Above: Danella Butrus (left) after her opening goal for Bulleen
Bulleen Lions hosted Box Hill United for Round One of the Victorian NPLW, and the defending premiers look like they are set for another promising and exciting season after a 2-1 win.
Bulleen under coach Caitlin Friend are hunting for a third successive premiership, and will be eager to go further into finals this season, but as with the previous two campaigns, and is common in this league, there have been many changes to the lineup for 2025.
Former Everton and Lamar University midfielder Hollie Massey is one of the new arrivals, and took control of the midfield early on in this game. Her passing and pressing helped set the tone, and surges forward off the ball kept Box Hill’s defence on their toes.
Mila Bulic was aggressive at left back, while returning right back Caitlin O’Bryan was dominant on her flank. It was her defence splitting pass that set up Denella Butrus to score her first of the home and away season with a composed finish in the 23rd minute.
Bulleen were up 2-0 before time thanks to another new arrival. Anais Josefski sized up her opponent on the flank before darting in one direction then the other. She looked to have dribbled her way into trouble but cut outside the defence and scored from an impossible angle at the edge of the box, sending gasps through the home crowd.
That goal would prove to be the decisive one, but Box Hill fought there way back into the contest after half time. Emma Perrone took advantage of a mishit clearance from goalkeeper Emily Shields and buried her chance from long range.
Bulleen continued to push for a third, with Butrus menacing and lighting quick on the wing, but the third goal would not arrive. The Lions looked in control for the majority of the match though, and the new signings settled in quickly. This win, along with the Community Shield hit out against Heidelberg United last week suggest another promising season at The Vento Club.
In other games this round, South Melbourne and Bentley Greens played out a 1-1 draw. Both sides recruited impressively in the off-season, with Rebecca Saber joining Bentley to boost their attack and Tiffany Eliadis headlining a host of new faces at Lakeside Stadium.
Delaney Kenney opened the scoring for The Greens after running onto a long bomb of a free kick to finish unmarked in the area. Olivia Bomford scored on debut for South Melbourne with a fantastic, powerful finish in the shadows of half time.
A goal to NPL legend Aleks Sinclair put newly promoted Spring Hill ahead against one of last season’s Grand Finalists Preston Lions, but that was answered by a 72nd minute header by Valentine Pursey to send both teams home with a point a piece.
The Essendon Royals defeated Brunswick Juventus by a single goal scored from a free kick by Airi Fujiwara, while Alamein FC began their season with a 2-0 defeat of FV Emerging thanks to goals from Zoe Houghton and Neve Duston.
The reigning Champions, Heidelberg United were given a scare by the always unpredictable Boroondara Eagles but fought to a 3-2 win after being down 2-1 at half time. Kathryn Vlahopoulos scored with a spectacular effort and a brace from Sawa Matsuda gave The Bergers a dramatic late win after neat finishes from Drew Dempsey and Priya Savarirayan had them staring at opening round defeat.
🚨🟣 NPLWVIC GOAL! 84:24: Heidelberg United FC score to make it BEFC 2 : HUFC 2.
Melbourne Victory forward Holly Furphy talks to Impetus about her career and season so far.
The defender did not do much wrong. She stayed goal side of her opponent, pushed her wide and closed the shooting angle to only one possibility, but that was still not enough to prevent Holly Furphy scoring her third goal in just six appearances.
Canberra United was the latest team to find out that you need to be better than perfect to stop her.
The Melbourne Victory attacker has been decisive. Her pace , control and confidence inject an immediate threat into the game, and her finishing has been lethal.
Half a chance is all she needs, and the Victory fans can be heard loudly demanding she be subbed on at The Home of The Matildas.
“Confidence is a big part of it,” she says of her success in front of goal.
“But it’s more, the one thing I have been working on in the past year or so is the mental side of my game and not to hesitate.
“To take every shot like it’s the last shot I’m ever going to take. Not thinking, just shoot”
Furphy is a five year-over night success. She was a train on at Melbourne Victory as a teenager, before embarking on a journey to the United States to play for Santa Clara in the famed but challenging college system.
The former Yarra Jet’s and FV Emerging striker returned to Australia and Victory as an injury replacement before the game against Sydney FC, where she scored minutes after coming on as a second half sub.
“I signed my contract the day before that,” says Furphy of her Round 13 debut.
“I knew I was going to be playing if it all got approved, but it was all a bit of a whirl wind then warming up and hearing them call my name to go on.
“Obviously there’s going to be a bit of nerves and I was like ‘oh this is actually happened then.’
“I think in that moment even though I was nervous I told myself, ‘why am I scared about playing the sport that I love, this is what I want to do!’ that’s what my mentality was going onto the field.
