers against the Football NSW Institute.

You would’ve expected them to learn a lesson from the last time they met with the Institute and they certainly did, coming away with a 5-0 victory at Belmore Sports Ground.

They needed to get off to a fast start and did exactly that, going into half time three goals to the good.

The Institute, who had 11 players attend a Junior Matildas Camp this week, couldn’t respond and they were visibly tired.

Two more goals in the second half to the home team were enough for George Beltsos’ team to run away with a dominant victory and grab some revenge for the defeat they suffered last time the two met.

Five different scorers for Olympic on the day as Kiara De Domizio, Teigan Collister, Aimee Phillips, Alexia Karrys-Stahl and Sarah Yatim all found the back of the net.

It seems Olympic are hitting their stride at the right time and now look favourites to secure the Premiership with 10 games to go.

BY: NIKOLA POZDER, CHIEF NPL NSW WOMEN’S WRITER 

ROUND 16 REVIEW – NPL 3 NSW MEN’S

A rainy weekend did not dampen the action with all six highly entertaining fixtures going ahead in round 16 of the National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s competition

Late drama ensued at Pluim Park as Central Coast shared the points with Bankstown City; Bankstown United’s four match winning streak was unravelled by Inter Lions; Dully were as ruthless as ever as they made light work of Inner West Hawks while Rydalmere, Berries and Dunbar all picked up vital victories.

Central Coast United – Bankstown City FC 2-2

Late drama in this fixture at Pluim Park saw the hosts rescue a point against their opponents as they kept their place in the top six.

All four goals in this encounter arrived in the second half with the visitors the first to get on the scoresheet. Nikola Todoroski was the man for Bankstown after he headed home from close range after the restart.

A rattled Central Coast then saw themselves concede again just over a minute later thanks to Tai Smith who was teed up by Todoroski’s cross.

The home side’s luck soon changed with Mason Wells giving them a route back into the match when he pounced on a goalmouth scramble.

The men from Pluim Park were not done there as they crashed Bankstown’s party with the last kick of the game when Josh Swadling scored from the corner.

The Pirates’ attacker calmly chested he ball before burying the ball with his right foot.

A point each is enough for both sides to retain their respective positions on the ladder with Bankstown in second and Central Coast in sixth.

Bankstown can now look forward to a home tie with Macarthur while Central Coast welcome Bankstown United to Pluim Park.

Bankstown United FC – Inter Lions FC 1-2

Bankstown’s four match winning run came crashing down at Jensen Park on Saturday night after they were outdone by the odd goal in three against Inter Lions.

United were brimming with confidence from the outset and looked to be on path for their fifth straight victory when Mitch Edmunds gave his side the lead on the 20th minute mark.

It was now Blake Tuxford’s time to prove his worth, with the United shot stopper forced into action on numerous occasions. His heroics saw him keep out an Inter spot kick on the half hour mark but he could not prevent Inter from eventually drawing level before the break thanks to Alex Beccera’s effort.

Second half proceedings saw the away side throw everything they could at United and they were eventually rewarded for their fine work when Nico Paras’ delectable strike rifled into the back of the net.

The score remained that way until the full time whistle but that did not mean it was smooth sailing for Inter who managed to withstand a barrage of Bankstown attacks in the latter stages of the half.

The win sees Inter go equal on points with sixth placed Central Coast with only goal difference seeing them remain in seventh. Next up for them is a visit to Dunbar.

Scott Belgre’s men will be hoping that this defeat will be just a minor blip as they head up the M1 to meet the Pirates.

Dulwich Hill FC – Inner West Hawks FC 5-0

The Arlington derby finished in a clean sweep for Dulwich Hill who were able to put five past their rivals in a dominant display on a rainy Saturday night.

Dully broke ahead through Josh Da Silva when his shot from the edge of the box nestled into the bottom right corner 10 minutes in.

They took that 1-0 lead into the break before Harry Browell put on a show with a lightning quick hat-trick to give his side a 4-0 lead by the hour mark. Jono Green and Alex Nicolosi were on hand to provide the assists for his first two before it was all Browell who tied up his hat-trick in expert fashion.

Hawks did have a golden ticket to place themselves back in contention however they failed to make the most of it, with Chris Marques denying Peter Yannopoulos from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.

The home side then proceeded to compound more pain on their rivals when Dylan Larmour scored his first senior goal with a perfectly timed volley after being picked out by Peter Zaninetti-Taplin.

The one-sided affair could do wonders for Dully as we approach the business end of the season. They stay in third position however they have closed the gap between themselves and Bankstown City to one point.

Coming up for them is a short trip to Christie Park to face off against Magic next Sunday while Hawks may need a miracle as they welcome league leaders Rydalmere to Arlington Oval.

Macarthur Rams FC – Rydalmere Lions FC 1-2

It was Rydalmere who came out on top at Lynwood Park with 2-1 the full-time score in the round 16 clash.

