Women?s Super League Round 7 Review

With three out of five games ending without a winner it was a closely fought week of Super League football.
Feature Match of the Week: St George FC vs Northern Tigers
Northern Tigers have recorded their first win of the season with a comprehensive victory over St George at St George Stadium.
In a crucial match for both sides the Tigers made the most of some tired St George legs to find the back of the net five times and force their way into seventh spot on the ladder. It was St George’s fifth consecutive defeat and leaves them rooted in last place with a third of the season played.
While St George never looked to be completely in the contest, they did open the scoring in 23rd minute through Melissa Toumbelekis, who finished off some fine individual work in the box with a thunderbolt strike into the roof of the net.
The Tigers were doing everything right but a final pass was lacking. The pressure finally told in the 33rd minute when Gabby Del Pozzo got in behind the defence before rounding the keeper and finishing into an empty net.
Buoyed, the Tigers grabbed a second almost immediately when Georgia Eastoe latched on to a rather innocuous through ball and finished over the keeper. 
St George heads went down, as did their chances of victory, when Maree Van der Weilen finished off a beautiful team goal with a curling finish on the stroke of half time.
Aside from the livewire Toumbelekis, St George looked a side short on confidence and ideas.  Too often they turned over possession in dangerous areas and struggled for any kind of direction in attack.
The second half seemed a mere formality, with Van der Weilen getting her second from the penalty spot and Eastoe slamming home a triumphant fifth to kickstart the Tigers’ season.
The Tigers were good value for the win, using possession well with some smart transition play and attacking potency on the flanks. Del Pozzo in particular caused all kinds of problems for the St George defence in the first half with a series of pinpoint crosses from wide areas.
St George coach Ross Gardner was insistent that his teams chances were hindered by the extended break.
“I knew it was going to be a struggle. You can’t not play for three weeks and still go out there and play fluidly,” he said.
“We’ve basically got to start our season again, it was terrible.”
“I didn’t quite expect to be this far behind at this point in time – we’re struggling at the moment.”
St George FC 1 [Toumbelekis]
Northern Tigers 5 [Del Pozzo, Eastoe (2), Van der Weilen (2)]
at St George Stadium
Gladesville Ravens and Eastern UNSW Lions have played out a scoreless draw in their top of the table clash, opening the door for APIA to take top spot, albeit with both sides having played one less game.
With both sides in good goalscoring form this was expected to be an end to end affair but neither could find the back of the net. The result leaves the two sides undefeated and locked together in second place on 13 points.
Eastern UNSW Lions 0
Gladesville Ravens 0
at Magdala Park
Northbridge have continued their spell of good form with a closely fought 2-1 win over Springwood United.
Goals from Lewis and Joachim cancelled out Doyle’s lone goal for Springwood and catapulted Northbridge into sixth spot. While they sit equal on points with Olympic they have played three more games and will need to keep on winning if they are to shake things up come finals time.
Northbridge 2 [Lewis, Joachim]
Springwood United 1 [Doyle]
at Summerhayes Park
Sydney Olympic battled back from two goals down to snatch a draw with Nepean FC at Blick Oval.
A couple of early Nepean goals, including a penalty, had Olympic on the back foot before goals from Effie Rodopoulos and Kate Halaska brought them level. The draw will benefit neither side with Lady Hawks still occupying that coveted fourth spot.
Sydney Olympic 2
Nepean FC 2
at Blick Oval
In the Saturday kickoff, APIA Leichardt put last weeks defeat behind them with a 3-0 win over Parramatta Lady Hawks at Melita Stadium.
Lady Hawks will feel aggrieved after creating plenty of chances and dominating the game for large periods, but APIA proved too clinical on the night with goals to Aysha Adalis, Freya Hickey and Lisa Mitchell.
APIA Leichardt Tigers 3 [Adalis, Hickey, Mitchell]
Parramatta Lady Hawks 0
at Melita Stadium
-By Ryan Cropp