“Theres no room to be nervous because I want to enjoy this as much as possible.
“Scoring that goal was a bit of a fever dream, when I hit it and saw it go in it was unreal to be honest, I was looking at my teammates with ‘what the hell just happened?’”
Furphy’s first steps in the A-League Women seems like to stuff of dreams, but it has been hard earned and not without overcoming significant challenges. She moved across the world at just 19 to further her football career and begin an environmental science degree at Santa Clara University (Some potentially good news for Victory fans is that she plans to finish her education in Melbourne.)
“I was obviously nervous going over to a new country and seeing a new style of football,” she reflects.
“That was a big thing I had to adjust to. They are very physical and very transitional based over there.
“My team was more possession focussed but the teams we would play it was very physical and high pressing environment.
“Physically and fitness wise I got a lot stronger over there, the one thing I can say is the mental side of my game.”
After a promising start in the USA, Furphy was faced with a huge and dreaded challenge for all athletes, but in some ways it has turned out to be the making the attacking weapon we see now.
“Doing my ACL my first year at college, that was a bit of a set back for me and made me really reflect on what I want to do really because of not playing for 10 months and trying to work my way back to what I was, in that moment I decided to become a different player.
“I wasn’t unhappy with the way I was playing, but I knew I could become more. I worked a lot with Dean Georgio (of Kick Talent Management) on how I can approach my game differently and unlock that mental side of it.
“That’s the biggest thing I learned that resilience, patience and determination.”
Despite being thousands of miles from home and still in her first year, Furphy says that the support she received at Santa Barbara during her recovering was excellent.
“My coaching staff and support staff were really nice about it. they even offered to fly me back home so I could be with my family, and they flew out my parents so they could help with my rehab.
“Living on campus, getting to rehab every single day obviously progressed it a lot to get back quicker.
“I got back in 10 months but still had a lot of issues coming out of that season because I did a pretty gnarly injury.
“I thought it was really great, they have so much fancy tech over there, so it was really good.”
The Furphy family has been a source of great support for the forward. The sporting household also boasts two brothers who played professional basketball and AFL respectively. Holly’s mother was an elite competitive diver and her father was an accomplished Aussie Rules footballer.
Despite sometimes being spread around the world, the family always watch each other games and support from near or afar.
“Those four people are my biggest influences and biggest supporters,’ says the aspiring Matilda.
“Just seeing what they do in their own sports helped me become the player that I am now.
“We’re a very tight knit family. It was very competitive growing up, but not in a harmful way, it was way more fun than anything.
“I love competing and get so much joy out of that. Growing up with my brothers really fostered that.”
Furphy is part of an exciting group of rising stars at Melbourne Victory. She joins the likes of Rosie Curtis, Laura Pickett and Ava Briedis as players to make big impacts this season, while her former FV Emerging teammate Alana Murphy earned a Matildas call up. At it’s most successful, Victory has supported and promoted young footballers and Furphy is the latest and possibly most spectacular example.
“One of the appeals in coming to Victory was I knew so many of that girls from playing with them or playing against them.
“It was awesome having close and familiar faces in the side. They’re such an amazing bunch of girls, I’m just so grateful to be part of this team.”
Above: Brighton celebrate their win. Photo: @BHAFCWomen on X
Fran Kirby scored as Brighton and Hove Albion were victorious against Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon, their first win in the league since November.
Both teams were gunning for fifth place going into this game. This was a crucial battle under the top 4 with a lot at stake: A fifth-place finish for either team would be their highest in the WSL in each team’s history.
The teams battled from the outset, with Drew Spence putting in a dangerous ball which was then collected by Melina Loeck In the Albion goal. She was then clattered by her centre-back Maria Thorisdottir.
Brighton seemed to lose many of their battles on the right-hand side, they were edged out by Amanda Nildén and Olivia Holdt who paired brilliantly for Spurs in the opening stages.
The Seagulls looked their most threatening when Tottenham tried to play out from the back, immediately putting them under pressure. However, nothing came from these early threats.
Nadine Noordam, who signed in the winter from Ajax, looked to be the most creative Brighton player in the first half. Whenever she found possession, she would drive it up field – there was just a lack of quality finishing. That was really the story of the first half for both sides.
Three back-to-back corners in the last 10 minutes of the first 45 and Marisa Olislagers nearly found herself converting her corner into a goal, however her Netherlands’ compatriot Lize Kop was outstretched and punched it out.
