Both Bulls FC Academy and Macarthur Rams posted victories in round 5 of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition.
Rams won a seven goal thriller 4-3 at Lynwood Park, while the Bulls women recorded a 1-0 victory in a tough clash with Sydney University.
The opening 40 minutes was well-fought between Bulls FC and Uni, with both defences cautious not to allow their opposition in behind.
It was clear that it would take a moment of magic to unlock a real attacking opportunity for either side.
The Bulls would do exactly that in the 42nd minute after pressuring the Sydney Uni midfield into giving up possession just outside of the 18-yard box.
A squared pass was then played to Tamires Souza by Daniella Naeimi, which the Bulls No. 10 undertook with great flair to shift the ball past her defender and set up Isabella Coco-Di Sipio in open space for a well-taken strike past the goalkeeper.
Though Uni never gave up trying to find a goal, the Bulls were able to withstand the pressure and collect the three premiership points.
Across town at Lynwood Park it was different story in the clash between the Rams and Newcastle Jets.
Three losses and a win to begin the 2025 campaign had last year’s championship winners, Macarthur Rams, sitting in 10th place ahead of round five.
Hosting an improved Newcastle Jets team would have been seen as a difficult challenge for the Rams at this stage of the season.
But nobody could have predicted the flurry of goals in the opening 20 minutes.
Jets surprised the home side by taking the lead in the third minute from a free kick that eluded the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Issabella Coelho.
The Rams did not take long to respond in kind, though.
In the seventh minute Sakura Nojima found herself in acres of space after a defensive miscommunication from the Jets allowed the Rams No. 10 to slip in behind and tuck the ball into an empty net
Nojima was involved in her side’s second as the played a lovely ball into the path of Halle Callow, who then set up Tea Mucenski at the far post for an easy finish and a 2-1 lead to the home side.
The Jets made it 2-2 seven minutes from the break, and the teams trundled off at half time all locked up.
Buoyed by their strong end to the first half, the Jets were the first to strike, scoring in the 60th minute to grab a 3-2 lead.
However, Macarthur did not have to wait long to score an equaliser.
Just two minutes later a stellar build up was capped off by Claire Corbett’s quality pass to Mucenski, who notched her brace with an assured chip over Robertson.
The winning goal for the Rams would arrive courtesy of their ever-present No. 10, who took on three Jets defenders in her stride toward the goal and won out in the end before placing an excellent finish into the bottom left corner to give her side a 4-3 lead in the 75th minute.
