It’s never easy in the NSW NPL competition, regardless of who you are. 2020 Premiers Sydney University and 2020 Champions Manly United were both defeated on the weekend, with those two sides currently sitting in the bottom half of the table – although we all know that the season is just getting started.
Western Sydney was the location for this week’s featured game as Blacktown Spartans hosted APIA Leichhardt.
Blacktown Spartans v APIA Leichhardt
Blacktown Spartans ended a five game winless run by defeating APIA Leichhardt 2-0 at Blacktown Football Park. Spartans captain Rosie Galea was the match winner – a second half double took her season tally to five goals and she is one of five players tied for the lead in the Golden Boot race.
The Spartans were looking to rebound from a disappointing result the previous Wednesday, where they led 2-1 in the second half before losing 3-2 to Sydney University. Brad Attard made one change to the starting lineup, selecting Leticia McKenna in place of Lily Bardsley, who dropped to the bench.
Meanwhile, APIA had to deal with a shorter turnaround time for this clash, although they did beat Northern Tigers 3-1 on Thursday night. Tamires Souza started up front for Spencer Prior’s side and would have been confident after scoring her first APIA goal against Northern Tigers.
Spartans started the match by pressing high up the pitch in an attempt to disrupt APIA’s passing game. The hosts had all of the early chances: a Kyra Cooney-Cross free kick flew over the bar on 12 minutes, followed soon afterwards by shots from Keisha Allen and Courtney Nevin. Then in the 21st minute, Tanya Borazio might have put the Spartans ahead when Galea’s cross wasn’t cleared, but the ball came at her awkwardly and APIA goalkeeper Sophie Magus saved easily.
APIA sprang to life a minute later when Lisa De Vanna intercepted a clearance from Spartans goalkeeper Sally James. The Matildas legend set up Rhianna Pollicina, but James had recovered and was in position to make the save. Pollicina was involved again on 26 minutes when her shot was blocked by Leticia McKenna.
Seven days prior to this game, Galea scored direct from a corner kick against NWS Koalas. She nearly repeated that feat just past the half hour, however this time her inswinging delivery rebounded off the post. Spartans would go close again in first half stoppage time when Maja Markovski headed wide from Nevin’s cross.
The home side continued their high pressing approach into the second half, and were rewarded within 60 seconds of the restart when they forced a turnover and won a free kick 30 yards from goal. Galea stepped up and curled an unstoppable shot into the top corner – 1-0 to Spartans.
In the 52nd minute, Grace Maher nearly equalised for APIA with a free kick of her own, but James pulled off a spectacular flying save to keep her side ahead.
Instead it was the Spartans who would score again. On 58 minutes, Markovski did brilliantly to hold off two defenders and switch play to the right flank. The ball into the middle from Ashlie Crofts was perfect, leaving Galea with the relatively simple task of tucking the ball away from six yards out to make it 2-0.
The hosts maintained their intensity as they sought to keep their first clean sheet in over a month. Deborah-Anne De La Harpe could have pulled one back for APIA with just under twenty minutes remaining when a loose ball fell her way, but she was unable to keep her shot down.
APIA’s attack began to flow in the closing stages. On 83 minutes, substitute forward Sophie Hoban found De Vanna, who cut in from the right side and tried for goal but couldn’t beat James. As the visitors pushed forward there was space for Spartans to exploit, and Cooney-Cross forced a couple of saves from Magus in quick succession.
As the second half entered time added on, Galea would be given the chance to complete her hat trick when Georgia Yeoman-Dale fouled Spartans substitute Michelle Dal Bon inside the area. However, Magus would make an incredible save low to her right, keeping the score at 2-0.
There was one more spectacular save at the other end as another Maher free kick was acrobatically tipped onto the crossbar by James.
The results sees Spartans rise to seventh, with APIA dropping to fourth. Next weekend, Spartans will head to North Turramurra Recreation Area to take on Northern Tigers, while APIA are at home against undefeated league leaders Macarthur Rams.
Away wins were the story in the day’s other games – Macarthur, Tigers, Football NSW Institute, Sydney Olympic and Illawarra Stingrays all grabbed three points on their travels.
Blacktown Spartans 2 (Rosie Galea 46’ 58’)
APIA Leichhardt 0
Blacktown Spartans: Sally James, Tanya Borazio, Keisha Allen, Annie Daczko, Courtney Nevin, Leticia McKenna (Lily Bardsley 61’), Hana Lowry, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Ashlie Crofts (Emily Kos 69’), Maja Markovski (Michelle Dal Bon 86’), Rosie Galea (c)
Unused subs: Brianna Clarke, Tiarne Flavin
Yellow cards: Hana Lowry 14’, Rosie Galea 81’, Annie Daczko 90+2’
APIA Leichhardt: Sophie Magus, Claudia Cicco, Tori Tumeth, Liz Ralston, Deborah-Anne De La Harpe, Julia De Angelis (Zoe Halpin 84’), Grace Maher, Rhianna Pollicina, Georgia Yeoman-Dale, Tamires Souza (Sophie Hoban 46’), Lisa De Vanna
Unused subs: Jessica Urquhart, Alex Tims, Genevieve Tucker
Yellow cards: Grace Maher 44’
Around the Grounds
Midweek catchup games
FNSW Institute 4 Sydney Olympic 2
Blacktown Spartans 2 Sydney University 3
APIA Leichhardt 3 Northern Tigers 1
Round 7
Bankstown City 1 Northern Tigers 5
Emerging Jets 1 Sydney Olympic 3
Manly United 0 FNSW Institute 1
NWS Koalas 1 Illawarra Stingrays 2
Sydney University 0 Macarthur Rams 2
Table
| POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Macarthur Rams | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 19 |
| 2 | FNSW Institute | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 15 |
| 3 | Illawarra Stingrays | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 14 |
| 4 | APIA Leichhardt | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 13 |
| 5 | Northern Tigers | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 12 |
| 6 | Sydney Olympic | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Blacktown Spartans | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 8 |
| 8 | Manly United | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 7 |
| 9 | Sydney University | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 7 |
| 10 | NWS Koalas | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 6 |
| 11 | Bankstown City | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 18 | -15 | 1 |
| 12 | Emerging Jets | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 19 | -16 | 0 |
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