Fran Kirby scored her fourth WSL goal of the season. Olislagers’ original shot was deflected off the face of Ella Morris and found its way out to McLauchlan on the other side of the box who passed it back into Kirby in a crucial moment just before the half-time whistle. In what was a scrappy first half of football Brighton found themselves ahead going in at the break.
Above: Fran Kirby celebrates her goal. Photo: @BHAFCWomen on X
It was all Brighton in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, they looked refreshed after the break and were able to pick up where they left off. Noordam through the middle and Olislagers down the left both looked threatening as we passed the hour mark. The latter’s cross found the head of Nikita Parris as Brighton looked to find their second, straight into the hands of Kop.
Brighton really found their stride in the second half. They were defensively switched on, and incredibly quick in attack which Spurs struggled to keep up with. The closing stages of this encounter were end to end; Spurs fought for the equaliser, Brighton looked to close the game down. The new front three of Michelle Agyemang, Haley, and Parris looked highly dangerous, while substitute Hayley Raso livened the game back up for Spurs.
It became a cagey display towards the dying stages of the game with a couple of Brighton players making some unnecessary challenges but both teams were stuck in committed to finding a goal, but it was not to be for Spurs.
An easy day in between the sticks for Loeck, as Spurs did not register a shot on target throughout the 90 minutes. Brighton took the three points and fifth place for this game week back to the south coast, where they sit 10 points behind the top 4.
Above: The Newcastle Jets score a late winner. Photo: A-League Women
Newcastle Jets secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Brisbane Roar at Perry Park, with Lauren Allan scoring the decisive goal in the final minute of extra time. Despite creating multiple chances, Brisbane were unable to hold onto their lead, leaving the Jets with a hard-fought win.
Newcastle entered the match having been struggling on the road, with an uninspiring away record of one draw, six losses, and a solitary win from their travels this season. For Brisbane, the fixture was significant for several reasons, it marked the return of Ruby Cuthbert to the team sheet, who was in contention to make her first appearance of the season following an injury. Additionally, Keeley Richards was given her first start in goal for the season.
The match got off to a blazing start, with Brisbane Roar taking an early lead just seven minutes into the game. Laini Freier delivered a perfectly timed pass to Tameka Yallop, who made no mistake, calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net. Newcastle Jets responded with urgency, determined to get back into the match. Emily Pringle came close to doubling Brisbane’s lead, but her effort was ruled offside.
In the 17th minute, the Jets found their equalizer when Emma Dundas unleashed a powerful shot from distance, beating the keeper and bringing the visitors level. However, the Jets’ joy was short-lived. Just a minute later, Yallop struck again, collecting the ball outside the box and firing a fierce shot past Danielle Krzyzaniak to restore Brisbane’s advantage.
The game continued at a frantic pace, with both teams looking to get ahead. Brisbane was forced into a substitution when Grace Kuilamu went down with an apparent arm injury. Evdokiya Popadinova came on in her place and almost made an immediate impact, firing a shot on target, but Krzyzaniak was there to make the routine save.
Newcastle came close to another equalizer when Sophie Hoban floated a dangerous ball into the box, but Cassidy Davis’ attempt sailed just over the crossbar. Despite the Jets’ persistent efforts, Brisbane controlled most of the possession. Laini Freier made a darting run forward, showing her speed and skill on the ball, but was outpaced in a footrace by Jets defender Josie Wilson.
The Jets weren’t short of chances, with Davis rattling the crossbar twice in quick succession. Lauren Allan also had her go at goal, but her shot drifted wide, leaving Roar untouched.
As the first half drew to a close, Brisbane maintained their slim lead, with the game remaining to lean in the home side’s favour despite the Jets’ continued pressure.
The second half resumed with Brisbane Roar immediately on the attack, as Yallop looked to complete her hat-trick just minutes after the restart. A powerful shot from the Roar captain narrowly missed, curling just an inch to the right of the post. Despite her near miss, the Roar continued to press forward, but it was Newcastle Jets who found themselves back on level terms. In the 49th minute, Deven Jackson fired a clinical strike past Keeley Richards, restoring levelness at 2-2.
The match quickly became a battle of chances, with both sides creating opportunities but failing to convert. Freier, who had been a constant threat throughout, was presented with multiple good chances to put Brisbane ahead, but each effort was either blocked or saved by Krzyzaniak. The Jets, for their part, also took their chances but struggled to break through the Roar defense.
As the clock ticked down, the game grew more frantic, with both teams pushing for the decisive goal. In the 70th minute, Brisbane’s Alicia Woods looked set to make the difference, breaking into the box and unleashing a powerful shot, only for Krzyzaniak to produce a brilliant save to deny her.
