Bulls FC Academy were held to a 1-1 draw against Manly United at a wet and windy Cromer Park on Sunday evening in the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition.
Isabella Coco Di Sipio scored in the first half to put the visiting Bulls ahead, but her goal was cancelled out by an Anita Zordan penalty late in the second half.
The first chance of the game came inside the opening 60 seconds, a loose ball near halfway was volleyed toward goal, Mio Nemoto watching it sail just wide.
Zordan looked in the mood, letting fly after a cleared corner again on the volley, her well struck effort lacking direction.
On 15 minute the visitors had a golden chance after a defensive error from Manly, Petria Phillips unable to capitalise, her effort blocked on the line by Chloe O’Brien.
As the Bulls grew into the game, Manly threatened from a set piece, the clearance once more falling to Zordan with the same result again, shot going just wide.
With 10 minutes to go until the break, Coco Di Sipio picked up the ball on the left, cut on to her right and forced Nicole Simonsen into a good save.
From the resulting corner, again the Bulls threatened, this time Tamires Souza rose highest, forcing Simonsen into a fingertip save.
The pressure then paid dividends as the Bulls hit the front via Coco Di Sipio.
Another well taken corner was delivered into the area finding the Bulls attacker who headed the ball beyond Simonsen to record her 11th goal of the season.
Coco Di Sipio was proving a nuisance and came close with a flicked on header shortly after, the ball going just wide.
Manly survived a scare at the start of the second half, trying to play out of the back, Claudia Valletta arriving just an inch too late.
Ten minutes into the second period the Bulls should have doubled their advantage, Coco Di Sipio on the end of a delightful pass from Jynaya Dos Santos, sending her uncontrolled effort well over the bar.
With the clock ticking, Manly was awarded a penalty after a Nicole Stuart cross found Zordan who was take down, the referee pointing to the spot.
Zordan brushed herself off to take the spot kick and despite Nemoto getting a strong hand to the penalty, she could not keep the ball out.
That goal gave the home side confidence as they pushed for a winner.
Ellie Kerr came off the bench and offered a spark, poking a ball through for Stuart who couldn’t bring the ball under control.
Both teams went in search of the three points late with the game really opening up at both ends of the park.
But in the end, they had to share the points.
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Macarthur Rams suffered a 4-1 loss at home to Illawarra Stingrays in their NPLW match on the weekend.
The Stingrays were quick to get the goals flowing in the opening 45 as Siobhan Edwards smartly held off her defender before squaring the ball to Caitlin Cooper, who shifted the ball onto her left foot and let fly from range with a quality strike that bobbled into the bottom left corner in the 17th minute.
The Stingrays scored again five minutes later to extend their lead to 2-0.
On the stroke of half an hour, they scored again to go 3-0 up, which was also the halftime scoreline.
Rams showed plenty of urgency early in the second half and scored in the 63rd minute courtesy of a goal by Sophia Brokenshire.
The visitors scored their fourth with a minute left on the clock; 4-1 at fulltime.