The visitors drew first blood in this contest courtesy of Matt West’s strike on 20 minutes after he was set up nicely by Ali Mckie.

However, the Lions were not dominating the affair and it was not long before the home side were able to peg one back via the penalty spot with the original spot kick parried before the follow up made its way into the back of the net.

A business like performance from Rydalmere in the second half saw them do just enough to escape Macarthur with all three points. The deciding goal arriving from a corner which was deflected into the goal by a Rams player.

The three points extends Rydalmere’s lead to four points at the top of the table as they prepare for another away fixture – this time at Inner West Hawks.

Meanwhile, Macarthur will be pushed to their limits as they hit the road to face off against Bankstown City.

Gladesville Ryde Magic – Canterbury Bankstown FC 2-5

Canterbury Bankstown posted a 5-2 win against Gladesville Ryde Magic in testing conditions at Christie Park on Sunday afternoon.

They had to come from behind to get the job done with the hosts breaking the deadlock courtesy of Harris Gaitatzis who was first to the parried free kick in the opening stages of the match.

A superb free kick by Chris Katsaros saw Berries draw level before a cross from Stelio Georgiou lobbed Magic’s shot stopper and nestled into the net to give his side a 2-1 lead as they headed to the sheds.

Wally Savor’s side continued where they left off after the break with Andre Guzman adding a third to his side’s cause prior to a Brent Flavin header putting them 4-1 up around the 55th minute.

Around 10 minutes later, they proceeded to kill of any hopes of a Magic comeback as Abdul Zahra made no mistake in his one on one with Magic’s custodian.

However, slight reprieve did come the home side’s way as they scored their second of the evening via Chris Gaitatzis.

The three points sees Berries remain in 11th however they are also on 15 points like the team above them, Dunbar.

They can look forward to a crucial game against ninth placed Uni next weekend while fifth placed Gladesville take on Dully.

Sydney University SFC – Dunbar Rovers FC 3-5

It was raining in all senses of the word at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday afternoon as Dunbar Rovers saw of Sydney Uni in an eight-goal thriller.

Scott Tonkin was on hand to provide the first goal of the contest with his strike on 10 minutes however his side’s lead was short lived with Dunbar replying via Amar Adilovic around the 30th minute mark.

Uni, namely Grant Burbage continued to be a menace for Dunbar’s defence and it did not take long until they were able to restore their lead through a Peter Crevani free kick that was won by Burbage.

A Tod Bamber penalty saw Dunbar once again peg back the scoring shortly after the restart before you guessed it – Uni went ahead again. This time Burbage provided the assist for Tonkin who made no mistake from close range.

What happened after that goal was pure mayhem for one side and pure bliss for the other. Just when it seemed that the home side had the game dead and buried, Dunbar turned it on as they scored three goals without reply in the space of 15 minutes.

A Matt Nezval brace sandwiched in between a Reece Berelowitz goal handed Dunbar what turned out to be quite a convincing win.

Their first win in three attempts sees them keep hold of tenth as they gear up for a home fixture with Inter while Sydney Uni will need to be at their best to ward off Berries next Sunday.

-By NPL 3 NSW Men’s Chief Writer Samuel Greco Schwartz (Twitter handle: @SamuelGS97)

ROUND 11 REVIEW – NPL NSW WOMEN’S

It’s taken 11 rounds in the NPL NSW Women’s competition but we have a different league leader with the Macarthur Rams surrendering first place. 

Sydney Uni and Sydney Olympic set up their mid-week fixture to be a blockbuster with wins on Sunday while Blacktown continued their solid form.

APIA also snapped their three-match losing streak with a last-gasp win.

While it’s the Northern Tigers who sit atop the competition ladder with one game remaining in the first half of the season after their victory.

Bankstown City 0-4 Sydney University 

Bankstown City were hoping to make it three wins on the bounce on Sunday afternoon at Jensen Park but it wasn’t to be against Sydney University.

Bianca Galic got the party started before Kaitlyn Torpey picked up a brace and Demi Koulizakis rounded off the scoring.

From start to finish, it was a dominant Uni victory and never looked in serious trouble against the hosts.

It would be the home team with the first chance early on, the inform Olivia Price crossing for Isabella DI Sipio who headed over from point blank range.

The away side went close next with their high press bearing fruit, forcing Liana Danaskos to cough up possession as Torpey fired toward goal, only for Annalee Grove to save well.

Again Bankstown was an aerial threat, this time Maryam Mostaghimi at the far post couldn’t direct her effort on target.

Uni had the lead from their next chance.

Galic had a free kick from the corner of the box. With everyone expecting a cross, including the Bankstown custodian, Galic surprised all with her effort at the near post coming off the woodwork and into the goal.

That’s where the chances lined up for Uni.

First Rachel Lowe let fly from outside of the box, her shot smashing against the bar. Next Laura Hughes hit the upright before Maxine Peak did the same.

