APIA Leichhardt crowned 2025 Sapphire Cup Champions
APIA Leichhardt have secured their second-ever Sapphire Cup trophy in just the third edition of the competition with a classy 3-0 win over the Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
It was a spectacular evening at Valentine Sports Park, with a buzzing crowd complimenting the entertaining game of football being played.
The Rangers, who sit atop the regular National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition, were eager to claim their first trophy of the year against a APIA side who currently undergoing a late-season resurgence in the league.
The tone of the match was set from the first minute, with Rangers captain and club top goalscorer Leena Khamis on the receiving end of a crunching challenge that left the Mt Druitt bench worried. However, the NPL Women’s legend was thankfully able to carry on.
Sophie Hoban had the first attempt of the match in the 5th minute, a speculative effort from range that swerved safely into the arms of Rangers goalkeeper Laura Tredinnick.
A looping cross delivered from deep on the right wing by Ella Buchanan was seized upon by Erin Leah Tavares in the box, however the Rangers attacker could not steer her chance toward goal in the 11th minute.
Charlotte Lancaster was proving to be an important figure for APIA early on, and put the Rangers under pressure in the 13th minute when her corner was missed by Tredinnick and urgently cleared by Khamis, who went down again due to collision. Remarkably, the veteran striker was able to battle on for her side.
Hoban had another chance in the 18th minute, this time arriving at the near post to head a corner wide of the post.
The Rangers would succumb to the early pressure from APIA in the 22nd minute when Tredinnick’s attempt to palm away a cross left the ball loose in a dangerous area in front of the goal line. Kaiya Buchanan then attempted to clear the ball but could not prevent Ashlie Crofts from producing an important poacher’s finish to give her side a deserved lead.
Soon after the opener, the lights went out at Valentine Sports Park in a moment that felt timely considering the occasion – perhaps an effort by the football gods to give the two sides a chance to regroup following a breakneck opening twenty minutes.
Following a delay, the match restarted to the sound of eager drums from the stand.
An imperious challenge from Keiko Tanaka in midfield opened up a counterattacking opportunity for the Rangers in the 41st minute, with Khamis setting up the run of a pacey Adelaide Wyrzynski, who was eager to get the ball in the box and fired across goal without a teammate to meet her pass.
APIA were quick to come away from a Rangers corner with a counterattack through Jordan Jasnos as the speedy winger launched her team forward and crossed into a dangerous area behind Tredinnick, however the goalkeeper was fortunate to have a defender available to clear the ball in the 45+4th minute.
Soon after, Khamis was in the books after knocking down an APIA defender whilst contesting for an aerial ball, securing the first yellow card of the match in the 45+5th minute.
The two sides had clearly warmed up again following the extended stoppage with the lights, with end-to-end football being played and leading to Sheiden Jabour putting a stop to a threatening APIA chance by shouldering Te Reremoana Walker off her foot and out of play. A yellow card was subsequently issued for Jabour in the 45+8th minute.
APIA were unfazed by their opposition’s formidable approach and yet again caused problems for the Rangers at a corner routine. A clearance of Lancaster’s delivery was well-impeded by a crashing header from an APIA attacker, leaving the Rangers in disarray and needing to clear again. However, this time the ball landed at the feet of Hoban, who saw the gap in between the sea of bodies in the box and issued a superb volley into the back of the net in the 45+10th minute.
As a result, the goal gave APIA a 2-0 lead heading into the half-time break.
A triple substitution at half-time saw Mt Druitt coach Benjamin Gough turn to Roukayah Al Fararjeh, Natalie Casha and Rosaria Galea to change the tone of the match.
Showing no signs of taking a backwards step, Leichhardt continued to put the pressure on the Rangers and almost had another in the 48th minute when Tredinnick steered a cross away toward Jasnos, who struck a strong half-volley that flew way off course above goal.
Frustration then got to substitute Galea, who secured a yellow card for herself barely four minutes after coming on courtesy of a rough challenge to win the ball back from Jasnos in the 49th minute. The resulting free-kick led to Reremoana Walker flicking on a header from the middle of box into the welcome arms of Tredinnick.
Khamis had a brilliant chance to pull a goal back for her side in the 50th minute when Galea’s free-kick from close to halfway was met by the No. 19, however she could only place her powerful header wide of the far post.
Crofts almost punished the Rangers a few minutes later when she rose highest at a corner but could not guide her header on target in the 52nd minute.
Galea was heavily-involved in the action after coming on and almost crept a corner in at the near post in the 57th minute when Alyssa Rose mistimed her clearance onto the post.
