Across the world, people have forever and a day used the phrase “it’s a marathon not a sprint” to keep focused for the long haul. However, COVID-19 has ensured this year’s NSW NPL Women’s competition is definitely more hare than tortoise, with 11 home-and-away fixtures being followed by the traditional finals series at season’s end. Every goal will be crucial, every match hard-fought, and every competition point invaluable – maybe more so than any season before.
Beyond 90 takes a look back at the re-opening round of NSW NPLW 2020 in the first and only edition of what we’ll call The Redux Wrap.
Match of the Round – APIA Leichhardt v Illawarra Stingrays
NPLW newcomers APIA Leichhardt made a dream start to life in the top flight, sweeping aside Illawarra Stingrays with a 4-1 win at Lambert Park on Sunday evening.
A brace each to Princess Ibini and Georgia Yeoman-Dale, including a spectacular strike from distance by the latter, secured the points for the home side after Michelle Carney’s first-half goal gave Illawarra the lead early on.
Despite boasting a host of Matildas and W-League players among its starting XI, APIA looked the shakier of the two sides early on, struggling to make the most of their weight of possession in the early stages.
With her opponents failing to consistently string passes together, Stingrays stalwart Michelle Carney wasted no such time in opening the scoring, profiting on a neat back heel from midfielder Eden Stoddard to sweep home from the edge of the box after six minutes.
Midfielder Olivia Price almost doubled her side’s advantage on the 18-minute mark, running onto a bobbling ball at the top of the box, only to send her shot fizzing wide of Sophie Magus’ far post.
Stingrays fullback Blaise Kendis was next to trouble the scorers, though for all the wrong reasons, as she earned the evening’s first yellow card after dragging Ibini off the ball as she broke away into space down APIA’s left edge.
Kendis was joined in the referee’s notebook minutes later by APIA enforcer Alexandra Huynh after a scything tackle on Stoddard as the Stingrays midfielder looked to take a deft touch in midfield.
Winger Bronte Trew went close to adding to Illawarra’s tally with only 90 seconds of the first half remaining, though her effort from just outside the box fizzed well high of the goal, doing little to trouble Magus.
Trew’s profligacy would prove costly for Illawarra, as barely a minute later Ibini drew her side level, drilling a low shot into the far corner from 20 metres after a persistent, bustling run through the Stingrays midfield and defence.
The home side was inches from taking the lead moments later, but Huynh could only watch as her free kick from just outside the box fizzed over Illawarra ‘keeper Chantelle Symes’ crossbar.
With the sides level at half time, Illawarra would have known that such a talented opposition would be dangerous in the second stanza, meaning an early goal would do them the world of good, and only three minutes after the break, winger Chloe Middleton almost answered the call, her shot from outside the box drawing a save from Magus but not troubling the APIA stopper.
APIA pivot Jennifer Bisset was the second Leichhardt player into the referee’s notebook, picking up a caution five minutes into the second half after tripping up Price off the ball just inside the Stingrays’ attacking half.
Only seven minutes later APIA had their second goal of the night, again through Young Matildas star Ibini. Under pressure and facing her own goal, Illawarra defender Blaize Kendis had a moment to forget, missing her clearance with Ibini breathing down her neck, only for the APIA striker to nip in and toe past the sprawling Symes to give her side the lead.
Eight minutes later it was 3-1, with Ibini this time turning provider. Running on to a first-class through-ball from Bisset down the left flank, Ibini dazzled her way to the Stingrays by-line before clipping a perfectly-weighted pass to the front post for the waiting Georgia Yeoman-Dale to volley in from close range.
Yeoman-Dale added a touch of class to the evening with her second of the match and APIA’s fourth, scoring a genuine goal of the season contender with 10 minutes to play. After a neat run down the left wing, Yeoman-Dale cut back onto her right foot just outside the penalty box and unleashed a dipping drive over the stranded Symes to seal the win for her side.
https://twitter.com/dale_roots/status/1284803548979400704
APIA Leichhardt 4 (Ibini 45’ 57’ Yeoman-Dale 65’ 80’)
Illawarra Stingrays 1 (Carney 6’)
APIA: Sophie Magus; Deborah-Anne de la Harpe, Elizabeth Ralston, Alexandra Huynh (yellow card 37’; Sofia Merkoueas 85’), Teigen Allen; Jennifer Bisset (yellow card 50’; Julia de Angelis 70’), Rhianna Pollicina; Tara Pender, Ashleigh Palombi (Amy Dahdah 83’); Princess Ibini, Georgia Yeoman-Dale.
Illawarra: Chantelle Symes; Danika Matos, Margaux Chauvet, Sarah Johnston, Blaize Kendis (yellow card 22’); Olivia Price, Caitlin Cooper, Eden Stoddard (Molly Lawless 80’); Chloe Middleton, Michelle Carney, Bronte Trew (Kaelah Austin 56’).
Around The Grounds:
Blacktown Spartans 3 NW Sydney Koalas 1
Manly United 4 Football NSW Institute 2
Emerging Jets 0 Sydney Olympic 2
Sydney University 3 Macarthur Rams 1
Northern Tigers 9 Bankstown City 2