It wasn’t to be though and the Students went into half time one-goal to the good.

Emily Husband wanted her side to finish the match off as early as possible but the Lions had other ideas, coming out more aggressive for the second 45.

But five minutes in and Uni should’ve doubled their lead.

First Torpey had her shot blocked before Peak picked up the loose ball and fired it across goal for Torpey, only for the striker to completely miss the target from a yard out, reminiscent of her miss a couple weeks ago against APIA.

And when you thought she couldn’t do it again, she did.

This time some fine skill by substitute Koulizakis and a neat cross into the middle of the six-yard box had Torpey stretching and again shoot high and over the goal.

Torpey would have her goal shortly after, sticking a foot in front of Grove before rounding her and placing the ball into an empty goal.

The striker grew in confidence following that goal and had her second 10 minutes later.

A fine cross from the right was begging to be attacked and that’s exactly what Torpey did with a perfect header into the bottom corner.

The scoring was completed in stoppage time when the away side were awarded a spot kick.

Koulizakis, who was fouled, stepped up and sent her powerful effort into the bottom left corner.

It was a fine performance from the premiers, holding a masterclass with some fine pressing, ball possession and most importantly, goal-scoring.

Blacktown Spartans 2-0 Emerging Jets 

The Blacktown Spartans knew that to get closer to the top five, they needed to be the Emerging Jets and that’s exactly what they did.

Two first half goals were enough for the Spartans to secure all three points.

The first coming with a spectacular team move as Emily Kos whipped a perfect ball in for Ash Crofts who scored her second goal in as many weeks.

Just before half time the Spartans had their second, Leticia McKenna with a fabulous corner found Ash Calvar at the far post and she powered a header into goal.

The win puts Attard’s team only a point outside the five now.

Football NSW Institute 0-1 Northern Tigers 

A massive match took place at Valentine Sports Park as the Northern Tigers travelled to take on the Football NSW Institute.

It’d be the away team that would take all three points with an odd-goal victory,

That goal came in the first half courtesy of inform Shadeene Evans from the spot.

Evans was brought down in the box, dusted herself off and rolled the ball into the bottom corner giving Franco no chance.

The victory pushed Jason Eagar’s side to the top of the competition ladder at the turn of the halfway point.

Manly United 0-1 Illawarra Stingrays 

In one of the shocks of the round, the Illawarra Stingrays came away with all the points against Manly United at Cromer Park.

Struggling with form in recent times, a first half goal was enough for the Stingrays.

That sole goal came as early as the fifth minute through who else but Michelle Carney.

Carney’s free kick from the edge of the area took a deflection and sent the keeper the opposite direction as the ball bounced over the line.

The win keeps the Stingrays hopes of finals football alive while for Manly, well they are in serious trouble and will need to turn the form around soon.

NWS Koalas 2-3 APIA Leichhardt 

Two teams desperate for victories met on Sunday night at Christie Park and it was the away team, APIA Leichhardt, who took the spoils in a five-goal thriller against the North West Sydney Koalas.

Just after the halfway mark of the first half APIA had the perfect chance to hit the front courtesy of a penalty.

Pollicina was bundled over in the box and Georgia Yeoman-Dale stepped up to take the set piece.

Katie Offer saved the penalty and then the follow up from Claudia Cicco, before Cicco squared the ball up for Zoe Halpin who tapped home.

10 minutes from half time the lead was doubled in some style.

It was APIA’s midfield magician Rhianna Pollicina who picked the ball up outside the box and with her back to goal, turned and let fly with a bullet over Offer.

The Koalas responded after the break and Adam Keramea’s side had one back eight minutes into the second half.

Sophie Harding went on a fantastic run through a barrage of APIA players before setting up Tahlia Macri who finished well on the left.

Only minutes later and the comeback was complete.

Nat Tobin this time letting fly from outside the box, her shot coming off the bar before crossing the line, 2-2.

With both teams pushing hard for the winner, it would be APIA who found it in the dying minutes of the game.

Grace Maher whipped in a tasing ball into the box, allowing Julia De Angelis to get onto the end of it to tap home and give Spencer Prior’s team all three points.

Macarthur Rams 0-1 Sydney Olympic 

The league leaders Macarthur Rams hosted Sydney Olympic at Lynwood Park in the final match of round 11.

It was the away side that came away with the victory, a sole goal enough for all three points.

Neither side was able to break the deadlock in the opening 45 minutes, going into the sheds locked at 0-0.

It took until the 86th minute for Olympic to break the stalemate, although it really was the home side that gifted them the goal.

It all started with an unexplainable pass straight into the feet of Sarah Yatim who then crossed across goal, only for Hayley Taylor-Young to volley into her own goal.

And it was enough for Olympic to hold on and register a massive win to push them into fourth place on the ladder with a game in hand and opportunity to move into first place should they win it.

BY: NIKOLA POZDER, CHIEF NPL NSW WOMEN’S WRITER