The drama intensified as Newcastle thought they had found the lead when Claire Adams charged the ball into the net. However, the referee’s offside flag was quickly raised, and the Jets’ hopes were dashed for the moment.
With the match entering the dying moments and both teams desperately searching for a winner, the game reached its peak in the final minute of extra time. It was none other than Lauren Allan, Newcastle Jets’ all-time leading goalscorer, who sealed the victory for her side. The forward found the back of the net in dramatic fashion, ensuring a 3-2 win for the Jets.
Despite a hard-fought performance, Brisbane Roar were unable to secure any points at home, leaving them to reflect on a match that slipped through their grasp in the final moments.
The next round of the campaign will see Brisbane Roar travel to take on third place Adelaide United while Newcastle Jets head to The Home Of The Matildas to battle it out against Melbourne Victory.
Check out our Instagram feed – @impetusfootball – to view Impetus’ Ant Sartori’s photo gallery from the game.
Teams: BRISBANE ROAR (3-2-4-1): Richards, De La Harpe, Kruger, McQueen, Hoyos, Pringle, Hayashi, Woods, Yallop, L. Freier, Kuilamu. Substitutes: Kinsella, Hecher, Popadinova, Cuthbert, Gibbon.
Above:Celebration time for Melbourne City’s Holly McNamara (sky blue shirt on right) today in their record-breaking win over Adelaide United today. Photo: Melbourne City.
Ctrl:Cyber Pitch saw history made, as Melbourne City broke the record for the most consecutive unbeaten matches in the A-League-Women. The heated and action-packed meeting against Adelaide United marked the home side’s 19th match without a loss.
There was not a dull moment in this contentious meeting, and it was clear from the first touch, that this was not a game that you would be able to look away from. While Melbourne City were the favourites to win, an aggressive scrap for possession at the start, was the first sign that Adelaide were not backing down from the challenge, and were well and truly in the game, remaining so until the very end.
Melbourne City opened the scoring just 10 minutes into play, although it remained unclear who would be awarded the goal. When TJ Vlajinic’s set piece landed on the line, there was an extremely close-range battle, which resulted in Holly McNamara and Lourdes Bosch getting the final touch before crossing the line, almost simultaneously. The goal was initially given to McNamara, however, after some evaluation from officials, it was later amended to be Bosches’ goal.
Adelaide United was quick to respond when a shot from Chelsie Dawber almost resulted in the equaliser, but was ultimately saved in the centre of the goal.
While Melbourne City remained dominant, and another goal seemed inevitable, it also appeared quite likely that Adelaide would also score, keeping the current table leaders on their toes.
The hosts lead was extended when Holly McNamara tapped in Bosch’s shot on target, landing City with a 2-0 lead just 27 minutes in.
Although now two goals behind, Adelaide was not shaken, as their attack and defence remained equally as strong, as they desperately searched for points of their own.
It was not long after Melbourne’s second goal that the visitors put themselves back in the game, when a battle inside the box saw Ella Tonkin put the ball over the line, earning the Reds their well deserved first goal of the match.
As halftime approached, the momentum continued to build, with both of these excellent attacking sides determined to maintain their place in the game. In an unfortunate turn for Adelaide United, an own goal from Lucia Leon, saw Melbourne City take back their two-goal lead at the break.
It wasn’t long until the second half saw its first goal, when a strike from Erin Healy to the bottom left corner, earned Adelaide United their second goal of the match. This was Healy’s seventh of the season, continuing what has been an incredible campaign for the 23-year-old US international.
There was no lack of end-to-end action, as it seemed the intensity only picked up as stoppage time approached, with a slew of great attempts from both sides made for one of the season’s most entertaining and unpredictable matches thus far.
Melbourne City once again reclaimed their two-goal lead, with McNamara’s second of the afternoon, further cementing her place as a crucial part of this squad.
Adelaide United were not backing down from the fight and remained very much in the running until the final whistle, as the final minutes of regulation saw a tactical shift from the visitors that did not allow Melbourne City to be comfortable in their lead for very long.
The final goal of the match came in the 73rd minute saw Zoe Tolland earn her debut Ninja A-League goal. A tight battle inside the box at extremely close range led to several players making a touch, however, it was Tolland’s header that ultimately put it over the line.
A moment of concern for City came at the 76th minute, when McNamara was replaced by Bryleeh Henry, after receiving medical attention for what seemed to be a cramp, although it was unclear if the substitution was precautionary or if the injury was more serious.
The intensity remained as high as ever during the final five minutes, giving Adelaide plenty of opportunities to equalise. Despite these several chances, and not through lack of effort, neither side was able to net another goal, leaving the final score as 4-3 to Melbourne City.
