MATCH OF THE ROUND
Southern & Ettalong 0 – 3 Killarney
Killarney entered the final round of the season as the only undefeated team in the competition, a reflection of the squad’s outstanding commitment and consistency all year as the Terriers look to make history by finishing the year with zero losses.
With finals on the horizon, the team approached this match with the same focus and professionalism as every other game, ensuring preparation remained the priority.
Southern & Ettalong, a young and spirited team who have recorded impressive results against second and third place this season, were never to be underestimated, particularly on their home ground.
From the opening whistle, Killarney asserted themselves, immediately putting the Southern goalkeeper under sustained pressure. It took only six minutes for the League Champions to break the deadlock after a sequence of excellent build-up play, finished clinically by Orianna Evans to make it 1–0.
The first half was largely dominated by Killarney, who demonstrated their ability to control possession and dictate the tempo. Golden Boot contender Candice Phalen was relentless, recording five shots on target before halftime, though an uneven playing surface made clean strikes difficult.
Credit must be given to Southern’s goalkeeper, who was fearless across the half, making strong saves and denying Killarney from extending their lead further.
The second half continued in much the same fashion, with Killarney maintaining control across the pitch. Southern Ettalong showed their progress this season and their determination by working tirelessly to resist Killarney’s constant attacking pressure.
The breakthrough finally came in the 59th minute when a pinpoint delivery found Phalen inside the box, and she calmly converted to extend the lead to 2–0.
The game remained competitive despite the challenging surface, but Killarney’s midfield dictated proceedings, restricting Southern to very limited possession.
In a match played with intensity, credit must also go to the referee who officiated with consistency, clarity, and a strong focus on player safety, ensuring the game flowed positively and fairly for both sides.
Even as the game wore on, Southern’s spirit never wavered, and their goalkeeper, Harzl Lippl, continued to impress with her determination and bravery.
However, Killarney’s persistence was again rewarded in the 75th minute when Phalen, showing why she is in contention for the Golden Boot, reacted first to a loose ball in the area and finished decisively to seal a 3-0 victory.
From there, Killarney comfortably managed possession, closing out the match with composure and discipline.
While the final scoreline reflected another strong performance, there was due respect for Southern Ettalong’s effort and improvement across the season.
As coach, I couldn’t be prouder of this group,” stated Sarah Hudson.
“Their commitment, hard work, and humility is what have kept us undefeated to this point, but our attention now turns to finals. We will continue to prepare as we always do, trust our process, focus on what we can control, and above all else, enjoy playing the game we love.”
Match Official – Graeme Gurr
East Gosford 5 – 1 Terrigal
In a game of two halves, East Gosford showed their championship pedigree ahead of finals as 2025 Golden Boot winner Jess Dominello seems to be back to her best at the right time of the year, netting a hat-trick ahead of their Major Semi-Final with League Champions Killarney this weekend.
It took East Gosford only five minutes to open the scoring as a long throw-in found Noni Wheeler inside the box as she took one touch before firing into the top corner to give the Rams a 1-0 lead.
East Gosford doubled their lead on the 10-minute mark as Terrigal were looking to play across the backline. High pressure from Jess Dominello saw the opposition centre back turn the ball over on halfway as Dominello drove to goal and finished inside the box for her first of the day.
Dominello made it 3-0 inside twenty minutes, after a well-delivered corner found the unmarked run of Jess who headed home from close range.
Terrigal pulled a goal back five minutes later. Winning the ball in the middle of the pitch, Georgah Shearim played the ball out wide to Gabriella Healey who dribbled past her defender before unleashing a long-range effort that the East Gosford keeper couldn’t keep out.
But the Rams would reinstate their three-goal lead just a minute later as Jess Dominello evaded Terrigal’s offside trap to find herself again one-on-one, and again, she fired the ball into the back of the net for a first-half hat-trick.
Despite being 4-1 down at halftime, Terrigal looked like a way better team in the second period. Their passing improved, and the team pushed on until the final minute.
The only goal of the second half came from Annika Hansen who was played the ball on the top of the box, striking the ball first time that looked to be claimed by the keeper, but the shot was misjudged, and the ball crept into the goal for the final goal of the day.
“This season has been a hard-fought battle every week,” stated Cait Walker. “Having only 14 players available and then suffering lots of injuries. I believe we only played one game this season with our whole team available.”
“I always said this was a building year with mostly rookies in the team. I am proud of the effort we have shown, and looking back we lost a couple we could have won, but that’s football.”
Match Official – Stephen Wrightson
Umina 4 – 1 Kanwal
Umina records one of their biggest victories of the season as they look to carry the momentum into the Finals Series. However, the E-Gals still have plenty to work on ahead of their do-or-die semi-final with Kincumber this Saturday.
This past Sunday for Umina was a game where they missed their easy chances and scored the hard ones.
Starting the game on the front foot at their fortress Umina Oval, they enjoyed some early one-on-one chances that they couldn’t convert, firing straight at the Kanwal keeper.
Umina eventually went ahead on the scoreline when Tori Sheriff broke down the right-hand side and hit a shot from near the sideline over the goalkeeper’s head.
Umina created more chances as the opening period came to a close but were unable to convert before half-time as the score remained 1-0 in favour of the home side.
Another positive start to the second half saw Amber Mangan score the second goal from a corner, but their 2-goal lead wouldn’t last long as Kanwal got a goal back through their top goal scorer in 2025, Hayley Green.
Umina reinstated their three-goal lead in the 71st minute thanks to youngster Tasha Reid who was backing up after playing the 18’s semi-final earlier that day. Reid scored a spectacular goal that was her first ever in WPL.
Umina had further chances to extend their lead but again were unable to make the most of their golden opportunities until they produced another great goal from Alison Chudacek who rifled home a volley from a corner for the game’s fifth and final goal.
“Although the players didn’t feel like it was a great performance, we comfortably got the result we needed,” said Dave Brewer.
“We had to rely again on our under 18’s that had played a semi-final earlier in the day just to field a full team again. The team worked hard all game again and got the goals they deserved to secure our finals spot which was our goal from the start of the year.”
Match Official – Larry Jenkins
The Entrance 0 – 2 Kincumber
Round 22 saw The Entrance host Kincumber in what has been a fiery battle throughout 2025. However, with The Entrance missing key midfielders and carrying injuries, it was always going to be a tall ask, including a blustery wind that swept across the field, wreaking havoc on play.
Kincumber came out the stronger of the two sides, winning nearly every 50/50 ball and peppering The Entrance’s goal within the first 10 minutes.
Keeper Cara Maxwell was in fine form, pulling off a string of diving saves to keep the scoreline even.
Unfortunately, at the 11-minute mark, Olivia Melenewycz unleashed a powerful strike that Cara managed to get a hand to, only for the ball to burst through into the back of the net.
Not long after, a defensive error from The Entrance gifted Kincumber’s Nina Boije Af Gennas a simple finish, doubling the score to 2-0.
Just before halftime, the match took a worrying turn when striker Nyah Kay, after a sharp turn, went down clutching her knee, the same knee that had kept her sidelined last season.
With the result not changing The Entrance’s position on the table, the decision was made to keep Nyah out for the remainder of the game as a precaution.
The Entrance returned after the break with renewed energy, but the swirling wind continued to disrupt play.
A tactical switch saw Emily Weston pushed forward to join Ruby Watt in attack. Both worked tirelessly, running down every ball and trying to spark opportunities against a stubborn Kincumber backline.
Ruby’s constant pressing and Emily’s drive to push forward gave The Entrance glimpses of hope, even if clear chances were hard to come by.
In the 75th minute, captain Tarra Southern made the call to sub herself off, handing Kaela Ida her chance on the field. Kaela made the most of it, forcing the Kincumber keeper into a diving save after a dangerous strike on goal.
There were some promising passages of play from The Entrance, with Jade Hawes, Lisa Bullivant, and Angela Cabarrus linking up beautifully through the midfield, only for Kincumber’s defence to crush those chances at the very last moment.
The match ended 2-0 to Kincumber, a frustrating result for The Entrance after some moments of promise.
This closes their first season back in the WPL after a long hiatus. Next season they will be back with one goal in mind and that is to be finals-bound after coming agonisingly close in 2025.
“Kincumber showed why they finished third, they have quality players across key positions,” voiced Simon Adnan-Berry.
“I’m extremely proud of our girls they had a solid season and never gave up, and today’s game was another great example, keeping Kincumber scoreless in the second and half. It was the first season in the top-flight football I’m confident we will be playing finals football in 2026”
“Credit to Tarra and the Entrance girls for a great competitive game played in good spirits,” reflected Tamer Mansour.
“It has been a long season for us with injuries and lack of depth in the club, but it was great to finish the last round with a win and end the regular season on a high. Now our focus goes to semifinals, hopefully we will have enough players!”
Match Official – Shane Duarte
Golden Boot Standings –
| 22 | Jessica Dominello (East Gosford) |
| 18 | Candice Phelan (Killarney) |
| 14 | Kelly Hogan (East Gosford), Hayley Green (Kanwal) |
| 13 | Ruby Watt (Entrance) |
| 11 | Kate Styles (Umina), Olivia Melenewycz (Kincumber) |
| 10 | Georgah Shearim (Terrigal) |
Points Table –
Division 1
Round 8 Results –
Points Table –
