After an eventful Round 4 in the Umbro All Age Ladies 1 competition, a reshuffled top four has emerged, highlighted by St Christopher’s claiming their first win of the season to climb the ladder.
This weekend’s Match of the Round sees the undefeated East Bankstown side welcome Central Sydney Wolves to Gosling Park in what promises to be a highly competitive encounter.
Match of the Round: East Bankstown vs Central Sydney Wolves, Sunday 9th May 3pm @ Gosling Park
Previous Meeting: East Bankstown 2-4 Central Sydney Wolves – 2024 Preliminary Final
East Bankstown will be aiming to preserve their status as the competition’s only undefeated team as they prepare to take on Central Sydney Wolves this weekend. The Wolves, however, will be looking to draw on their strong recent history against East Bankstown to gain the upper hand once again.
The last time these two sides met was in last season’s preliminary final, where Central Sydney Wolves eliminated East Bankstown from the competition with a hard-fought 4-2 victory after extra time. In fact, the Wolves held a clear advantage over Easts throughout the 2024 campaign, winning three of their four encounters. Across those four meetings, the Wolves outscored East Bankstown 13-9, showcasing their attacking edge. However, given both sides form to begin the 2024 season, this weekend’s fixture promises to be a much tighter contest.
East Bankstown, currently sitting in 2nd place, have a crucial opportunity to climb to the top of the table. With a game in hand over league leaders Revesby Workers, a win this weekend combined with victory in their Round 3 catch-up match would see East Bankstown rise to the summit of the ladder after the first five rounds of the competition.
Their most recent outing in Round 4 against Bankstown Sports Stars proved to be their toughest test of the season so far. For the first time this year, East Bankstown found themselves trailing in a match, as the Stars opened the scoring within the first 10 minutes and took a 1-0 lead into halftime. Easts responded in the 53rd minute through Chiara Nohra, only to fall behind again in the 70th minute. But with time ticking down, their experienced Amy Peters stepped up with a clutch equaliser in the 93rd minute, salvaging a 2-2 draw and preserving East Bankstown’s unbeaten start.
Defensively, East Bankstown remain the standout side in the competition, having conceded just three goals across their opening three rounds. That defensive improvement will be vital this weekend, especially considering they allowed 13 goals in their three losses to Central Sydney Wolves last season. They’ll be eager to showcase their growth and keep the Wolves’ attack quiet this time around. On the attacking end, expect Pia Livas to play a key role—she scored in three of their four meetings with the Wolves last year and remains one of the most dangerous forwards in the competition.
Meanwhile, Central Sydney Wolves find themselves in 5th place and are still searching for consistency after a rocky start to their 2025 AAL1 campaign. With just one win from their opening three matches, the Wolves will be determined to produce an upset against the undefeated East Bankstown and kick-start their climb back into the top four. Their sole victory came in Round 2 against St Christopher’s, where they held on to a narrow 1-0 lead to secure three points.
The Wolves’ most recent match was a grand final rematch against current league leaders Revesby Workers, and although they started brightly, they couldn’t maintain their early momentum. Star signing Dina Kamoun opened the scoring in the 4th minute, and the Wolves managed to contain Revesby’s potent attack for much of the game. However, the floodgates opened late, and they were ultimately handed a heavy 6-1 defeat after conceding six goals in the final 30 minutes.
Despite their form struggles, Central Sydney Wolves will be hoping their strong record against East Bankstown gives them a psychological edge. Last season, they knocked Easts out in the preliminary final and claimed three wins in four meetings. One key absence this season, though, is Yasmine Abou Hamed, who scored six goals against East Bankstown last year but is unavailable. The Wolves will now look to other sources for goals, with hopes that Dina Kamoun, fresh off her first goal in Wolves colours, can be the X-factor—especially since East Bankstown have yet to face her.
This match promises to be another intense chapter in what’s become a fiery rivalry. East Bankstown will be seeking redemption after last season’s heartbreak, while Central Sydney Wolves will look to reignite their campaign with a statement win over one of the competition’s top contenders.
