Macarthur FC Bulls Academy have jumped to first place on the NPLW ladder after their round 20 away win over Illawarra Stingrays.
Just one goal was all the Bulls needed to go to top of the ladder for the first time this season.
In what was a good round for both the Macarthur women’s teams in the competition, Macarthur Rams also won on the road, after a goal fest against Western Sydney Wanderers.
The three premiership points enabled the Rams to put a bit more distance between them and bottom placed Newcastle.
But most of the attention was on the battle between first and second when the Bulls headed to the Illawarra to take on competition leaders Stingrays.
The idea of first versus second in any football league always promises to be a fantastic match, but in the context of this NPL Women’s season, where several teams are still capable of winning the premiership, this was a pivotal moment.
Fittingly, the first half was an action-packed opening 45 minutes characterised by last-ditch tackles and plenty of attacking opportunities.
A standout moment in the 15th minute saw Bulls defensive stalwart Elizabeth Grey clear the ball away on the goal line when a Stingrays corner led to a header on target.
The Bulls went ahead in the 24th minute via a goal from Isabella Coco-Di Sipio.
In response to a well-taken corner into the near post, Coco-Di Sipio broke away from her defender to steal in unmarked at the near post for a tidy finish over goalkeeper Brianna Edwards.
After pushing for an equaliser throughout the rest of the first half and much of the second 45, the Stingrays found an opportunity when a Bulls defender gave away a penalty due to handball.
Alexia Karrys-Stahl stepped up for her side, but her strike was heroically saved by Mio Nemoto, dropping to her right side and then clearing the loose ball.
The save kept the Bulls in the lead and ensured that they ultimately took the three points back with them to Sydney.
It was raining goals at Wanderers Football Park when Western Sydney Wanderers hosted Macarthur Rams.
It’s fair to say that both the Western Sydney Wanderers and the Macarthur Rams will have been hoping to be placed higher up the ladder by this point in their respective campaigns.
The Wanderers have found wins hard to come by as their season has gone on, whilst the Rams have gone from the dizzying highs of three championships in a row to now fighting against relegation.
The Wanderers went into this game in 12th spot on the ladder, and the Rams just below them in second-last.
A precision ball from India Breier helped the Rams open the scoring in the 20th minute, when Amelia Cassar raced in behind to put the finishing touch on a terrific pass.
Six minutes later the Wanderers made it 1-1, and the floodgates were opened.
Just 60 seconds later they made it 2-1 off a header.
It took the Rams seven minutes to strike back and make it 2-2 courtesy of Breier.
A composed finish from Amelia Bennett allowed the Wanderers to retake the lead and head to the dressing sheds at 3-2.
Nineteen minutes it was looking grim for the Rams, after the deficit was extended to 4-2.
But the Macarthur girls were determined not to leave Wanderers Football Park without a point and scored their third of the evening in the 76th minute when Sakura Nojima knocked a sensational ball into the box down for substitute Halle Thomas to chip in.
Cassar levelled the scores in phenomenal fashion in the 79th minute after her in-swinging corner bypassed the crowded penalty area and bested an outstretched Aimee Hall to loop into the goal and a 4-4 scoreline.
Dramatically, the Rams then completed an outstanding comeback in the 87th minute when a corner led to a header across goal that Nojima latched onto and buried confidently to put the Rams ahead at 5-4.
The Wanderers gave away a penalty late on in the 90th minute after bringing down a tricky Breier inside the box. The Rams attacker then stepped up to take her own spot kick but was denied by the post.
But it didn’t matter because the 5-4 win and three vital points were in the bag and heading back to Lynwood Park.