Manly United and Blacktown City share spoils in tense Cromer Park stalemate
Manly United and Blacktown City have battled to a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Cromer Park, a result which does neither side’s current league position any favours.
In a tight contest defined by defensive resilience, neither side was able to break the deadlock as they both remain entrenched in a battle to avoid relegation.
Manly United and Blacktown City played out a cautious opening half, with neither side willing to concede ground. Nicholas O’Brien found space in the 6th minute, however Jasper Chipman did well to clear the danger as the visitors looked to threaten early.
Both sides continued to create half-chances. This was most evident in the 14th minute when Saxon Hillyer picked out Kakeru Ono, though Ono’s cross into the box drifted out of play.
With both teams testing the waters, the game’s first major chance fell to Manly in the 19th minute. Cai Evans nicked the ball away from O’Brien but ultimately missed by just a couple of yards at the inside post.
That period was followed by a series of close chances for the hosts. In the 29th minute Chipman failed to make clean contact with Darcy Burgess’s free kick, and in the 37th minute Burgess himself failed to convert from a tight angle, striking the ball off his right boot as it ran away from goal.
Burgess opened the second half with a sliced ball through the Blacktown defence to De Robillard, who found Evans, but the move broke down after a loose touch ended the attack. Down the other end, Tanaka struck a free kick straight into the arms of Harry Turner.
Tanaka almost immediately redeemed himself in the 56th minute when, with his first touch, he unleashed a powerful strike that Turner tipped over with one hand to keep Manly level.
As chances became more frequent, Will Faulder found De Robillard with a perfectly weighted pass in the 62nd minute, however the Mauritius international struck it too hard and it flew wide. Despite the missed opportunity, both teams began to look more confident in possession.
None more so than Blacktown City skipper Travis Major in the 71st minute, when he burst past the Manly defence before being brought down illegally by Aaron O’Driscoll as he broke through on goal. Tanaka also came close four minutes later, firing over the crossbar.
The final major moment came in the 84th minute when Maksim Jez was denied by a perfectly timed tackle from Luke Nieuwenhof inside the area. Burgess then saw a deflected effort drift over the crossbar moments later, with the ball landing anywhere but the net.
Of the two teams, the result is more concerning for the visitors, who remain 15th on the ladder, while the hosts gain some breathing room. However, it also highlights the struggles both sides have endured this campaign, with neither where they would expect to be.
Match Stats
Manly United 0
Blacktown City 0
Saturday 30 May, 2026
Cromer Park
Referee: Ivica Covic
Assistant Referees: Aaron Bloch and James Chan
Fourth Official: Alec Baele
Manly United: 4.Jesse Piriz, 5.Aaron O’Driscoll, 6.Saxon Hillyer, 7.Stephan De Robillard, 8.Kakeru Ono, (9.Benjamin Koop 64’), 10.Darcy Burgess, (11.Ayumu Kimura 64’), (15.Max Martinello 45’), 16.Will Faulder, 18.Luke Nieuwenhof, 19.Cai Evans, 21.Harry Turner, 33.Japser Chipman
Substitutes not used: 3.Matthew O’Donoghue, 12.Mitchell Seaman, 20.George Russell, 24.Toby Bakewell
Yellow cards: Saxon Hillyer 63’, Aaron O’Driscoll 72’
Red cards: None
Blacktown City: 1.Cayden Henderson, 3.Lachlan Tilt, 4.Nicholas O’Brien, (6.Adam Berry 22’), 7.Travis Major, 8.Jak O’Brien, (9.Nikola Skataric 62’), 10.Maskim Jez, 11.Kodai Tanaka, 15.Caleb Jackson-Brown, (16.Riley Nolan 83’), 19.Sebastian Hayward, 22.Jacob Maniti, 27.Nathan Grimaldi
Substitutes not used: 12.Daniel McHugh, 17.Julian Rodriguez, 18.Jake Briggs, 20.Cooper Rogers
Yellow cards: Adam Berry 90+2’
Red cards: None
Player ratings
3 – Stephan De Robillard (MU)
2 – Nicholas O’Brien (BC)
1 – Lachlan Tilt (BC)
-By Tobias Canning
