PS4 NPL NSW Women’s 2 Round 6 Review
Round 6 of the PS4 NPL NSW Womens 2 competition was again affected by wet weather, with only two games going ahead after late switches of venues.
In FNSW’s game of the round, both Sutherland Shire and UNSW Lions looked for their second win of the season.
After a difficult start to the season, Sutherland Shire have made it two wins in two games, defeating UNSW Lions 2-0 and leap-frogging into second position on the ladder. In a game with relatively few scoring chances, goals from Rochelle Borromeo and Shannon Peters proved to be the difference.
Confident off the back of a 5-1 win over Inter Lions last week, Sutherland began the match brightly, immediately establishing control of possession and pinning their opponents back in their own half. Despite having the slight edge over their opponents, Sutherland found it difficult to go that one step further, with a tame Borromeo shot from difference the best they could muster in the opening 10 minutes of the match.
Soon, as the two formations cancelled each other out, UNSW were able to regain a foothold in the match and nearly took the lead in the 15th minute. After a quick throw from the right, UNSW forward Emma Searle was able to run into the box to receive the ball on the wrong side of her opponents and quickly shot, dragging her shot across the face of goal.
But that scare, after controlling the opening stages, proved to be the impetus needed for Sutherland to lift their game and after winning a free kick in their own half in the 18th minute, centre back Kellie Mutch passed quickly into the feet of striker Verity Quartermain. Quartermain was able to hold the ball up and lay it off to the feet of forward facing midfielder Morgan Maxwell, who had found space clear of her direct opponent in midfield, and Maxwell quickly played a killer pass in behind to Borromeo. After the goalkeeper saved her initial effort through 1-on-1, Borromeo was able to re-compose herself to tuck home the loose ball and give Sutherland a first half lead.
Sutherland nearly made it a two goal lead immediately from the kick off after regaining possession and releasing fullback Genevieve Nisbet into a crossing position. The high, loopy cross forced UNSW goalkeeper Danielle Bartels to tip the ball away from the far corner and opposite winger Kate Dale was unable to tap in the rebound.
Yet after going behind, UNSW rallied to equalise before half time but a series of dangerous low crosses were cut out by centre back Mutch and goalkeeper Brianna Griffin.
Chances in the second half dried up even further for both sides, but by dominating possession, Sutherland were able to look in control with a one goal lead and came close in the 75th minute when Borromeo was again played through on goal. This time Bartels was quick off her line to anticipate the danger and slid out to the edge of her box to smother the toe-poked effort.
Sutherland continued to push for a second goal and Peters was nearly rewarded after blocking a rushed clearance five minutes later and running through on goal from the left wing. Into a goal scoring position, Peters screwed her left foot shot past the far post but made no mistake when, directly from the resulting goal kick, an identical opportunity presented itself. This time, after winning back possession and charging through UNSW’s back line, Peters’ shot was calmly passed into the side netting of the far post to seal all three points for Sutherland Shire.
For UNSW Lions, the loss proved costly as they fell back to the foot of the ladder after Nepean FC won a midweek catch up game move into seventh spot.
In Reserve Grade, Sutherland Shire consolidated a top four position, defeating UNSW Lions 1-0 to open up a four point lead over fifth spot. In the other game of the round, Inter Lions defeated Marconi Stallions 2-0 in a top of the table clash to move into first spot.
–By Kate Cohen, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s 2 Reporter
