By Georgina Lewis 8/7/25
Above: Gladesville Ravens lining up before their game against NWS Spirit. Photo: Georgie Lewis
Lightning delays wreaked havoc across Round 18 of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition, with three matches abandoned and one postponed. But in the games that did go ahead, there was plenty of quality, grit, and individual brilliance on show.
Northern Tigers 1–2 Manly United
North Turramurra Recreation Area
Manly United claimed an important away win on Saturday night, edging the Northern Tigers 2–1 in a tightly contested clash at North Turramurra.
Ruby Jackson opened the scoring for the visitors with a sharp finish in the first half, giving Manly the lead at the break. The Tigers responded after the hour mark with an equaliser, a penalty given after a handball in the box.
But it was Manly who had the final say. Just four minutes after conceding, Emily Minett netted the eventual winner, pouncing on a loose ball in the area to secure all three points for the visitors.
NWS Spirit 0–0 Gladesville Ravens
Christie Park
It was a frustrating afternoon for both NWS Spirit and Gladesville Ravens at Christie Park as the sides played out a goalless draw in a match that offered moments of promise but little end product.
Spirit controlled large spells of possession, while the Ravens looked to threaten in transition. The best chance of the match came in the 63rd minute when Poppy Channing tucked home from close range after a deflected Lexie Moreno free kick — only for the goal to be ruled out for offside in the build-up.
Despite attacking intent from both teams, neither managed a shot on target over the 90 minutes, and the deadlock remained unbroken.
Newcastle Jets 1–2 Macarthur Rams
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility
In a bottom-of-the-table meeting, Macarthur Rams came from behind to defeat Newcastle Jets 2–1 in Lake Macquarie on Sunday afternoon.
The Jets started brightly and took the lead in the 38th minute. After Josie Allan was fouled but play was waved on, she quickly sprang to her feet and played a clever backheel into the path of Alexis Collins, who coolly slotted past the keeper.
The Rams equalised six minutes after the restart through Tea Mucenski, finishing into an open net after Sakura Nojima drew out the goalkeeper and laid the ball across goal. Gabriela Silva then netted the winner in the 82nd minute, meeting India Breier’s low cross at the back post with a composed finish.
Western Sydney Wanderers 1–1 APIA Leichhardt (Match Abandoned)
Wanderers Football Park
The Wanderers and APIA shared first-half goals in a lively encounter at Wanderers Football Park before a lightning delay brought the match to an early end.
Jordan Jasnos provided the assist for the opener, whipping in a cross from the left for Te Reremoana Walker, who made no mistake with her header in the seventh minute. The Wanderers equalised through Anika Stajcic, who struck powerfully from the edge of the area just after the half-hour mark.
Both sides headed into the sheds level at 1–1, but did not return, with the match abandoned due to severe weather.
Sydney University 2–1 Bulls FC Academy (Match Abandoned)
Sydney Uni Football Ground
Sydney University took a surprise first-half lead against Bulls FC Academy before the game was eventually abandoned following a lightning delay.
Ruby Egan-Brown created the opening goal in the 34th minute when her saved shot rebounded into her path and she sent in a cross that was inadvertently turned into the net by Bulls defender Tamires Souza.
The Bulls hit back immediately after the break with a moment of brilliance from Isabella Coco-Di Sipio, who cut in from the left and blasted a long-range strike into the top corner. Just minutes later, Alice Thompson restored Uni’s lead, arriving at the back post to tap home a cross from the left.
The match was called off shortly after, before either side could build further momentum.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 1–1 UNSW (Match Abandoned)
Popondetta Park
Another match brought to an early end, Mt Druitt and UNSW played just 27 minutes at Popondetta Park before a lightning delay forced the match’s abandonment.
UNSW took the lead in the fifth minute when Angelique Hristodoulou’s cross was deflected into the net off Rangers defender Kaiya Buchanan. The hosts responded four minutes later through Erin Leah Tavares, who was teed up by Ena Harada after a smart turn in midfield.
The match remained level at 1–1 when the storm rolled in, with no further action possible.
Sydney Olympic v Illawarra Stingrays – Postponed
The fixture between Sydney Olympic and the Illawarra Stingrays was postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date.
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