Another Interesting weekend of football in our Umbro Women’s Premier League competition as this year’s competition looks like it could be anyone’s for the taking.
Our Match of the Round saw an East Bankstown Yellow low on troops defeated by a Revesby Workers White who get their first win of the season in a grand final rematch.
Elsewhere, East Bankstown Red go back-to-back as they narrowly defeated last year’s grand finalists Birrong Sports, while Georges River Thistle get their first win of the season as they eased past a Revesby Workers Maroon who were firing in round 1.
Match of the Round: East Bankstown Yellow 2-4 Revesby Workers White
Revesby White left it late as they defeated Easts Yellow 4-2 in a grand final rematch that could have gone either way.
Easts Yellow looked to be low on numbers coming into this game with 9 of their first team players available and one player needing to be borrowed from their All-Age Division 3 team, leaving them with 10 players for the game.
However, with only 9 players starting the game, it was Easts Yellow who would start the game on the front foot with their number 7, Kamley Ibrahim finding the back of the net in the 7th minute to give her side a 1-0 lead.
With Workers White on the back foot and a goal down it was their turn to push for an equaliser.
Workers White equaliser would come in the 16th minute of the game as it was now their number 7, Samantha Ponce who’s attempt on goal found it’s way into the back of the net to draw the game all square.
With the game all square, and both sides looking to play a strong attacking brand of football, the game felt as if it wouldn’t take long before we would see another goal in this game.
Come of the 27th minute of the game, Easts Yellow would have their breakthrough goal when through a corner by Jessica Casagrande which Workers keeper Louise Cousins attempted to save before it hit her hand and fell into the net.
In an extremely end to end game with both teams showing off their fire power in attack, there would be one more turn in the tail of an exciting first half as Revesby’s young attacker Karen Bennett would get her team a goal in the 38th minute to lock both sides up at 2-2 going into halftime.
Easts Yellow would have another second half where fatigue would become an issue as the one female disadvantage would prove to be costly.
Although both teams looked to create chances as they pushed to find the winner, it wouldn’t be till the 70th minute where Workers Samantha Ponce would get her brace to give her side a 3-2 lead.
Easts Yellow would continue to push for an equaliser; however, Workers Danielle Merlino would find the back of the net to make the score 4-2 and end East’s hope of a comeback.
Revesby White first win of the season takes themselves up to 2nd place in the competition as they remain undefeated, while Easts Yellow are still without a point this season as they sit in 6th spot.
East Bankstown Red 1-0 Birrong Sports
East Bankstown Red have won back-to-back games to start their season as they defeated Birrong Sports 1-0 in a game where defence looked to be key.
Easts Red looked to have the same problems as Easts Yellow with only 9 of their first team players available for the game with one player being borrowed from their All-Age Ladies Division 3 team to bring their total players to ten for the game.
Easts Red looked to be strong in defence early with a player disadvantage as Birrong looked to create chances early.
With Easts Red defending well early, it would be their side who would find the first and only goal in the match in the 31st minute of the match with their number 2, Samarah Bayrouti finding the back of the net to give her side a 1-0 advantage.
The sides would go into halftime with Easts Red having the advantage.
With a player down and a goal advantage, Easts Red looked to come out at halftime to defend their 1-goal advantage.
The second half it was Birrong who created the better of the chances but were unable to convert as Easts defend well but continued to create chances as they looked to get a 2-goal advantage to give themselves some breathing room.
The game would end 1-0 to Easts Red giving them their second win back-to-back as they lead the competition.
Revesby Workers Maroon 1-7 Georges River Thistle
Revesby Maroon had a dream start to their season in round 1, however, they struggled against the 2022 champions Georges River Thistle as Thistle won the game 7-1 after an influx of their 2022 players joined the team after round 1.
After a shock first round loss to Easts Red, it was Thistle who hit the ground running in this match with their number 6, Monica Nolevski scoring the first goal of the match to give Thistle a 1-0 advantage in the 11th minute of the match.
Georges River Thistle would double their lead in the 23rd minute of the match when Hayley Stone found the back of the net to make it 2-0.
Jorja Murray, who scored 4 goals in this fixture last year, would find the back of the net in the 27th minute to make it 3-0 with Thistle’s number 7 Brooke Williams hitting the back of the net 9 minutes later to make it 4-0 going into halftime.
With Revesby Maroon struggling in the first half, they would have a challenge in the next 45 minutes to get back into this match.
Thistle would start the second half as they ended the first as Jorja Murray would get her second goal in the 53rd minute giving Thistle a 5-0 lead.
Thistle’s number 3, Courtney Mcgee would score their sixth goal in the 57th minute.
Revesby Maroon would finally net their first goal of the game in the 67th minute through a goal by Marissa Tsimboukis bringing their score back to 6-1 before Thistle’s prolific goalscorer, Candice Prain played her first game of the season as she scored in the 80th minute with the game ending 7-1 to Thistle.
