Round 2 action of the National Premier League Women kicked off on a sunny afternoon at O’Connor Enclosed, in a match that saw Canberra Olympic falter for a second week running, going down 3-1 to an excellent Gungahlin United.
The Gunners began the half on top and capitalised after 25 minutes, after Ginger Oliver’s inch-perfect ball into the penalty area was controlled expertly by new signing Megan Castle, before finishing into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0.
Up until the 61st minute Olympic’s Jelena Josipovic had been effectively coming out of her goal to receive any Gungahlin long balls, however a misplaced clearance from the keeper presented the ball to Megan Castle, who produced a stunning strike from just inside the opposition half to catch Josipovic out and give her side a 2-0 lead, with just under half an hour left.
Having conceded a second, Olympic began to grow more into the game, and were rewarded after second-half substitute Nikita Perry won a penalty, before confidently converting, and capping off a welcome return to O’Connor Enclosed for her, off the back of a devastating injury that ruled out the majority of her 2024 season.
Despite the growing likelihood of an Olympic equaliser in the final stages of the match, Olympic were made to pay for committing numbers forward, as Darby Whiteley broke through two challenges to tee up Bonnie Young who restored the three-goal deficit, having soldiered on just minutes after being on the receiving end of what looked to be a game-ending tackle for her.
Belconnen United made it two wins from two with a thumping 11-0 win over Tuggeranong United at Kambah, and got things started early as Keira Bobbin broke away from two challenges and played a dangerous ball into the box, which Casey Smith diverted into her own net.
Having set up the first Bobbin made it 2-0 four minutes later, after her penalty was initially saved by Maja Dodt, before Lauren Preston’s cross, after sprinting the length of the opposition half, was put in by Jemma Toms for a second Tuggeranong own goal on 29 minutes.
Three minutes later it was 4-0, as Anneke Corry’s cut back allowed Alex Martens to rocket the ball into the roof of the net, before Corry herself grabbed a first Blue Devils goal, having picked up on a loose pass, turned her marker superbly, and finished underneath Dodt in the Tuggeranong net.
Scoring five in one half, Belconnen might have been forgiven for taking their foot of the pedal, however the away side maintained their attacking momentum into the second period.
Three goals in the space of eight minutes rounded the total to eight, first through Bronte Pyke, then an unfortunate second own goal for Casey Smith, before Lauren Preston converted after another effective Belconnen set piece.
The last twenty saw the league leaders continue to put the home side to the sword, as goals to Madeline Steinacker, Liliana Altamore with her first in the NPLW, and Keira Bobbin for a second time, rounded the total to eleven.
Canberra Croatia started their season off with a comfortable three points away at Hawker Football Centre, winning out 4-0 against ANU WFC in one of the later matches on Sunday.
Musie Elongo saw his tenure at the club get off to a successful start following a postponed fixture the week before, as Arusha Chew put the visitors ahead early with a header from close range, following her initial shot striking the crossbar after a pinpoint Jamie Berkeley cross.
Croatia was 2-0 up twenty minutes later following a stunning Bella Barac freekick from well outside the penalty area, with the ball dipping at the perfect moment to evade the outstretched hand of Connie Bishop.
Having only scored once in the regular NPLW season in 2024, Barac quickly doubled her 2025 tally deep into first half stoppage time, striking a second consecutive freekick from long range into the back of the net, to cap off an unbelievable individual first half display.
Arusha Chew settled the contest 13 minutes from time with a second of the afternoon, accurately placing the ball in an open net from outside the area, after Bishop’s blocked clearance left the goal exposed
Majura FC suffered defeat for the first time in the NPLW at the hands of West Canberra Wanderers, who comfortably won the match 4-1 away at Dickson, in a result that made it six points from a possible six to start 2025.
Steve Rohan-Jones’ side however were forced to come back from being behind, as Majura took the lead 14 minutes in through their early-season talisman Carmel Lynch, who did well to win back possession before turning and launching an incredible long-range effort over Gabrielle O’Brien and into the back of the net from just inside the opposition half.
The Wanderers responded just before the break, first through Tamara Cochrane, who controlled and turned her marker superbly, before firing a low shot into the bottom corner, and then through Alex Gidis, who put the away side ahead heading into the half time break, with a quality finish from the corner of the box.
Ten minutes into the second half West Canberra had a two-goal buffer, after a dangerous Alex Gidis corner wasn’t dealt with by Majura, allowing Zoe Halpin to eventually score from close range following a scramble.
The game was put to bed on 65 minutes following a well-weighted ball into the penalty area by Charli Gregson, who supplied an in-form Tamara Cochrane with her second of the match, and her second consecutive brace of 2025 after just two games
RESULTS
ROUND 2
Sunday 13 April
Majura FC 1 (Lynch 14’) West Canberra Wanderers 4 (Cochrane 41’, 65’, Gidis 43’, Halpin 55’)
ANU WFC 0 Canberra Croatia 4 (Chew 11’, 78’, Barac 32’, 45+4’)
Canberra Olympic 1 (Perry 82’ (p)) Gungahlin United 3 (Castle 25’, 62’. Young 90’)
Tuggeranong United 0 Belconnen United 11 (Smith 12’ (og), 55’ (og), Bobbin 16’, 74’, Toms 29’ (og), Martens 32’, Cary 45+1’, Pyke 52’, Preston 60’, Steinacker 70’, Altamore 74’)
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
