Our Lions Women started their season on a positive note at home with Rachel Dudley’s second-half strike cementing a 1-0 victory over Gold Coast United.
It was far from an easy performance, starting the year against a strong Gold Coast United outfit. Our first game of the NPLW season. Home at Luxury Paints Stadium, with all eyes on orange as Nic Whiteside’s first XI stepped onto the field with intent.
Very quickly, our Lions Women took control of the tempo, surging forward with purpose and targeting an early breakthrough. Anna Soulsby ducked inside slyly after a flurry of half-chances eventually fell into her path, forcing a firm block to prevent her powerful strike from testing the keeper.
Evelyn Calhoon latched onto the ball just outside the box, steering a left-footed snapshot inches shy of the bottom right corner! Another Anna Soulsby chance caused danger, and her venomous strike was palmed across the face of the goal from the right side of the box.
It was a comprehensive opening thirty minutes, with a handful of key chances, but no solutions yet. Gold Coast United could do little but foul us early to prevent an overload, while pouncing on any opportunity to surge forward in transition.
Elli Chapple made a quick save, and Teagan Hugo cleared the danger after an awkward bouncing cross looked for a GCU striker. Moments later, Lauren Costello did well to delay a counterattack, forcing a rushed shot from a tight angle that Elli was able to claim with ease.
Another Anna Soulsby strike stung the keeper’s palms from distance, and Amy Gunston’s flick-on pass to Scarlett Premerl was claimed before our nine could attack the chance. It was a massive defensive effort from Amy across the first half, tracking back relentlessly to cancel any attacking chances for the visitors.
And the first half ended nil-nil.
Play resumed, and Rachel Dudley joined the battlefield to add something different to the team in the second half.
A stunning move inside the opening two minutes of the restart came insanely close to yielding a breakthrough. Teagan sliced the ball across the box after a great run, and Amy latched onto the ball, guiding a lethal first-time strike inches shy of the top left corner.
Molly Simonson struck from a tight angle down the left flank, forcing an outstretched save, and Rachel Dudley stepped up after the hour mark to deliver the match-winning blow! Positioned on the edge of the box, Rachel reacted swiftly, guiding a dagger into the bottom left corner to give our Lions Women a deserved lead!
62′ | 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐀𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐋!!!
The first goal falls at last! A stunning half-volley from Rachel Dudley, guided into the bottom left corner with composure 🏹
𝐋𝐈𝐎 1 – 0 𝐆𝐂𝐔#HeartPridePassion | #NPLWQLD
— Lions FC (@lionsfc1) February 7, 2026
Molly guided a long-range effort wide, and Teagan put on the after-burners to sprint back and intervene before a one-v-one could materialise. Scarlett Premerl had a fantastic chance to double our lead, but forced a great diving save with her low effort across the goal.
With Gold Coast United committing more players forward in search of the equaliser, Elli demonstrated her best, making a brilliant low one-v-one save to deny an equaliser. The team dug deep in the final minutes, defending in numbers to prevent any dangerous chances, and celebrated a deserved victory at full-time.
𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 | The new season begins with three points at home 🤩
It was a tough contest, but our Lions Women fought with intensity and determination to see out a strong result!#HeartPridePassion pic.twitter.com/WxhAR6ckAU
— Lions FC (@lionsfc1) February 7, 2026
Nic Whiteside shared his thoughts at full-time after our opening round result, reflecting on the performance, Rachel Dudley’s goal, and the season ahead.
“Look, it’s like anything when you go into the first round of any season, you’ve got to get the results and get the points on the board.” Nic said, “It was hard. The girls dug deep at times, you know, we’ve got some really positive things to take out, and some things we need to work on. Overall, I’m very happy to come away with the three points.
You know, you watch [Rachel] score a goal like that, the smile on their face, it’s actually infectious right through the whole team, and honestly, to see her do that was brilliant. That’s what she can do!
Look, it’s like anything in a season, it is a long rod. And you’ve got to build on it from the foundations and get right through, and I think we’ve got very good foundations, and we’ll keep building blocks all the way through the season.”
MATCH DETAILS:
NPL Women: Round 1
Lions FC 1 – 0 Gold Coast United
Goalscorers:
Rachel Dudley 62′
