PS4 NPL NSW Women’s 2 Round 18 Review
The middle of the table remains extremely tight after round 18, while Marconi and Southern Branch continued to flex their muscles at the top of the ladder.
Marconi racked up another victory against the Northern Tigers, while Southern Branch made light work of UNSW, and Sutherland pulled off a massive win against Olympic to now sit third.
The match of the round saw Nepean host the Inter Lions in what proved to be a tough, physical encounter for both sides.
Match of the round:
Nepean FC v Inter Lions SC, 3pm Sunday 26th July at Cook Park
Nepean and Inter Lions shared the points in a hard fought but scrappy 1-1 draw at Cook Park.
Nepean came into the game having played zero football over the previous two rounds, and they showed some of that rustiness throughout the match.
Both sides rely heavily on their industrious midfielders to win possession and start attacks, and so it was for much of the early going.
Inter had the best of the match early on, forcing Nepean defender Hollie Wilson into a last ditch goal line clearance after 10 minutes, before more desperate defending from Desiree Vassallo was required to keep scores level.
Nepean again cleared off the line through Jessica Elliott as Inter continued to find their way into the box and cause trouble for the home side.
All the chances for Nepean were coming from distance, and a little more composure was needed if they were going to make any of their chances count on the scoreboard.
Inter’s chances meanwhile were all coming further forward as lynchpin Maria Kalogeropoulos was able to continually find space to set Inter’s attacks in motion. Everything went through her, and Nepean was struggling to contain her creativity for much of the first half.
Kalogeropoulos would have two headers in the match which she should have buried, as well as several open looks at goal from the edge of the box, but it wasn’t her day to get on the scoresheet.
Nepean was able to contain Inter striker Christina Ferreyra though, which allowed them to take the sting out of a number of the Inter attacking movements.
But for all their good work, a defensive mistake by Nepean is what brought about the game’s opening goal in the 42nd minute.
The ball was played over the top near the edge of the box and Nepean goalkeeper Bridget Brien’s call of “keeper’s” was slightly premature. As the ball bounced the backspin on the pass caused it to grip and hold up slightly, which gave Inter winger Erica Toscano enough time to chest the ball around Brien before she tapped home into an empty net.
Nepean were none too happy about what they believed to be a foul on Hollie Wilson in the build-up to the goal, but the referee waved their concerns away.
The second half was a much more tightly contested affair, with both teams giving absolutely nothing away and fighting for every ball.
Nepean was able to carve out some sustained pressure early on, and were virtually camped in the Inter half forcing successive corners and free kicks.
This pressure paid off in the 60th minute when Nepean levelled the scores through Lauren Connell. Some neat play down the right saw Alix Waddell played in behind the defence where she calmly cut the ball back for Connell who swept the ball home to beat Lions goalkeeper Natasha Pentecost at her near post.
After the equaliser the game began to get a bit tempestuous, with both teams flying into challenges that drew the ire of the referee on several occasions.
The best chance for a winner fell to Waddell in the 73rd minute. Pentecost raced off her line to block a one-on-one, and the rebound fell straight to Waddell, but with the goal wide open her shot skewed off the outside of her boot and rolled harmlessly wide.
Both sides continue to fight hard for the winning goal, but the midfields cancelled each other out in the last 15 minutes, and neither side was able to force a great chance to steal all 3 points.
A fairly scrappy game at times, but it was always a very willing encounter. Both sides will feel a little hard done by that they couldn’t come away from the match with the victory in the end, but all things considered it was a fair result for both teams that neither improves, nor diminishes their chances at finals football this season.
Sutherland Shire FA v Sydney Olympic FC, 3pm Sunday 26th July at Harrie Denning Centre
2 goals from Verity Quartermain were enough to see Sutherland pull off a huge victory over Sydney Olympic. The win sees Sutherland leapfrog Olympic into 3rd spot on the ladder (although Olympic do have a game in hand) and more importantly means that Sutherland should sew up a finals place. With the Tigers, Inter, and Nepean breathing down their neck Olympic will need to find form in the next few weeks to extend their season past round 21. Their match against Marconi next weekend is shaping up to have a huge impact on the end of season standings, but Olympic may be quietly confident after their draw in their last hit out with the Stallions.
Marconi Stallions FC v Northern Tigers FC, 3pm Sunday 26th July at Marconi Stadium
The Stallions enjoyed their first home match since wrapping up the premiership with a comfortable 3-0 victory over the Northern Tigers. Marconi continue to topple all who dare oppose them this season, and here they once again showed that they just seem to know how to get the job done. While the Tigers will be disappointed, a win against the Stallions was always going to be a bonus, and they’ve shown they have the capabilities to beat the teams around them. A big performance next week and they’ll be putting a tonne of pressure on the sides above them for the run home.
Southern Branch FC v UNSW Lions, 3pm Sunday 26th July at South Nowra Football
Southern branch have continued their hot run of form with a 4-0 romp over the UNSW Lions. Samara Wehmeyer was again on the scoresheet, helping herself to two goals as Southern Branch took a 3-0 lead into halftime. The side from Nowra are clearly the second best side over the course of the season (arguably the best side at this moment in time) and are charging towards the finals. The season can’t end quickly enough for UNSW, who have been valiant for the majority, but are just starting to really fall away from the rest of the competition.
Reserve Grade:
Nepean comfortably defeated Inter 2-0 at Cook Park, Sutherland and Sydney Olympic shared the points in a 0-0 draw in the Shire, top of the table Marconi defeated the Northern Tigers 2-1, and last placed Southern Branch suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the UNSW Lions.
By Eamonn Warner, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s 2 Reporter