City’s victory has earned them a place in A-League Women history, as they break the record for the most consecutive unbeaten games, with 19. Despite their loss, it is a true testament to the impeccable form Adelaide United have found themselves in recently, that they were able to hold their own against and unsettle the dangerous force that Melbourne has proven themselves to be this season.
Round 20 of the Ninja A-League will be crucial for both these teams, as they are both set to face top six teams. City will remain home at ctrl:cyber Pitch and face Western United, while Adelaide will head home to Coopers Stadium to take on Brisbane Roar.
Check out our Instagram feed @impetusfootball to view Impetus’ Adrian Geremia’s photo gallery from the game.
Above: Ann Odong speaking at Game Changers. Photo: Anna Kucera/ Cassandra Hannagan. Sydney Opera House.
This past weekend I, along with 200 women’s football fans, attended ‘Game Changers’ as part of the Sydney Opera House’s ‘All About Women’ festival. Designed to celebrate the growth in women’s sports over the recent years, as well as bring awareness to difficult topics within the space that often go unnoticed in these discussions.
The panel brought together a diverse group of women in sport, featuring Matildas veteran goal-keeper, Lydia Williams, Matildas head of PR and Media, Ann Odong, inaugural AFLW Premiership coach Bec Goddard, long-time AFLW player Kirby Bently, and was moderated by renowned broadcaster and journalist Tracey Holmes.
The sheer diversity of the event, from the speakers to attendees, and their varied opinions, made for an invaluable experience, and one that I personally, will take with me as I move in the world of women’s sport, and as a woman in today’s world.
Although the issues with diversity and acceptance have been recently highlighted, along with the clear bias that Australian media in particular, has with women’s sports – despite what it can and has done for the country – being in a room with so many empowered women, both on the microphone, and sitting in the crowd, truly highlighted the community that has been built around women’s sport. This was a uniquely empowering experience that has personally brought me a sense of hope in what has been a quite unsettling time in the space.
These recent ongoing issues were not shied away from during the discussion, and no topic was off-limits. From recent criticisms of the Matildas to the media coverage of Sam Kerr’s recent trial, and addressing comments made by Marty Sheargold, from the perspective of those directly involved.
It was refreshing to see the range of perspectives throughout the room and to see women so unafraid to stand up for their beliefs, and to say what they meant, making it feel more like a true discussion and meeting of minds, rather than sitting in a room, listening to a talk.
One of the points made by Odong, which was reinforced by the rest of the panel along with a room of nodding heads, is one that I myself have tried to articulate for some time. That is, the argument of ‘men’s football is better football’ and the concept of parity with the men’s game, is somewhat void, as women’s sport is, and should be, a different product entirely.
This conversation was the catalyst for a slew of further talking points, including the debate about whether we should strive to achieve equality or equity, and how these two very different goals should be approached very differently.
‘When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression’ was a sentiment that was echoed throughout the discussion, as the panelists reflected on how and why these industries and the women that have built them, deserve equity over equality, in providing the same opportunities and resources as men in their field while allowing them to select and shape how they use what has been provided to create this unique, yet ultimately just as valuable product.
Quite often there was a dialogue regarding the consumerism of women’s sports, and how the sudden rise in interest in fanfare has led to unrealistic expectations set for female athletes, particularly the Matildas, and the criticism that comes along with this.
As said by Matildas head of PR and Media Ann Odong, ‘We wanted to transform how people saw what was possible for women and girls’, a sentiment that is reinforced by not only the turnout of this event but by the continued and ever-growing turnout for women’s sports both on and off the pitch.
With such sudden growth within women’s football and sport in general, alongside the communities that have been built, it can be easy to get caught up in a bubble as a fan, a player, or a professional and lose sight of how far we do have to go as an industry, and the limitation that is still put upon us. Although the hour was no lack of informative and important conversations that brought light to these issues within the hour, the biggest takeaway from the event, was the validation that people would show up for women’s sports beyond the major tournaments and historic wins, proving that women’s sports always has been, and now more than ever, is much more important than the results on the pitch.
Above: Chelsea Captain Millie Bright (centre) lifting the trophy with her teammates Photo: Lauren Kelly for Impetus
Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City
By Ava-Marianne Elliott at Pride Park for Impetus (15/03/25)
Chelsea emerged victorious in the Subway League Cup Final after defeating Manchester City at Derby County’s Pride Park, winning their first trophy under Sonia Bompastor.
Since replacing Emma Hayes last year, Bompastor has done exceedingly well in her post. Chelsea have won 26 of their 28 games under her leadership. City have been in an unusual spot after long-term Manager Gareth Taylor was sacked from his position on Monday, with Nick Cushings taking over as interim.
