Preliminary Final Review – PS4 NPL NSW Women’s
The Macarthur Rams booked their place in the 2017 PlayStation4 National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s grand final after a convincing win over Sydney University.
The Rams will meet Manly United FC in the season decider next Sunday.
Preliminary Final
Manly United v Macarthur Rams
The Macarthur Rams secured another grand final spot and a showdown with Manly United next week after downing Sydney University at Lynwood Park.
Goals to Amy Harrison, Kylie Ledbrook, Rosaria Galea and substitute Khalia Muilwyk cancelled out Georgia Plessas’s brace.
Special mention must go to the Rams’s Shamiran Khamis who frustrated Uni from start to finish and left Heather Garriock’s team ruing missed opportunities.
One negative to come from this one for Norm Boardman’s side is that they’ll be without the influential Ledbrook for the decider.
After three minutes Georgia Yeoman-Dale broke through the Rams defence and went one on one with Shamiran Khamis.
She seemed odds on to score but Khamis stuck out a leg to save well.
Uni threatened again four minutes later, this time Yeoman-Dale was the provider, but Evelyn Chronis skyed her effort after a good cross.
Amy Harrison put Leena Khamis in on goal in the 14th minute.
The veteran striker rounded Georgia Boric before her effort was somehow kept out off the line.
On 17 minutes again Uni threatened, Julie-Ann Russel did well to beat her defender before crossing for Yeoman-Dale who couldn’t get her shot beyond Khamis.
It was the home side that hit the lead on 28 minutes.
Harrison was brought down on the edge of the area and stepped up to take the set piece.
The striker blasted her effort at goal, giving Boric no chance as she found the top corner.
In first half stoppage time Uni should’ve equalised.
Kendall Fletcher crossed in a delightful ball to find Chronis at the far post, the winger received the ball well and volleyed toward goal, only for Khamis to make another fantastic save.
Uni went looking for their equaliser right after the break and had their first chance in the 53rd minute.
Rachel Soutar’s corner found the head of Fletcher but the Uni centre back headed just wide of the goal.
Only three minutes later though and the Rams had the chance to double their lead after Harrison was brought down in the box.
Kylie Ledbrook stepped up to the spot, sent Boric the wrong way but her penalty crashed against the bar.
But Ledbrook redeemed herself almost immediately, picking up the ball well outside the area and finding the top left hand corner with a thunderous effort.
Rosaria Galea then made Macarthur’s finals spot safe in the 68th minute.
A sloppy give away by the Uni defence saw Galea pop up with the ball 25 metres out before cleverly placing the ball beyond Boric and into the back of the net.
On 73 minutes Uni had a lifeline.
Georgia Plessas had been on the pitch only a matter of seconds before popping up in the box after a Rams mix-up to place the ball into an empty net.
Only two minutes later and the Rams thwarted any come back with another goal.
Substitute Khalia Muilwyk latched onto a ball from Khamis before blasting her shot toward goal and beating Boric at her near post.
Ledbrook almost added another but Boric stuck out a strong hand to keep the ball out of the goal.
Plessas had another for Uni in the 87th minute after some great work by Stephanie Ambrose, before blasting her effort into the top of the net.
Uni kept believing and almost snatched another in the final minute of normal time after a fine effort from Nikki Flannery, only for Khamis to make another incredible one-handed save.
Match Stats
Macarthur Rams 4 (Harrison 28’. Ledbrook 58’, Galea 68’, Muilwyk 75’)
Sydney University 1 (Plessas 73’, 87’)
Lynwood Park
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Macarthur Rams: 1. S. Khamis, 2. Polias, 3. Walsh, 5. Ralston, 9. L. Khamis, 10. Ledbrook, 15. Galea, 19. Ralston, 21. Petratos, 23. Featherstone, 30. Harrison.
Substitutes: 13. Muilwyk, 32. Aitken, 37. Campbell, 41. Henley-Sadgrove, 57. Cameron.
Sydney University: 1. Boric, 2. Soutar, 5. King, 6. Danaskos, 7. Yeoman-Dale, 8. Chronis, 11. Ambrose,12. Russell, 14. Fletcher, 20. Wheeler, 40. Sayer.
Substitutes: 3. Guzman, 10. Caceres, 13. Plessas, 15. Flannery, 38. Gordon.
