The Premier Youth League Girls Cup concluded with a thrilling day of finals football at Macquarie Field on Sunday.
The competition featured three age groups, with teams split into three seeded pools before battling across three rounds in May. The top two sides from each pool then advanced to the PYL Girls Cup Finals, where they competed for this year’s titles.
In the under-13s, Maitland FC and Adamstown Rosebud JFC faced off after both sides progressed through the three cup rounds undefeated. Maitland maintained their perfect record, defeating Adamstown 4-0 in the final.
Taliah Elliott opened the scoring early to set the tone for the match, before Mikayla Gogerly doubled Maitland’s advantage in the 34th minute. Madelyn Gogerly extended the lead shortly after the break, while Kora Simpson sealed the result in the 68th minute.
Charlestown Azzurri met New Lambton FC in the under-15s final, with both sides reaching the decider after recording two wins and one draw throughout the group stage. New Lambton claimed the title with a hard-fought 2-0 victory.
The Golden Eagles started the match strongly, with Macy Filipcevic finding the back of the net in the third minute before Ella Sproates secured the result for New Lambton in the 77th minute.
Maitland and New Lambton went head-to-head in the under-17s final, with Maitland earning their place in the decider undefeated, while the Golden Eagles edged ahead of Charlestown on the table on goal difference after finishing the group stage with two wins and one draw.
The Magpies made a fast start when Eloise O’Dongo scored in the fifth minute, but New Lambton responded eight minutes later through Samantha Jennings.
Maitland regained the lead in the 33rd minute when Ana Smurthwaite found the back of the net, but New Lambton’s Chloe Ehrenreiter levelled the scores just before half-time.
The teams continued to battle in the second half, but Zoe Doyle’s 51st-minute strike secured the win for New Lambton.
NNSWF General Manager Football Operations Liam Bentley congratulated all players, coaches and clubs involved in the PYL Girls Cup Finals, highlighting the talent and commitment displayed across all three age groups.
“The PYL Girls Cup Finals were a fantastic celebration of youth football, with players across all three age groups showcasing the talent, passion and commitment that continues to shape the future of female football,” Bentley said.
“The quality of football on display and the atmosphere created by the players, coaches and families made for a memorable day at Macquarie Field.”
The PYL Boys Cup finals will be played at Cooks Square Park on Saturday 12 September due to regional travel and local fixture conflicts.
PYL BOYS CUP FINALS DETAILS
- Under-13s: North Coast Football v Newcastle Olympic
- Under-14s: Maitland FC v Edgeworth Eagles
- Under-15s: Broadmeadow Magic v Newcastle Olympic
- Under-16s: Newcastle Olympic v Broadmeadow Magic
- Under-18s: Maitland FC v Edgeworth Eagles