Following their flying form, it didn’t take long before Chelsea opened the scoring, with Lauren James’ clever pass putting Mayra Ramirez through on goal. Ayaka Yamashita was just able to keep the ball out of the net, but the rebound struck Laia Aleixandri and fell back to Ramirez for an early opener.
After Chelsea’s goal the energy amongst the City side seemed to surge. Shots from Leila Ouhabi and Aoba Fujino both came close, forcing Hannah Hampton to ground to make some strong saves.
Chelsea’s centre back pairing of Captain Millie Bright and Natalie Bjorn worked flawlessly to keep the ball out of the net. The duo made countless saves and well-timed blocks, ensuring that their side kept the lead heading into the second half.
Sjoeke Nüsken and Erin Cuthbert also deserve their flowers for their defensive effort. Nüsken did a stellar job of keeping the City attack at bay, and Cuthbert’s support provided crucial reinforcement to the backline.
City came back out from the break with vengeance, finding the well deserved equaliser in the 64th minute. Fujino was allowed a dangerous amount of space, and sent a powerful shot soaring past Hampton, catching Chelsea off guard.
With the score level and 25 minutes left on the clock, there was everything left to play for.
Above: Natalie Bjorn (right) takes on Khadija Shaw (left) Photo: Lauren Kelly for Impetus
The Chelsea defence did an incredible job of working tirelessly to nullify the looming threat of Khadija Shaw, ensuring the prolific goalscorer was unable to find the net. Shaw will be frustrated she was unable to make the scoresheet, with several chances going begging.
Agonisingly for City, they would be left to reflect on earlier missed chances when Chelsea sourced a second with just 13 minutes left on the clock. Hasegawa’s foot connected with the end of Ramirez’s cross into the box, mistakenly sending the ball flying past Yamashita for an own goal.
Three minutes of extra time were announced, and the Chelsea supporters in the stands turned up the volume to rally around their team. The full-time whistle marked the end of a relentless battle between the two sides, and Chelsea were officially declared League Cup Champions.
Chelsea now remain on the hunt for more silverware, and they’re still on track to potentially achieve a historic quadruple this season. They are still contenders in the FA Cup, Champions League and lead the Women’s Super League title race with a comfortable eight point gap over second-place Arsenal.
Above: Sydney FC players celebrating the late winning goal.Photo: Sydney FC
Sydney FC have scraped themselves off the bottom of the table after Princess Ibini’s 98th minute goal secured them the 2-1 win against Wellington Phoenix at Leichhardt Oval.
Maddie Caspers, who also celebrated her 18th birthday today, opened the scoring after finding herself on the end of a cross from Abbey Lemon that had missed Mackenzie Hawkesby in the middle of the box.
Caspers gift was wrapped up neatly for her when the defender in front of her, Tiana Jaber, slipped over at the most inopportune time, allowing Caspers to slot the ball home past Phoenix keeper Carolina Vilao.
The Phoenix had plenty of chances to find the back of the next, but had nearly every shot on target thwarted by an excellent shift between the sticks by 18 year old keeper Jasmine Black.
When Wellington did finally find their equaliser, late in the second half, it was through a pin-point through ball from Captain Annalie Longo, to reach Manaia Elliot who was making a well timed run into the box.
With the scoreboard tied at a goal apiece, it was looking like this game would end in a draw, but a second yellow card to Jaber saw Wellington go down to 10 players with five minutes left in regular time.
While some teams have managed to see out a draw or even secure a win with 10 on the pitch, this was not the case for the Wellington Phoenix, who crumbled under both the pressure and speed of Sydney’s crucial substitution in Princess Ibini.
Ibini’s goal in the dying seconds of additional time came about through a clever one-two with Lemon, allowing Ibini the time and space to position herself to take a curling shot that passed Vilao in Wellington’s goal.
This result puts Sydney FC in 11th place on the table, just one point ahead of their cross-town rivals, Western Sydney, and leaves Wellington Phoenix in 8th place with only four games left of the season to try and secure a place in the finals.
Check out our Instagram feed @ImpetusFootball to see photo galleries from the game by Impetus’ Kris Goman and Ryan Miller-Woods
Teams: SYDNEY FC (4-2-3-1): Black, Tumeth, Thompson, Tobin, Lemon, Hollman, Johnson, Tallon-Henniker, Dos Santos, Caspers, Hawkesby Substitutions: Connors, Farrow, Ibini, Mason-Jones, Bryson
Above: Balcatta Etna lift the NPLW WA Night Series trophy last night. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
Jaime Duncanson’s goal just before the quarter-hour mark was enough to clinch victory for Balcatta Etna in the NPLW WA Night Series Final over her old side Perth SC at the Sam Kerr Football Centre last night.
