Tara Andrews had scored 35 goals throughout the 2026 Cardiff Motor Group NPL Women’s NNSW season before adding one more when it mattered most, scoring the decisive goal for New Lambton FC in the title decider and earning the Joey Peters Medal as player of the grand final.
Previous results made the challenge clear as the Golden Eagles faced Maitland FC in the grand final. The sides had met four times during the season, with three of those matches decided by four or more goals.
New Lambton knew they would have to produce their best football to secure the championship and they did exactly that.
“Playing Maitland throughout the year, we got smashed a few times, so we knew it was going to be a tough game,” Andrews said.
“We played our absolute A game today and we just worked hard.
“We were trying to be as aggressive as possible and it just feels amazing to win the grand final.”
For Andrews, the occasion was made even more special by finding the back of the net against a Maitland side she had not scored against during the 2026 season.
The moment came in the 58th minute, when Andrews weaved past three Maitland defenders before slotting the ball into the bottom right corner to give New Lambton a 2-1 lead to secure the championship.
“I obviously had a pretty good season and scored a fair few goals. I actually hadn’t scored against Maitland up until today,” Andrews said.
“But I'm happy that the one goal against them is the one that matters.”
Andrews secured back-to-back Golden Boots after scoring more than 30 goals in both the 2025 and 2026 seasons, adding another milestone to an already decorated career.
The twice-capped Matilda remains the Newcastle Jets’ leading all-time goalscorer in the Ninja A-League Women’s, with 45 goals in 131 appearances before retiring from professional football in 2023.
The victory marked New Lambton’s first championship since the club secured the premiership-championship double in 2019 in the Herald Women’s Premier League and their first championship under the National Premier League banner.
Andrews was part of that 2019 triumph alongside teammate Lauren Allan and said the latest success was a reflection of the club’s progress after several years of rebuilding.
“We've been building at New Lambton for the last few years, sort of building the team back up,” Andrews said.
“Getting to play with Cass [Davis] and Loz [Lauren Allan] we knew we had experience out there as well, but it’s such a great bunch of girls to play with and with reserve grade winning as well.
“It’s just a great club to be a part of.”
For Andrews, another Golden Boot capped a remarkable individual season but it was her goal against Maitland that delivered the moment she will remember most.