The Western Sydney Wanderers NPL Women’s team have secured their first win of their inaugural season, defeating Sydney Olympic 3-1 at Wanderers Football Park on Sunday.
The Western Sydney Wanderers have officially opened their NPL 1 Women’s account following a relentless performance that saw them walk away 3-1 victors over Sydney Olympic.
The Red & Black set their sights on bouncing back from last week’s disappointing loss against Manly United and made sure to put previous results behind them as they stormed home in front of the Rooty Hill faithful on Sunday night.
The Wanderers began the game with two changes from last week with Talia Younis and Gemma Ferris coming into the starting eleven.
Miriam Zumaya opened the scoring in the twentieth minute for the Wanderers following an exceptional Talia Kapetanellis long ball that found Zumaya in acres of space.
Zumaya bypassed Tara Baudana with a great piece of dribbling as she rocketed it past goalkeeper Brianna Clarke for the opener.
The Wanderers couldn’t extend their lead before half-time, but they kept the pressure on, dominating the attack and forcing Sydney Olympic to stay locked in their own half.
Sydney Olympic came out in the second half with a renewed attacking intent as Maxine Peak shrugged off Alvina Khoshaba to put away the equaliser within four minutes of the restart.
Olympic’s momentum was short lived, as Kapetanellis picked up her second assist of the match finding Anika Stajcic with a curling ball into the box to put the Wanderers back in front.
Stajcic continued her impressive form, scoring in back-to-back games. She nearly added an assist as well, with Brooklyn Hudson’s shot destined for the back of the net – only to be denied by a brilliant save from Olympic’s Brianna Clarke.
Defender Ferris delivered the final blow to Olympic, calmly finishing a chaotic sequence in the box.
A corner kick forced a save from the keeper, followed by a goal-line clearance by Baudana, but the ball ultimately fell to Ferris, who made no mistake in securing the Wanderers first win of the season.
Zumaya and Kapetanellis made their mark against tough opposition, showcasing their attacking strength from start to finish. Meanwhile, Estella Camera and Hudson impressed off the bench, making a strong case for a starting spot next weekend.
Overall, it was a performance to be proud of, as the Wanderers displayed their attacking firepower and potential against one of the league’s top defensive sides.
The Wanderers finish the round in seventh as they look to face the undefeated the Illawarra United Stingrays next week.
