Captain Major Inspires Blacktown City in Hard-Fought Win at the Shire

Blacktown City secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw Park on Saturday night, with captain Travis Major delivering a decisive brace to lead his side to just their second away win of the 2026 season.

Major struck twice in a battling encounter, opening the scoring midway through the first half before doubling the lead early in the second period. Nick Olsen pulled one back from the spot for Sutherland, but Blacktown held firm under sustained pressure to claim all three points.

It was a strange start to the game as early issues with under-inflated balls held the action up for a couple of minutes as Sutherland waited to take a corner that came to nothing, with the third ball inside four minutes being deemed acceptable and play resumed after the delay — a highly unusual occurrence.

Sutherland should have taken the lead five minutes later when firstly Brendan Gan skewed a shot wide when in space inside the box, with the ball falling to Richard Shoueiki who wasn’t expecting the mishit effort and blasted wide of the mark. It was a huge let-off for City. The in-form Shoueiki came close again shortly after when driving into the area and clipping the ball agonisingly beyond the post.

At the other end, Maksim Jez was unfortunate when Kodai Tanaka provided width down the right flank, and with a cross to the back stick, Jez rose highest and headed back across the keeper only to see the ball come back off the framework and to safety. Less than a minute later, another Tanaka cross was headed over by Major. It was a strong response from the visitors and it began to sow the seeds of doubt in the Sutherland ranks.

With Blacktown starting to gain the upper hand, it was their talisman Major who opened the scoring with a sublime shot from the edge of the area that nestled into the back of the net after glancing off the post. He was allowed too much time and space in the final third and exploited it with consummate ease.

No matter the situation, City are always capable of finding answers. Tanaka, Major and Mitch Mallia were forming a formidable attacking triumvirate up top, with Mallia having a left-footed dip from 25 yards that came extremely close to doubling the lead.

Gian Fiorese denied Sebastian Haywood a simple tap-in with a full-length sliding block from yet another right-wing Tanaka cross, after Sutherland again turned the ball over allowing City to create the opportunity.

Blacktown were now well on top but unable to add to their earlier strike. Sutherland appealed for a goal in unison from a corner they believed had crossed the line in the final minute of normal time in the half, but it wasn’t to be and City held the lead at the break.

Major, proving a thorn in the Sharks’ side, almost doubled his and Blacktown’s lead immediately on the restart but for a brave Ryley Hollingdale getting across to thwart the danger.

Another gilt-edged opportunity went begging for the visitors, but Major was not to be denied and blasted home a second in the 51st minute, a move again started by Tanaka down the right flank and an inch-perfect ball inside for the striker.

Sutherland were handed a lifeline when Jordan Perez was hurtling through the City defence and brought down inside the box, allowing Olsen to pull one back with a coolly taken spot-kick.

A flurry of changes from both benches followed, with the Sharks forced to push the pace to square the ledger. They created a number of decent chances but couldn’t put them away.

Having won the reverse fixture with two late goals, albeit against a nine-man City side, it was do-or-die football for the Shire side, both thrilling and frustrating for neutrals and fans alike.

City had two efforts cleared off the line thanks to desperate defending, with Blacktown exploiting the space Sutherland were leaving, particularly through the pace of substitute Riley Nolan.

Adam Berry could have sealed the result with a delightful curling shot from outside the area that Daniel Nizic did well to turn around the post with a flying full-length save to his left in stoppage time.

City held on for the three precious points, just their second away win of 2026, and in so doing denied Sutherland a fourth straight win for the first time since the 2013 season, ironically enough, also against Blacktown City at Seymour Shaw Park. It also granted City coach Mark Crittenden just his second win against a David Perkovic-coached side in eight attempts, but the result on the day was the most important matter at hand, and they deserved the win.

Match Stats

Sutherland Sharks 1 (Nick Olsen 63’p)

Blacktown City 2 (Travis Major 26’, 51’)

Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda

Saturday,  13th June 2026

Referee: Thomas Dale

Assistants: Matthew McOrist & Glen Stubbings

Fourth Official: Alana Zic

Sutherland Sharks: 1. Danijel Nizic,  3. Yianni Nicolaou, 4. Thijs Van Amerongen, 5. Jordan Perez, 6. Ryley Hollingdale, 8. Brendan Gan, 11.Danny Choi (10. Tariq Maia 57’), 15. Jamie Percevski, 17. Richard Shoueiki (30. Julian Fedele 77’), 18. Gian Fiorese (7. Takumi Ofuka 57’), 21. Nicholas Olsen

Subs Not Used: 12. James Husoy, 23. Lachlan Maher, 24. Dane Anderson, 37. Jack Robinson

Yellow Cards: Yianni Nicolaou 22’ Thijs Van Amerongen 82’

Red Cards: Nil

Blacktown City: 1. Cayden Henderson, 3. Lachlan Tilt, 4. Nick O’Brien, 7. Travis Major (17. Julian Rodriguez 86’), 10. Maksim Jez, 11. Kodai Tanaka, 14. Mitch Mallia (6. Adam Berry 67’), 15. Caleb Jackson-Brown (16. Riley Nolan 76’), 19. Sebastian Hayward, 22. Jacob Maniti, 27.Nathan Grimaldi

Subs Not Used: 18. Jake Briggs, 20. Cooper Rogers, 21. Aiden Renshaw, 33. Sebastian Mileto

Yellow Cards: Travis Major 78’, Cayden Henderson 80’

Red Cards: Nil

Player Ratings

3 – Travis Major (BC)

2 – Kodai Tanaka (BC)

1 – Nicholas Olsen (SS)

By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock