The 2025 Emerging Matildas Championships showcased another action-packed day of football.
Day four of the tournament saw the Northern NSW Football squads secure a win and a loss in the quarter-finals.
The under-15s secured a thrilling 2-1 win over Football West to progress through to the semi-finals.
The match was high intensity from the first whistle with so much on the line for both teams.
NNSWF did not have to wait long to get on the scoreboard when Annika Driscoll found the back of the net two minutes after the first whistle blew.
Mackenzie Preston-Poole charged down the right of the park and crossed the ball to Driscoll in front of the goal, who wasted no time tapping it in.
The side doubled their lead in the 10th minute through captain Charlotte Lowrie.
The ball was launched from the corner where Lowrie found the end of it and headed the ball into the back of the net.
Football West did not back down and brought their side one goal closer in the 20th minute.
NNSWF entered the second half determined to further extend their lead as they dominated possession.
Football West picked up pace towards the end of the match, but goalkeeper Alannah Evans denied them the chance to score and locked in the 2-1 victory for her side as well as their spot in the semi-finals.
The under-15s will take on Football Queensland Maroon tomorrow in the semi-finals.
The under-16s side went down 3-2 in their quarter-final match against Football Victoria Blue.
The match was a physical affair from the first whistle as both sides had their sights set on the semi-final.
Football Victoria Blue opened the scoring in the third minute, but NNSWF were determined to equalise.
The moment came in the 15th minute when they were awarded a free kick outside the box.
Makayde Goldman stepped up and sailed the ball over the sea of the players and into the goal.
NNSWF looked to build off the momentum of the goal through Layla Sharpe, but Football Victoria Blue’s goalkeeper denied her the opportunity in the 16th minute.
Goldman netted her second goal of the day in the 21st minute after Lily Sutton and Ceanna Frost ran the ball down the side of the park beating their defenders.
They found Goldman in the middle of the box where she sliced the ball into the back of the net.
It looked like NNSWF would go into half-time leading 2-1 but a goal for Football Victoria Blue in the 29th minute equalised the sides.
Both sides pushed to regain the lead, but Football Victoria Blue broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute.
NNSWF fought until the final whistle but were unable to hit the back of the net again and went down 3-2.
The under-16s will look to bounce back when they take on Football Victoria White tomorrow afternoon in the placement semi-final.
NNSWF Technical Director Ryan Doidge said he was proud of the efforts displayed in the performances on day four of the tournament.
“The girls did a great job to get to the quarter-finals and the under-16s will be very disappointed with the end result. But the way I look, and the coaches look at it, it was a great performance from them with lots of determination,” Doidge said.
“They were brave, they were trying to play forward as often as they could, but just key moments in and around the area were the difference today.
“Congratulations to Football Victoria and commiserations to our under-16s. I hope they continue now into tomorrow and get a positive result in their placement semi-final.
“It’s great that the under-15s are in the semi-finals. They had a fantastic game against Western Australia. It was a real gritty performance with lots of enthusiasm from the girls, and they didn’t stop working hard for each other.
“It was a real team performance from everybody involved today from the under-15s, which we’re super proud of.
“We look forward to tomorrow with a semi-final for the under-15s and a placement semi-final for the under-16s. I wish all the teams and the coaches the best of luck.”
Day Five Fixtures
Semi-final: under-15s
Queensland Maroon vs Northern NSW
Saturday 19 July – 12:20pm
Valentine Sports Park, Field 1
Placement semi-final: under-16s
Victoria White vs Northern NSW
Saturday 19 July – 12:20pm
Valentine Sports Park, Field 3
More on the Emerging Matildas Championships
CLICK HERE to view the Official Emerging Matildas Championships Digital Program with Fixtures
CLICK HERE to watch* the Emerging Matildas Championships thanks to KommunityTV (*subscription required)
CLICK HERE to view the live tables and results
