Match of the Round
Armidale City Westside FC v Oxley Vale Attunga FC
Harris Park, Saturday 10 May 1pm
Oxley Vale Attunga FC captain Emily Daley says that their round one clash of the inaugural NNSW Regional Super League against Armidale City Westside FC will be a good test when they face off at Harris Park on Saturday afternoon.
Oxley Vale Attunga is located in the northern inland town of Tamworth and competes in the Tamworth Women’s League.
OVA had a dream run in 2024 after they finished second on the table before they were crowned champions in the grand final. They have had a similar start to their local competition in 2025, with a dominant win in round one last weekend.
Daley said that her side was excited for the opportunity to take part in the new competition and see how they match up against others across the region.
“We are all really excited. I think it is a really fun opportunity to branch out and play some additional clubs that will be a bit of a higher level,” Daley said.
“It is really great for the region to have this opportunity and for the people to put this competition together. It provides us with more opportunities to play more football.
“It is nice to feel noticed and connected with the bigger centres. It will be exciting to see how we match up.
“We don’t really have an idea of the calibre across the different areas. Some of these places have limited women’s leagues, while others have multiple divisions.
“It will be interesting to see how our team comes up against others. It will be a good test for us.”
Oxley Vale Attunga and Armidale City Westside have never gone head-to-head despite being situation in the Northern Inland region.
Daley said that she did not believe there would be any rivalry between the sides but said they would be in for a tough battle.
“I don’t know if you would call it a rivalry. I have heard that they are a strong side,” Daley said.
“We have been told that it won’t be an easy game.
“It is always tricky playing against a side you haven’t before but you have to have your own game plan.
“We have some new recruits and are still getting used to each other.
“It would be amazing for us to get the win.”
Armidale City Westside’s Senior Vice President Steve Gray agreed that it would be a good contest on Saturday.
“I guess with both teams being from Northern Inland, there is a bit of a rivalry of who can take out the region,” Gray said.
“[Oxley Vale Attunga] are in the Tamworth competition, so this is a bit of an unknown.
“We have only just started our season last week but the girls have been digging in during the pre-season.
“The team is super excited and they are a good bunch of players with a good variety of experience and youth.”
Armidale City Westside is another successful club that is ingrained in its community.
They play in the Armidale Women’s Premier League and had a strong 2024 campaign after they finished second on the table and have won back-to-back grand finals.
Gray said that the competition was a great opportunity for the club’s women’s program to gain some more exposure and to come away with a win in round one would be massive for everyone involved.
“We have had our men’s team around for a while and we have had a big focus on building women’s participation rates at the club so to have them side by side our men’s team in this competition is really great for the club and the local community,” Gray said.
“We are hoping that we can draw some attention to the day and get local support down there.
“For us to come away with a win would be fantastic. It would be amazing to get off on the right foot and see the reward for the hard work and effort all of the players have put in.
“Three points would be a great start to the competition.”
Don’t miss out on all of the action from the NNSW RSL round one Match of the Round which will be streamed live and free on NNSWF’s YouTube channel HERE.
Tamworth FC v Port United FC
Gipps Street Sporting Fields, Saturday 10 May 1pm
Tamworth FC coach Robert Jeffery says that his side is ready for the challenge when they welcome Port United FC to Gipps Street Sporting Fields on Saturday afternoon.
Tamworth FC play in the Tamworth Women’s League, where they finished top of the table and won the grand final in 2024.
Jeffery said that although they did not know much about their opponents they would be prepared for a tough contest on Saturday.
“The girls are so excited. It will be a good challenge for them going forward,” Jefferey said.
“We have been a dominant force in the league here for a number of years now so this gives us something else to strive for.
“We have a game plan and we have to stick to what we know. We will be concentrating on ourselves.
“The girls have been playing together for five to six years and they know how each other plays.
“We have heard lots of things about Port United and that they are a quality team.
“Our girls have never come up against this team but we have a lot of girls that have played at pretty high levels in Newcastle and the Central Coast so they have been around the same calibre as what we are expecting this weekend.”
Jefferey said that the home ground advantage would give his side a big boost as they look to start the competition with three points.
“It is amazing to be able to play at home with all of your own supporters. We have a good supporter group between the men’s and women’s teams. It will be a big day,” Jeffery said.
“It would be huge to get the win but we are not getting ahead of ourselves.
“We are keeping it really low key this week and we are not doing a great deal of anything different but focusing on the fun side of training.
“We need to keep our minds focused and not put too much pressure on ourselves.”
The Port United Vipers are based in the heart of Port Macquarie and compete in Football Mid North Coast’s Women’s League North A division.
The start of their local season has been heavily hampered by rain, having only played one match after five rounds.
The Vipers are yet to secure a win in 2025 and will be determined to start off the NNSW RSL on the right foot and to return to the coast with all three points.
Macleay Valley Rangers FC v Coffs City United FC
Rangers Park, Saturday 10 May 1pm
Two sides will be determined to put their mark on the inaugural NNSW RSL competition when Macleay Valley Rangers FC take on Coffs City United FC at Rangers Park on Saturday.
Macleay Valley Rangers have been a prominent force within community football of the Mid North Coast region and compete in Football Mid North Coast’s Women’s League North A division competition.
Maclay Valley Rangers have had a disrupted start to their season with one match played in their first five rounds due to wet weather where they secured a 1-0 win.
They will be eager to get back out on the pitch and secure all three points in front of a home crowd.
Coffs City United compete in North Coast Football's Women’s HIT105.5FM Premier League, where they finished second last season. They have had a positive start to their 2025 campaign in the local competition with two wins, one draw and one loss after four rounds.
The Lionesses have proved to be a threat in attack as they have scored 14 goals in the first four rounds this season. They will hope to bring their goal-scoring abilities into the NNSW RSL competition with a strong first up showing away from home.
Urunga FC v Lake Cathie FC
Urunga Recreation Reserve, Saturday 31 May 1pm
Urunga FC and Lake Cathie will be eager to start their NNSW RSL campaign with three points when they go head-to-head at Urunga Recreation Reserve.
The two sides will get to see how the rest of the competition fares in round one this weekend before they take to the pitch on Saturday 31 May.
Urunga FC have a proud history in women’s football and play in North Coast Football's Women’s HIT105.5FM Premier League competition in which they secured the premiership and won the grand final last season. The club was also crowned the Women’s State Community Plate champions at NNSWF’s Women’s State Cup.
They have started their 2025 season in the local competition with a bang as they are unbeaten with three dominant wins.
Urunga FC will hope that they can bring their momentum into the NNSW RSL competition to get three points in front of a home crowd.
Lake Cathie FC ventures north from the Mid North Coast region and will look to return home with all three points.
They play in Football Mid North Coast’s Women’s League North A division and finished at the top of the table last season.
Lake Cathie FC have started their 2025 campaign in a similar fashion, at the top of the table with one win and one loss and will be hopeful that they can start the competition with a bang.
