The Western Sydney Wanderers NPL Women’s side were defeated 5-4 at Wanderers Football Park following a miraculous comeback by the Macarthur side.
The Western Sydney Wanderers NPL Women’s side returned home to take on the Macarthur Rams in what shaped up to be a six-point game for both sides battling the threat of relegation.
It was the Rams who fired first as Amelia Cassar and India Breier linked up to punish their former sides, with Breier finding Cassar in behind for the Rams’ opener.
Miriam Zumaya equalised shortly thereafter, finding herself at the back post to tap in from a corner following a defensive mix-up by the opposition.
Moments later, Chelsea Barton scored her first goal of the season as her lobbed header beat the Rams’ keeper following a fantastically placed corner by Talia Younis.
Amy Chessari looked to have scored our third, but her chance went over the bar as the Wanderers pushed to double their lead.
India Breier levelled the game with a shot from just inside the box that rolled past Aimee Hall. The Rams equalised against the run of play, although the goal didn’t last long, as Younis played in Amy Barker after an exquisite piece of play to put the Wanderers back in front just before halftime.
The half-time break beckoned, and it was the Wanderers who started the second half on the front foot. Younis saw her strike go wide of the goal, followed by a pinpoint free kick that was saved by Talia Franco.
What seemed like the crowning moment of the game came when Millie Bennett headed an Alvina Khoshaba pinpoint cross into the back of the net for Amy Chessari to tap in.
The Rams levelled the game with two goals in five minutes — Halle Thomas collected her goal at the back post, and Cassar scored directly from a corner.
Sakura Nojima put the Rams back in front with four minutes remaining, latching onto a loose ball to smash in the winner.
The Wanderers will be left disappointed with the result, as conceding three goals in the final fifteen minutes saw them throw away what looked to be three points that could have edged them toward safety with five games remaining in the season.
They take on league leaders Bulls FC on Sunday at Northbridge Oval in what looks to be a must-win if they want to avoid an eight-game winless run.
