Round 19 Review – NPL Men’s NSW

Let’s take a look back at all the action from Round 19 of the National Premier Leagues NSW competition.

Manly United 1 v Sydney United 58 1 @ Cromer Park
Sydney United 58 and Manly United played out a tense 1-1 draw at Cromer Park, with the visitors striking just before half-time through Kyle Cimenti before Manly responded in the second half via Stephan De Robillard.
Despite a lively start from both sides and several clear chances, neither team could maintain consistent dominance, with Sydney United’s defensive pressure and Manly’s resilience ultimately cancelling each other out in a match that stayed in the balance until the final whistle.

Marconi 0 v Sydney FC 0 @ Marconi Stadium
Marconi Stallions and Sydney FC shared a physical and highly competitive 0-0 draw at ‘The Palace’, with the hosts heavily pressured but unable to break down a disciplined Sydney FC defensive display. The Stallions created the better chances through sustained attacking pressure, but Sydney goalkeeper Alex Zaverdinos produced several key saves to keep the visitors level.
The match became increasingly physical as the night went on, with multiple bookings and late flare-ups reflecting the intensity of a contest where Sydney’s resilience earned them a valuable point.

UNSW FC 1 v St George FC 4 @ The Village Green
St George FC ended their long winless run in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 victory over UNSW FC at the Village Green, becoming the first side to defeat UNSW at home in the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW season.
After taking a two-goal lead through Rocco Smith and Evangelo Souris, St George extended their advantage early in the second half via Kaidyn Wright before managing the game despite a UNSW response through Kevin Lopes.
Christopher McStay added the finishing touch as the Saints secured a vital three points.

WSW 1 v St George City 1 @ Wanderers Football Park
Western Sydney Wanderers FC and St George City FA shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Wanderers Football Park after a tightly contested battle.
St George City struck first through Yohn Pederson midway through the second half, before the Wanderers responded strongly and found an equaliser in the 80th minute via Jesse Cameron. Despite both sides pushing for a winner late, neither could break the deadlock in an evenly matched contest.

Sutherland Sharks 1 v Blacktown City 2 @ Seymour Shaw Park
Blacktown City secured a vital 2-1 away win over the Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw Park on with captain Travis Major delivering a match-winning brace to lead his side.
Major opened the scoring after pouncing on a defensive turnover and added a second early in the second half following a pinpoint assist from Kodai Tanaka, while Nick Olsen pulled one back from the penalty spot after Jordan Perez was fouled.
Despite sustained pressure from the Sharks and a series of late chances at both ends, including a stoppage-time save from Daniel Nizic, Blacktown held firm to claim just their second away win of the 2026 season and end Sutherland’s winning run.

NWS Spirit FC 3 v Sydney Olympic 0 @ Christie Park
NWS Spirit FC snapped a five-game winless run with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sydney Olympic FC at Christie Park, controlling the match from start to finish with strong possession and sustained attacking pressure.
Kosta Petratos opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Ziggy Gordon brought down a Spirit attacker, before doubling the lead in the 35th minute with a composed finish following a well-worked move involving Andre Takami and Benjamin Duroux.
The striker then completed his hat-trick early in the second half with a clever backheel from a set piece to put the result beyond doubt, as Spirit managed the remainder of the game comfortably to secure a crucial three points despite still sitting six points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Wollongong Wolves 0 v APIA 2 @ Macedonia Park
APIA Leichhardt FC returned to the top of the NPL Men’s NSW ladder with a 2-0 away win over Wollongong Wolves at Macedonia Park on Saturday night, with Cameron Fong’s first-half header and a deflected Presley Ortiz strike early in the second half proving enough to secure the result.
The Wolves created chances through Lucas Trajcevski, Lachlan Scott and Sebastian Hernandez but were repeatedly denied by APIA goalkeeper Oliver Kalac, while Daniel Solsky also made key saves at the other end as both sides played out an entertaining, high-tempo contest ultimately decided by APIA’s clinical finishing and defensive resilience.

Rockdale Ilinden 0 v SD Raiders FC 1 @ Ilinden Sports Centre
SD Raiders FC defeated Rockdale Ilinden 1-0 in the final match of Round 19 of the NPL Men’s NSW at Ilinden Sports Centre on Sunday night, with Jakov Malbasa providing the decisive touch late in the second half to secure a hard-fought win.
In a tight, low-chance contest played in wet conditions, Rockdale hit the post through Ollie Wiggin in the first half and created several opportunities through Moudi Najjar and Harry McCarthy, while SD Raiders also threatened through Lachlan Everett, but neither side could break the deadlock until Malbasa’s 76th-minute deflected finish settled the match and handed the visitors a valuable three points.