Perth went into the game making one change from the side that head coach Tom Glavovic fielded in their 4-1 win over Fremantle City in the semi-finals last weekend. Maja Archibald came into the starting XI with Hannah Insch replacing her on the bench.
Balcatta welcomed Jaime Duncanson into their starting line-up after the former Azzurri player missed the 2024 season. She would have an influential role on proceedings during her 45 minutes on the pitch.
It was Balcatta who had the first chance of the night, with Abbey Meakins threading a pass through for Lucy Jerram on the left-hand edge of the box, but Dayle Schroeder gathered in the Perth goal.
Above: Daisy McAllister (azure shirt) breaks through two Balcatta Etna defenders. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
Whilst the Azzurri initially had success trying to break through their opponents with some rapid paced one-touch passing, Etna looked to respond by imposing an extremely high line which forced the likes of Kim McCartney and Daisy McAllister to try and play longer balls through or over the top for runners to chase.
Balcatta’s offensive work in the spell made the most of Rachel Jarvis making lots of ground through the centre, and Duncanson was busy and driving into the box along the left.
In an opening quarter of an hour of few chances, the next went Balcatta’s way. Duncanson hit a shot that was cleared out for a corner by Epril Nossent. The resulting flag kick from Jamie-Lee Gale came in high, and under heavy pressure, Schroeder pushed the ball up, and as it came down, Duncanson was on hand to score from close range.
Perth hit back impressively and forced four corners in a two minute spell. Jess Flannery’s curlers to the near post were tough for Balcatta to defend, and from one such set piece, Archibald saw a shot pushed off for a corner. McCartney then lifted a shot from the edge of the box which Rebecca Bennett pushed over for another corner.
Etna responded strongly. Gale powered along the flank and hit a ball towards the box from the left that came off Nossent’s arm, and a free-kick was awarded parallel with the penalty spot. Meakins’ effort was deflected out by Nossent for a corner.
Above: Jaime Duncanson (centre dark blue shirt) turns away after scoring for Balcatta Etna. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
With Balcatta now on top, they created a further two golden opportunities. A superbly timed through ball from Zoee Spadano on the left in her own half, released Gale who advanced to be one-on-one with Schroeder. She rounded the keeper, but Matilda Boehm blocked superbly. The rebound fell for Lucy Jerram, but this time McCartney got her foot in the way. Outstanding work from the Perth defence.
Pete Rakic’s side were looking to keep the Azzurri at arms-length. They were extremely quick to push up to close down when Perth were in possession in the attacking half. In a bid to try and solve the puzzle posed by Balcatta, McAllister was dropping back deeper in a bid to gain possession and drive forward. Just before the half hour mark, she came good by hitting a shot centrally from the edge of the box that Bennett held.
Perth ended the half with two further opportunities – first Ruby Marshall hit a wickedly curling cross shot from the right that flew goal wards until Bennett just managed to push it away.
Then, Archibald danced along the right and cut in to fire a shot that Bennett got down to at her near post.
The second half saw few clear cut chances, but what ones there were, largely went Balcatta’s way. In addition, they always seemed to have a dark blue shirt there to block anything the hardworking Azzurri threw at them.
Above: Balcatta Etna goalkeeper Rebecca Bennett gets down to save Maja Archibald (10)’s shot. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
It took until just before the hour mark before the next chance. Mia Britton showed searing pace to break along the right to feed Rachel Jarvis who let fly centrally from 25 yards, but Schroeder saved excellently in the Perth goal.
Once more, Perth’s outstanding defending kept out the opposition. With 67 minutes played, Jerram ran along the left and cut in to play a low ball across the box for the onrushing Meakins, but Longmore read the danger and got in a superb block.
Shortly afterwards, Schroeder was called upon again when Meakins broke through the centre to release Gale, but the Perth custodian pushed the danger away for a corner.
With eight minutes remaining, Jess Flannery got a shot away in the box that led to penalty shouts and claims it came back off a defender’s arm, but referee Samia Omar was unmoved.
As the game moved towards stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes, two Etna substitutes combined to create the final chance of the game. Sofija Nikoloska released Britton along the right to advance and fire in a shot that Schroeder repelled at her near post.
Above: Balcatta Etna players celebrate their NPLW WA Night Series victory after the final whistle. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
Balcatta saw out the two minutes of stoppage time to win their second NPLW WA Night Series trophy.
