The 2025 Emerging Matildas Championships has heated up following another exhilarating day of action in Sydney.
Day three of the tournament saw the two Northern NSW Football sides walk away with three wins to finish second in their respective groups and progress to the quarter-finals.
The under-15s side kicked off their first game of the day with a dominant 9-0 victory over Football Tasmania.
NNSWF came out of the gates firing as they looked to expand their goal difference ahead of their second game of the day.
They did not have to wait long for their first goal of the day when Erica Newton found the back of the net in the first minute after she sliced the ball into the bottom left corner.
The side doubled their lead just five minutes later after Matilda Fleming netted her first of the day.
An individual effort by Kayla Peisto to keep the ball in as pressure built sliced the ball to Newton, who crossed to Fleming and found the back of the net in the sixth minute.
Pippa Dodd and Mayan Harkness made it 4-0 when they netted goals of their own in the 18th and 20th minutes.
Fleming scored her second of the day just before half-time after she unleashed a powerful shot from the top of the box and into the goal in the 27th minute.
The under-15s did not back down as they went into the second half with Newton launching the ball from outside the box as it curled to Fleming, who tapped it into the goal in the 39th minute.
Ruby Murray made it 7-0 when she unleashed the ball from outside the box and into the top right corner in the 55th minute.
Harkness secured her second goal of the day in the 55th minute after the Football Tasmania goalkeeper got a hand on the ball but it bounced over her head and into the goal.
Dodd closed the scoring with a spectacular volley just in front of the goal after Lily Reay crossed the ball from outside the box and locked in a 9-0 win.
The under-16s side closed out the group stage with a 4-0 win over Football Tasmania and placed them second in Group A.
NNSWF dominated possession from the first whistle and looked to net their first goal of the game in the second minute when Julieanne Fox headed the ball towards the goal but hit the crossbar.
The under-16s appeared to have opened the scoring in the 14th minute but were ruled offside. They did not have to wait long after Makayde Goldman sent the ball from outside the box and into the goal in the 18th minute.
The side doubled their lead three minutes later after a scrappy fight for the ball in front of the goal allowed Layla Sharpe to head it into the goal.
Hanna Abson looked to add to the tally in the 24th minute but Football Tasmania’s goalkeeper hit the ball over the crossbar and NNSWF went into half-time leading 2-0.
Goldman netted her second in the 44th minute before Abson got her name on the tally in the 56th minute.
NNSWF could not add another to the scoreboard before the final whistle blew and walked away from the group stage with a 4-0 victory.
The win placed the under-16s second on the Group A table, and they will face Football Victoria Blue tomorrow afternoon in the quarter-final.
The under-15s side returned to the field to go head-to-head with Football South Australia for the second time this tournament.
They came out determined to make it a six-point day for the side and did just that when they were victorious 5-2.
NNSWF opened the scoring 19 minutes into the match after Murray sent the ball into the box from a corner and Peisto headed it home.
Mackenzie Preston-Poole doubled the side's lead moments before half-time and sent the side away leading 2-0.
Preston-Poole netted her second of the evening after she headed the ball into the back of the net in the 32nd minute.
Football South Australia clawed one back in the 43rd minute, but it did not slow the under-16s down.
Preston-Poole secured her hat-trick in the 50th minute after she launched the ball over the Football South Australia goalkeeper, who saved it, but Preston-Poole followed through and sliced it into the goal.
Football South Australia scored a second in the 51st minute but Preston-Poole's outstanding performance continued when she scored her fourth and final goal of the day in the 58th minute.
The score remained 5-2 when the final whistle blew and placed the under-15s second on the Group A table.
They will face Football Western Australia tomorrow afternoon in the quarter-final.
NNSWF’s Technical Director Ryan Doidge could not fault the sides and looked towards quarter-finals tomorrow.
“I’m really proud of both groups today. Our under-15s got out of the group stage with three wins and two really good performances today in and around the opposition box,” Doidge said.
“There was a lot of creativity, backing themselves on one v one and ruthless in front of goal, something we have been asking them to do in the last couple of days, and they well and truly did that today. So, I’m really proud of the effort.
“Our under-16s took the field today in a game they had to win to progress through to the quarter-finals tomorrow and they delivered.
“Again, in and around the box there was a lot of creativity and bravery to play through teams at times. Whilst at the other end there was a lot of determination not to concede.
“There’s a really positive vibe from both groups going into what will be a very exciting day tomorrow.”
Day Four Fixtures
Quarter-final: under-15s
Western Australia vs Northern NSW
Friday 18 July – 3:40pm
Valentine Sports Park, Field 2
Quarter-final: under-16s
Victoria Blue vs Northern NSW
Friday 18 July – 3:40pm
Valentine Sports Park, Field 1
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
