Round 3 of the National Premier League Women’s sees the return of football in the capital’s top tier, after an Easter weekend gave players an early season break after the opening two matchdays.
The league gets back underway on Friday under the Gungahlin Enclosed lights, having seen the last fixture here postponed three weeks prior, this time round showcasing a match between Gungahlin United, and newcomers Majura FC.
The hosts come into this fixture having got their season underway in impressive fashion in Round 2, with a 3-1 victory at the home of treble-winners Canberra Olympic no less, that saw them put in a strong defensive showing, a quality midfield performance, and clinical finishing in the final third.
The Dickson-based side meanwhile come into Round 3 having lost their first match in the NPLW, going down 4-1 to a flying West Canberra Wanderers at home.
Majura can take positives from their ability to maintain a 1-0 advantage for most of the first period, however a quick-fire Wanderers double before half time to give the away side the lead leaves plenty for Davide Ruberto’s side to work on in advance of this Friday’s meeting.
The match will witness a clash between two of the league’s in-form number nines, with Carmel Lynch coming off the back of a Round 2 goal of the season-contender to maintain her golden boot charge, and Megan Castle proving to be a crucial pickup from Canberra Croatia having scored a brace, with a stunner of her own, at Olympic.
On Sunday, a trio of exciting matches kicks off with Canberra Olympic hosting Tuggeranong United at O’Connor Enclosed, having lost their first two of 2025, despite only tasting defeat once in their entire league campaign last season.
Frank Cachia’s side showed signs of improvement in their 3-1 defeat to the Gunners two weeks ago, and at one point following Nikita Perry’s penalty may have felt like a draw, or even a win was a possibility given the late momentum they had conjured.
Tuggeranong are themselves coming off a less-than desirable start to 2025, having shipped 11 goals to Belconnen United in Round 2, in an utter demolition at Kambah.
The away side won’t take much encouragement from their string of results in recent history against Olympic, having most recently lost 8-0 towards the end of the 2024 season, however in a season where they managed only 7 goals, taking the lead against the champions through Sarah Matthews last campaign will remain a good memory.
Overall, it’s a match which the home side will expect to win, and allow them an opportunity to get back on track.
ANU WFC get their third match of the season started an hour later at Kaleen Enclosed against equal-top of the league West Canberra Wanderers, having lost their opening two matches by convincing margins.
It’s been a difficult start to the new season for a very new-look and inexperienced university side, who took one point from their three matches against the Wanderers last campaign, at one point losing 5-0 in the final matchup between the two of 2024.
With no goals scored and nine conceded so far, ANU are in need of some positivity, however their opponents are not a particularly welcome adversary, having collected six points from six, and sitting equal-top of the league on points, to start their season off with a flourish.
A recent 4-1 dismantling of Majura FC in Round 2, underlined the quality of Steve Rohan-Jones’ side, having preserved the momentum of West Canberra’s strong end to 2024 into the current campaign.
The away side arrive having scored the second-most in the league, and boast a dangerous front-line of 4-goal Tamara Cochrane, coming off back-to-back braces, 2-goal Alex Gidis, and seven other individuals who have contributed despite the earliness of the 2025 campaign.
Elsewhere leaders Belconnen United host Canberra Croatia in a captivating prospect to close out the weekend’s action, at a venue yet to be confirmed.
The Blue Devils are making a lot of early claims for the title already, having first dispatched rivals Olympic comfortably, then dismantled Tuggeranong United 11-0 in Round 2, in a match that displayed the relentless nature of the Federation Cup winners’ attacking gameplan.
Boasting nine different goal-scorers already, in a season where they have bagged 16 goals in two matches, Scott Conlon’s side are shaping up as a formidable opponent, however last season’s second-placed side found matches against Croatia difficult in 2024, scrambling a late 2-1 victory in their last meeting, before being held to a difficult 2-2 draw at home the match before.
Having tasted defeated by a narrow 1-0 margin in the Federation Cup Final as well last campaign, Canberra Croatia will be seeking a statement victory in just their second match of the season, having beaten ANU by a four-goal margin in Round 2, courtesy of two wonder-strikes by Bella Barac and a well-taken brace by Arusha Chew.
A victory against the league leaders would ensure the league take notice of Musie Elongo’s side, and regard them as a firm title-challenger again having fallen well below the mark last campaign.
RESULTS
Friday 25 April
Gungahlin United v Majura FC (Gungahlin Enclosed, 19:30)
Sunday 27 April
ANU WFC v West Canberra Wanderers (ANU South, 15:00)
Belconnen United v Canberra Croatia (McKellar Park, 15:00)
Canberra Olympic v Tuggeranong United (O’Connor Enclosed, 15:00)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | +15 | 6 |
| 2 | West Canberra | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 6 |
| 3 | Canberra Croatia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 3 |
| 4 | Majura FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 3 |
| 5 | Gungahlin United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 |
| 6 | Canberra Olympic | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 0 |
| 7 | ANU WFC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | -9 | 0 |
| 8 | Tuggeranong United | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 16 | -15 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
4: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC)
3: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
2: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United)
1: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Elvein IBRAHIM (West Canberra Wanderers), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Jessica MITCHELL (Tuggeranong United), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
TOP ASSISTS
2: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers)
1: Eliza BAKER (Majura FC), Jamie BERKLEY (Canberra Croatia), Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers, Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Ariana KASHAN (Majura FC), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Olivia MARTINIELLO (Majura FC), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Stephenie NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Abigail RICHARDS (Majura FC), Madison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers), Darby WHITELYEY (Gungahlin United)
Words: Sam Watson