APIA’s third goal of the evening was a ruthless display of attacking speed, with Hoban winning the ball in midfield and bypassing a one-on-one challenge for the ball to setup Crofts for a strike that rattled the crossbar. The Rangers’ clearance then returned the ball to Crofts, who spotted the late arrival of Estelle Fragale into the box and put the ball on a platter for the No. 16 to calmly slot the ball in at the near post. 3-0 to APIA in the 61st minute.
The Rangers launched into an attack quickly after conceding, earning Casha her first chance at goal since coming on at half-time with a strike that Sophie Magus was able to latch onto easily in the 62nd minute.
Hoban and Crofts’ partnership nearly led to a hattrick for the APIA captain in the 64th minute, with Hoban slotting in the No. 11 for a low strike that Tredinnick was unable to keep a hold of, leading to a Rangers defender clearing the ball back to Hoban for a cross that bounced off of the side netting.
Hoban was proving to be unstoppable for the Rangers backline, with the creative dynamo recovering a Jasnos cross that Crofts was unable to meet and dragging a trailing defender into the box before pulling away for a low strike that Tredinnick collected well in the 65th minute.
A corner nearly allowed Buchanan in for a strike at the far post; however, Seaman was on hand to block the ball away in the 70th minute.
Casha was the next Rangers player to join her teammates in the books, earning a yellow card in the 73rd minute, which was immediately followed by a Mt Druitt assistant coach being carded on the bench.
Having spotted Magus with her attention elsewhere, Galea attempted an ambitious hit from range in the 77th minute that landed just wide of the post to the frustration of Khamis who was making a run through the APIA backline and into space.
The referee was quick to spot Seaman’s efforts to wind down the clock in the 78th minute, and duly awarded the defender a yellow card for it.
Having worked hard for her side all game, Khamis almost produced a moment of magic in the 83rd minute after holding off her defender on the edge of the box and turning inside, but was unable to beat a composed Magus from range.
Outstanding scrambling defence from a brave Mia Golding in the 84th minute prevented a certain one-on-one chance for Ena Harada and a follow-up from Khamis that unfortunately forced the APIA defender to ground, and ultimately off the pitch.
Despite Golding going off, APIA continued the desperate defending in her stead, with Magus taken out by Khamis whilst clearing the ball in the 88th minute.
Harada rocketed a first-time finish from range in the 90+4th minute but ultimately saw her strike rise just above the bar due to a slight deflection.
APIA would eventually secure their 3-0 victory and Sapphire Cup trophy a few minutes later as a reward for a brilliant performance across the ninety minutes.
The Player of the Match would ultimately be awarded to Jordan Jasnos for delivering an industrious performance from the word go.
Match Stats
APIA Leichhardt FC 3 (Ashlie Crofts 22’, Sophie Hoban 45+10’, Estelle Fragale 61’)
Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC 0
Thursday 17th July, 2025
Valentine Sports Park
Referee: Harriet Gee
Assistant Referees: Lara Hogan & Hannah Sheridan
Fourth Official: Casey Flemming
APIA Leichhardt FC: 1. Sophie Magus, 2. Claudia Cicco, 4. Jessica Seaman, 6. Te Reremoana Walker (8. Hannah McNulty 77’) 7. Charlotte Lancaster (34. Ashlee Brodigan 71’), 11. Ashlie Crofts (19. Imogen Lane 86’), 13. Jordan Jasnos, 14. Mia Golding (5. Teal Kilbride 86’), 16. Estelle Fragale, 18. Sophie Hoban, 38. Alyssa Rose
Substitutes Not Used: 24. Christina Kiceec, 30. Paige Cuthill
Yellow Cards: Jessica Seaman 78’
Red Cards: Nil
Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC: 1. Laura Tredinnick, 2. Holly Williams, 3. Kaiya Buchanan, 7. Sheiden Jabour (30. Roukayah Al Fararjeh 45’), 17. Olivia Sloan (10. Clare Holder), 18. Erin Leah Tavares, 19. Leena Khamis, 28. Keiko Tanaka (8. Natalie Casha 45’), 31. Ella Buchanan, 32. Ena Harada, 38. Adelaide Rosalinda Wyrzynski (15. Rosaria Galea 45’)
Substitutes Not Used: 23. Tiarne Flavin, 88. Renee Krstanovska
Yellow Cards: Leena Khamis 45+5’, Sheiden Jabour 45+8’, Rosaria Galea 49’, Natalie Casha 73’
Red Cards: Nil
Player of the Match: Jordan Jasnos
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Match Report by Matthew Badrov