Perth had defended brilliantly, and worked diligently in an attempt to get their weapons into positions to hit back. In a game ultimately of small margins, they couldn’t quite grab an equaliser.
As all eyes now turn to next week’s opening round of the 2025 NPLW WA season, Balcatta have laid down a marker. Rakic’s side have been extremely impressive across their five matches of the pre-season Night Series.
A largely settled side with a handful of extremely talented new faces who have proven their quality at this level in recent years, his team have scored 16 goals in these games, conceding only three. They go into the league campaign with a great chance to bring more silverware to Grindleford Reserve this year.
However, with a new style and threat coming together at Fremantle City, Perth SC’s extremely young and talented new team, Perth RedStar’s perennial quality and threat, plus a developing new group at the Football West Academy before you even consider the growth at Subiaco, Murdoch University Melville and UWA-Nedlands, it’s looking like the closest ever season in the NPLW WA is ahead.
Above: Balcatta Etna in the huddle in front of the big crowd at the Sam Kerr Football Centre last night. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
Visit our Instagram page – @ImpetusFootball – to see more of Rob Lizzi’s images from the match.
Above: the scoreboard at Anfield. Photo: @LiverpoolFCW on X
Liverpool beat Manchester United 3-1 at Anfield on Friday evening, thanks to an Olivia Smith brace and a Nagano goal.
When Liverpool men play Manchester United, the walls of Anfield ring with the voices of over 60,000 fans desperate to see their team take bragging rights against their fiercest rivals. The two most successful English clubs in the men’s game have an enmity that is rarely surpassed; stronger than other regional conflicts, there is deep-rooted emotion steeped in the histories of Manchester and Liverpool. The two cities of the industrial-North share an unparalleled passion for football; in the men’s game transfers between the clubs do not happen, and games are frenetic.
The region has also been home to some of women’s football’s most important historical figures – such as Lily Parr and the Dick-Kerr Ladies, who famously defied the FA’s 1921 directive that women should not be allowed to play football. It is arguable that the area should be at the forefront of the women’s game today rather than besieged by off-pitch headlines and overshadowed by their London peers.
Fans and pundits have often complained that the WSL lacks rivalry between clubs that have traditionally always been at odds. Whilst Arsenal and Chelsea have forged their rivalry due to their domination of England’s women’s football landscape, clubs farther from London have struggled to replicate this competitiveness.
This showed on Friday evening as Liverpool hosted Manchester United at Anfield in the WSL for the first time. Ahead of the game, United manager Marc Skinner spoke of the ‘spirits’ of Anfield; interim Liverpool boss Amber Whiteley talked about the importance of the Anfield crowd.
They were urging match-going fans to create the noise that forces games between their clubs’ men’s teams to become more than a tactical game of football. This noise is perhaps what those fans and pundits want the league to develop – the pure passion of taking on a fierce rival that can be seen in the International game, and in other leagues (such as Frauen-Bundesliga games between Bayern and Wolfsburg).
Above: Bayern Munich v Wolfsburg, 14/03/2025. Photo: FC Bayern / Eva Dippold
On this cold Friday at Anfield, they were not successful. A relatively meagre crowd did not create the noise Anfield is known for; but to be fair, they were given little reason to for the first hour of the game.
Manchester United, sitting above Liverpool in the table and on a seven-game winning streak, dominated the opening stages. Despite this, they did not score, and did not really create that much. Over 60% possession with little to show for it, United missed chances from Terland and Clinton, and looked fatigued and flat.
Liverpool’s main strength was their patience. They were patient on the ball, carefully choosing passes that would give them the most momentum. United let them do this, and there was little tenacity from the visitors. When Liverpool did have the chance to break forward, they were confident and took advantage of an uncharacteristically poor showing from the United defence. The team that had only conceded six goals in fifteen games conceded their seventh and eighth and quickly looked bereft of ideas.
The home side were also physical, acting as if they did realise in the end that this was supposed to be a game between two intense rivals. They prodded at United in the hopes of getting them to make sloppy decisions, and this proved successful when they were awarded a penalty to make it 3-0.
United showed more impetus following the introduction of Sandberg, Miyazawa and Malard. However, these substitutions came in the 69th minute when the game was already beyond reach at 3-0, and there was little real impact the newcomers could make. The one positive for United came just before full-time, when Maya Le Tissier got on the end of a Miyazawa cross to make it 3-1.
Liverpool interim boss Whiteley makes it three wins from three. She has also implemented enough organisation and confidence that the Liverpool hierarchy will surely be looking at making her position permanent. For United, the outlook is less positive – their hopes of Champions League football and a top-3 finish now rely on achieving positive results against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
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