Round 15 Review – NPL NSW Men’s
Round 15 of the National Premier Leagues Men’s competition is done and dusted, with some crucial results making an impact on the incredibly tight race for finals football and the 2022 Premiership.
Sydney Olympic fell from the top spot on the league ladder, with APIA Leichhardt returning to prime position heading into Round 16.
Manly United FC 0 – Sydney FC 0 at Cromer Park
Manly United and Sydney FC shared points in a 0-0 draw on a chilly Friday night at Cromer Park in a tight 90-minute display of defence.
Touted as the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s ‘Match of the Round’, Manly United played host to Sydney FC with a win for either side set to momentarily catapult them into first place on the ladder.
Neither team could break down the other’s defence with a point apiece the final result between the two Premiership contenders.
Sutherland Sharks FC 0 – Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC 2 at Seymour Shaw
Mt Druitt Town Rangers secured only their second victory for 2022 following a 2-0 victory over fellow strugglers Sutherland Sharks, leapfrogging the Shire side on the NPL NSW Men’s ladder in their Round 15 clash at Seymour Shaw Park on Saturday.
Second half goals to Mt Druitt’s star attraction Jack Stewart just after the break and a late sealer via substitute Bul Juach earned the Rangers the three precious points.
Always involved, Stewart found a way through the Sharks’ defence to powerfully strike home beyond Anthony Bouzanis to open the scoring but in contrast, Juach’s effort barely trickled over the line late on, not that the beleaguered Mt Druitt were complaining.
Sydney United 58 FC 1 – Northbridge Bulls FC 0 at Sydney United Sports Centre
A Yianni Perkatis’ world-class volley has secured an important victory for Sydney United 58 over Northbridge Bulls at Sydney United Sports Centre on Sunday afternoon.
Perkatis stood out above the rest in a man of the match performance that was highlighted by the winning goal, which was his maiden goal for the 2022 NPL NSW Men’s campaign.
The sides went back and forth in a thrilling first half, before United 58 found themselves ahead in the second half.
It was Perkatis that got the only goal of the afternoon with a Goal of The Year contender, picking out the roof of the net with an incredible volley from outside the area.
Blacktown City FC 0 – APIA Leichhardt FC 1 at Blacktown City Sports Centre
The eagerly anticipated Round 15 NPL NSW Men’s fixture saw APIA Leichhardt produce a solitary, but stunning Sean Symons strike to secure a 1-0 victory over Blacktown City at Blacktown City Sports Centre on Sunday afternoon.
Playing out wide on the right, a long ball punt from the back found Sean Symons with time and space on the wing to cut inside and plant a delightful curling shot beyond the despairing dive of young Alex Robinson between the City sticks to secure the only goal of the match in the 67th minute.
The win sees APIA Leichhardt secure an incredibly valuable three points as they battle for the top spot on the NPL NSW Men’s ladder and fight for the Premiership, while it was crucial points lost for Blacktown City in a hotly-contested finals race.
Rockdale Ilinden FC 3 – Marconi Stallions FC 1 at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
An impressive hat-trick from ‘The Baker’ Alec Urosevski saw Rockdale Ilinden secure three points over the Marconi Stallions on a cold Sunday evening at Rockdale City Sports Centre.
The three goals to Urosevski cancelled out the opening goal from Marconi defender Roberto Speranza as the visitors were unable to convert their other chances to get back in the game.
The undoubted man of the match performance from Urosevski was exactly what Rockdale needed after a string of losses saw an impressive start to the National Premier Leagues Men’s season fall away.
The loss broke Marconi’s ten-game undefeated run as the Stallions face a number of away matches in the final leg of the season.
Sydney Olympic FC 1 – Wollongong Wolves FC at Belmore Sportsground
Sydney Olympic and Wollongong Wolves shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in the last game of Round 15 in the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition, on the Monday afternoon of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
A goal at either end of the game provided the framework for an entertaining encounter.
Roy O’Donovan opened the scoring for Sydney Olympic with virtually the first touch of the game while Darcy Madden equalised for the Wollongong Wolves with virtually the last touch of the game to give his side a valuable point that they deserved.
