Women?s Premier League Round 19 Review

It was also the day for a surprise or two on the team sheets with Macarthur Rams trotting out Leena Khamis to add even more potency to their already imposing line up. Fans will be salivating at the thought of what the finals series will offer with so many international and A League stars on show.
At Concord Oval the Inter Lions disappointing season took an even bigger nosedive with a 9-0 thrashing at the hands of the Illawarra Stingrays.
The Stingrays were in front after 4 minutes when Talitha Kramer scored. This was a great reward for a talented young player who has fought back from a long term injury to make a return to football. Caitlin Cooper made it 2-0 in the 11^th minute before Kramer was on the spot again to snare her brace two minutes later. Jess Cooper followed her sister onto the scoresheet in the 19^th minute to make it 4-0 to the visitors.
Inter had a 21 minute respite from the torrent of goals but in the 40^th minute Matthews scored to make it 5-0, which was the half time score.
Three minutes into the second half another of Illawarra?s young guns, Ann Mayo, scored her team?s sixth goal; adding a second goal 4 minutes later to extend the lead to 7-0.
Blake Miller then became the third Stingrays player to score a brace with goals in the 56^th and 83^rd minutes.
This was the ruthless Illawarra Stingrays we?d become used to in the last four seasons as they carved out a most impressive victory.
The Lions had no answers today, taking their worst battering since their promotion to the Premier League. The 2012 season can?t finish quickly enough for the girls from Concord.
INTER LIONS 0
ILLAWARRA STINGRAYS 9 (T.Kramer 4/13m, C.Cooper 11m, J.Cooper 19m, E.Matthews 40m, A.Mayo 48/52m, B.Miller 56/83m)
A first half hat trick from Tiarn Powell was the catalyst for Manly United FC?s comfortable win over Blacktown Spartans at Cromer Park.
Powell scored in the 21^st, 31^st and 38^th minutes to give her side a 3-0 lead at half time. Kristie Crawford made it 4-0 to the home side in the 56^th minute before Harley Johnston?s goal four minutes from time saw Manly run out 5-0 winners.
Blacktown were no match for the Manly girls who kept their top five position solid with a strong win.
MANLY UNITED FC 5 (T.Powell 21/31/38m, K.Crawford 56m, H.Johnston 86m)
BLACKTOWN SPARTANS 0
The clash between Marconi Stallions and Central Coast Mariners Academy at Marconi Stadium proved to be a hard fought affair.
The two teams didn?t give an inch through a scoreless first half. When youthful Marconi striker Helen Petinos found the back of the net in the 67^th minute it looked as if this may be enough to see her side take the points.
However, Central Coast have proven themselves quite resilient this season and obviously weren?t going to take the setback lying down. Within three minutes they had found an equaliser, albeit from a Marconi own goal.
The two sides spent the final 20 minutes attempting to find a winner but it wasn?t to be as the match finished a 1-1 draw.
This was an entertaining match between two determined sides. A draw was a fitting result in that both sides deserved something from this tight tussle.
MARCONI STALLIONS 1 (H.Petinos 67m)
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS ACADEMY (Own Goal 70m)
At picturesque Northbridge Oval the Northbridge FC girls couldn?t match the visiting Macarthur Rams side. However, the Northbridge girls did come away with one little achievement; they managed to score a goal against the premiership front runners.
The Northbridge side would not have grown in confidence pre match from sighting the name ?L.Khamis? on the Macarthur side of the team sheet. Khamis didn?t waste any time showing the crowd why she?s a Matildas star and playing club football in Europe with her first goal in the 19^th minute.
Renee Cartwright scored Macarthur?s second goal in the 27^th minute with Stephanie Haim adding a third three minutes later.
At this point Northbridge dived in for their moment of glory with an excited Tiffany Patterson making it 3-1 with her goal in the 37^th minute.
Macarthur replied with goals either side of half time; Elisha Williams scoring in the final moments of the first half before Khamis added her second goal on debut in the 46^th minute.
Brooke Starrett made it 6-1 in the 48^th minute at which point Macarthur seemed to clock off for the afternoon. No matter, the job was done and Macarthur were to find themselves atop the competition table on their own by day?s end.
Northbridge must have felt like they were playing The Matildas when they saw the faces on the other side of the half way mark at kick off. They gave it their best but were simply outclassed by a very talented football team.
Macarthur going marching on, having now added another big gun to their arsenal. They will be hard to beat for the title this season.
NORTHBRIDGE FC 1 (T.Patterson 37m)
MACARTHUR RAMS 6 (L.Khamis 19/46m, R.Cartwright 27m, S.Haim 30m, E.Williams 45m, B.Starrett 48m)
ELS Hall Park saw a pulsating match up with the NWS Koalas going to war with the high flying Sydney University side.
The first half was nip and tuck with neither side able to take an advantage on the scoreboard. The Koalas were able to harness University?s target players but couldn?t quite break the shackles themselves.
The second half changed that scenario with Emma Stewart breaking the deadlock in the 52^nd minute to put The Koalas in front.  University went hunting for the equaliser but were finding it tough to grasp their opportunities.
In the 83^rd minute Koalas hearts took a double beat as Katarina Kraft found the back of the net to give her side a 2-0 advantage. That was enough to seal the three points for the home side; another strong performance from last season?s Grand Finalists.
Sydney University will be concerned with their faltering results of the last fortnight. From looking invincible a few weeks back the University girls now look much more vulnerable. However, if any side can bounce back, University can.
The Koalas continue to show why they can never, ever be underestimated. Anything is possible from here for Gerry Gomez?s team.
NWS KOALAS 2 (E.Stewart 52m, K.Kraft 83m)
SYDNEY UNIVERSITY 0
Our final game for review was the match at Harrie Dening Centre between Sutherland Shire and Gladesville Ravens.
The first forty five minutes were hard fought with not one botoxed lip or false sun tan in sight. The Shire girls snatched the lead right on the half time whistle with Paloma Oliveira scoring a well taken goal.
Sutherland came out in a confident frame of mind after oranges but Gladesville?s Fatma Agar showed all of her usual flair when scoring The Ravens equaliser in the 55^th minute.
Six minutes later Gladesville were in front when Freya Hickey added to Agar?s goal; were The Ravens going to add to their midweek win over Inter Lions with another victory here?
Sutherland quickly gave the answer to that question with Elizabeth Grey making it 2-2 in the 67^th minute.
From there it was anyone?s game but neither side could land the killer blow as the final whistle saw the match end in a 2-2 draw.
Both sides put in a solid effort that was deserving of reward.  Gladesville found themselves sneaking a little further way from the wooden spoon position whilst Sutherland join Inter Lions and Blacktown on 15 competition points.
SUTHERLAND SHIRE 2 (P.Oliveira 45m, E.Grey 67m)
GLADESVILLE RAVENS 2 (F.Agar 55m, F.Hickey 61m)
See, I wasn?t kidding when I used those adjectives ?great? and ?dazzling?. There?s only three more rounds until the finals and the top sides are really starting to show their worth. The Koalas and Rams are gathering momentum nicely whilst Manly United FC and Illawarra Stingrays remind us of their capabilities with some solid efforts. Sydney University may have found some banana skins in the last two matches but they are far from a spent force.
Start planning your weekend around the Women?s Premier League Finals Series. You won?t want to miss a minute.
See you at the ground next weekend.
-By Ross Anderson