By Georgina Lewis 29/8/25
Photo: By Georgina Lewis.
Round 25 delivered drama, late twists, and individual brilliance across every fixture, with fans treated to one of the most entertaining weekends of football this season. Here’s how the action unfolded.
Match of the Round – Mt Druitt Town Rangers 2–3 Sydney Olympic | Popondetta Park
Sydney Olympic secured their place in the league for another year with a nerve-shredding win over Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
The night began disastrously for the visitors when Erin Tavares struck inside two minutes to give the Rangers the lead. Olympic, though, refused to panic. Tiana Fuller drew them level, Baxter Thew edged them ahead, and Alyssa Whinham added a third just before halftime.
Rosie Galea halved the deficit after the interval to give Mt Druitt hope, but Olympic dug deep to protect their advantage until the final whistle — three priceless points that guarantee survival.
NWS Spirit 3–0 Macarthur Rams | Christie Park
NWS Spirit’s faint finals ambitions remain alive thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Skye Halmarick in their win over the Rams.
Bethany Gordon split the defence with a superb lofted pass, and Halmarick controlled beautifully before rifling home the opener. Minutes later she produced the goal of the afternoon, launching an audacious strike from halfway that sailed over the goalkeeper.
The striker then completed her treble in the dying minutes, curling an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner — a performance that will live long in Spirit folklore.
Bulls FC Academy 4–1 Gladesville Ravens | Northbridge Oval
The Bulls roared back into form with a dominant victory over Gladesville Ravens.
Isabella Coco-Di Sipio rose highest at a corner to head the opener, then set up Jynaya Dos Santos for the second soon after. Petria Phillips added a spectacular third from distance to all but put the game to bed within 30 minutes.
The Ravens did respond through Allyssa Ng Saad, who volleyed home after a clever assist from Morgan Roberts, but Coco-Di Sipio struck again almost immediately with another long-range effort. From there, the Bulls calmly saw the game out.
UNSW 3–2 Manly United | The Village Green
UNSW edged a thrilling contest against Manly United in a clash that could define the race for fourth spot.
Aya Yamahata’s powerful header gave UNSW the breakthrough, and Demi Koulizakis made it 2-0 shortly before the break. Manly fought back strongly after halftime — Ruby Jackson scrambled one in from a corner, before Alexia Forner’s free-kick took a wicked deflection to level the scores.
But deep into stoppage time, UNSW found a winner. Chloe Smith pounced on a loose ball in the box in the 97th minute, sealing an unforgettable victory for the home side.
Illawarra Stingrays 2–2 APIA Leichhardt | Macedonia Park
The Stingrays were denied a crucial win right at the death as league leaders APIA salvaged a late draw.
Sienna Saveska’s vicious free-kick had the hosts in front early, but Ashlie Crofts’ clever run and tidy finish brought APIA back on terms. After the break, Caitlin Cooper unleashed a rocket from distance to restore Illawarra’s advantage.
The Stingrays looked set to celebrate three points — until Gisella Pipino’s injury-time header silenced the home crowd and ensured APIA left with a share of the spoils.
Western Sydney Wanderers 0–1 Northern Tigers | Wanderers Football Park
The Tigers prevailed in a scrappy contest thanks to an early goalmouth scramble.
A corner caused chaos for the Wanderers, whose goalkeeper spilled the initial header. In the ensuing mess, the ball ricocheted off a defender before falling kindly for Mischa Anderson to knock in from close range.
That eighth-minute strike proved decisive, as the Tigers successfully absorbed pressure for the remainder of the game to secure the win.
Sydney University 2–1 Newcastle Jets | Sydney Uni Football Ground
Sydney Uni halted their losing streak with a narrow win over bottom-placed Newcastle Jets.
A swift break allowed Tiana Petkovski to slot in the opener, though the Jets equalised after Marni Duggan reacted fastest to a goalkeeper’s spill.
The decisive moment came before halftime, when Charlotte Hogan connected with a clearance on the edge of the box and lashed home a fierce half-volley. The Jets battled gamely but couldn’t find a response, and Uni claimed a valuable three points.
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