It’s a busy period for the NSW NPL competition! Three midweek games were played just before this round, while another three midweek games were scheduled between Rounds 19 and 20, so this will certainly test the fitness of our teams.
We took a trip down to the south coast for our featured game, where runaway league leaders Sydney University attempted to extend their unbeaten run against Illawarra Stingrays.
Illawarra Stingrays v Sydney University
Sydney University are within touching distance of securing their fourth consecutive Premiership after defeating Illawarra Stingrays 4-2 at JJ Kelly Park. Uni defender Ashley Irwin was the unlikely goalscoring hero, scoring twice, while her teammates Rola Badawiya and Sarah Morgan also found the net. The Stingrays would mount a second half comeback with strikes from Alicia Meuronen and Hayley Taylor-Young, but it wasn’t enough to stop The Students recording their 14th victory in 18 games.
Badawiya’s strike partnership with Holly Caspers is a big reason for Sydney Uni’s success in 2022, and those two combined for the opener with a little over five minutes played. When Caspers received Morgan’s pass and chipped the ball over the top, Badawiya kept her cool, dribbling around onrushing Stingrays goalkeeper Sophie Emery and slotting the ball into an open goal.
Just past the quarter hour mark, Uni doubled their lead with a fine team goal. Frances Lechner started the move with a switch of play towards Ilijoski, who found Badawiya free inside the penalty area. Sydney Uni’s top scorer squared the ball to the far post, presenting Morgan with a tap in.
Badawiya had followed up her goal with an assist, and Morgan would do likewise four minutes later. The Uni midfielder showed off her dead ball ability by whipping a dangerous corner kick into the near post area, where Irwin rose highest, heading the visitors into a 3-0 lead.
Stingrays turned to their own left-footed set piece specialist as they chased the game. In the 25th minute, Meuronen hit the crossbar with a 40 yard free kick, and just after the half hour she went agonisingly close again, firing inches over the crossbar from what would be a crossing position for most players.
From the goal kick following that second near miss, Sydney Uni nearly scored. Newbon played a pinpoint diagonal ball to Ilijoski and the left wing-back sent Caspers racing towards goal with only Emery to beat, but her shot rolled wide of the post.
Uni pushed for a fourth goal and Emery had to be alert, first saving from Caspers after Ilijoski and Badawiya combined to set her up, then diving acrobatically to tip Holly Duncan’s 25 yard half volley around the post.
The half ended with a couple of headed chances for Michelle Carney: the first was after Courtney Newbon parried a Caitlin Cooper shot and the second was off a Danika Matos cross, however the Stingrays number 10 couldn’t hit the target on either occasion.
Four minutes after the restart, Illawarra won a free kick 25 yards out from goal. Carney stood over the dead ball, however given the close calls in the first half, there was only going to be one person taking this set piece. Meuronen duly stepped up and fired the ball into the top corner, giving the Stingrays a foothold in the game.
The hosts maintained their attacking intensity and made it even more nervous for Uni with another goal on 57 minutes. Cooper displayed great vision to pick out Taylor-Young’s overlapping run and the flying fullback, under pressure from Caspers, sent a left-footed long range strike high into the net.
Now that she had found the back of the net, Meuronen’s confidence was sky high. This was demonstrated on the hour mark by an audacious attempt from the centre circle which had Newbon scrambling, the ball flying just over the bar.
Sydney Uni still posed a threat and Tara Baudana could have restored their two goal cushion four minutes later. The second half substitute won possession in midfield and released Caspers before continuing her run – when Caspers laid the ball off Baudana forced a smart save from Emery.
However, Stingrays were still doing the majority of the attacking and with 14 minutes remaining Carney beat the Uni defence to Meuronen’s ball over the top – Gabrielle Peak made a wonderful tackle to deny her, then Carney’s second effort was saved by Newbon. A minute later Meuronen went direct for goal from a free kick near the right touchline, hitting the side netting.
The home side would have been even more confident of completing an unlikely comeback when Morgan was red carded with just over 10 minutes left. Irwin had other ideas, and killed off the Stingrays’ chances of a result on 84 minutes. After Emery tipped Annabel Martin’s long range free kick onto the crossbar and caused a penalty area scramble, Irwin was in the right place to tuck the ball away for her second goal of the evening.
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In the day’s other games, Shea Connors scored a hat trick as APIA romped to victory over the Spartans, and Ashlee Brodigan’s 87th minute goal rescued a point for Northern Tigers against Bankstown City. Macarthur beat Manly to strengthen their finals chase, Olympic came from behind to defeat Spirit, and Football NSW Institute were victorious in the “Battle Of The Kids”.
Both of these teams will be involved in midweek action: Illawarra host Bankstown City on Wednesday, while Uni can secure the Premiership by avoiding defeat against Sydney Olympic on Thursday.
Illawarra Stingrays 2 (Alicia Meuronen 49’, Hayley Taylor-Young 57’)
Sydney University 4 (Rola Badawiya 6’, Ashley Irwin 20’ 84’, Sarah Morgan 16’)
Illawarra Stingrays: Sophie Emery, Danika Matos, Bronte Pyke, Alicia Meuronen, Hayley Taylor-Young, Caitlin Cooper, Michelle Brown, Kaelah Austin, Erica Halloway (Molly Lawless 46’), Michelle Carney (c), Chloe Middleton
Unused substitutes: Ashley Kotevski, Anastasia Grozdanov, Jade Lockton, Rachael Goldstein
Sydney University: Courtney Newbon (c), Gabrielle Peak, Ashley Irwin, Ashley Dribbus (Tara Baudana 55’), Annabel Martin, Frances Lechner, Holly Duncan (Emily Jensen 90+2’), Emma Ilijoski, Sarah Morgan, Holly Caspers, Rola Badawiya
Unused substitutes: Nadine Knight, Kate Stanbridge, Anna Hunt, Tess Quilligan
Yellow cards: Ashley Irwin 48’, Sarah Morgan 80’
Red Card: Sarah Morgan 80’
Around the Grounds
Bankstown City 2-2 Northern Tigers
Blacktown Spartans 1-6 APIA Leichhardt
Football NSW Institute 2-0 Emerging Jets
Manly United 1-2 Macarthur Rams
Sydney Olympic 4-1 NWS Spirit
(Tuesday) Football NSW Institute 0-3 APIA Leichhardt
Table
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Sydney University | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 8 | 22 | 45 |
| 2 | Northern Tigers | 19 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 42 | 22 | 20 | 35 |
| 3 | APIA Leichhardt | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 40 | 23 | 17 | 34 |
| 4 | Macarthur Rams | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 38 | 23 | 15 | 34 |
| 5 | Manly United | 19 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 36 | 27 | 9 | 28 |
| 6 | Sydney Olympic | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 33 | 18 | 15 | 27 |
| 7 | Bankstown City | 17 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| 8 | Blacktown Spartans | 19 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 22 | 31 | -9 | 21 |
| 9 | Illawarra Stingrays | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 28 | -5 | 20 |
| 10 | NWS Spirit | 19 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 40 | -15 | 16 |
| 11 | Football NSW Institute | 18 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 28 | -14 | 14 |
| 12 | Emerging Jets | 19 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 13 | 69 | -56 | 1 |
