Round 25 Review – NPL Men’s NSW

Let’s take a look back at all the action from Round 25 of the National Premier Leagues NSW competition.

Manly United 4 v Sydney Olympic 0 @ Cromer Park

Manly United continued their impressive late-season turnaround with a commanding 4-0 victory over Sydney Olympic at Cromer Park, extending their unbeaten run to seven matches and moving within one point of the Top Six. After Darcy Burgess opened the scoring, Benjamin Koop took control of the contest with a quickfire second-half brace before Aston Hulme completed the rout late on. Goalkeeper Mackenzie Syron also played a key role with several important saves as Manly produced another strong performance to strengthen their finals push.

SD Raiders FC v Marconi @ Ernie Smith Reserve

SD Raiders FC produced one of the biggest results of the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW season, coming from behind to defeat Marconi Stallions FC 2-1 at Ernie Smith Reserve. Franco Maya gave Marconi the lead before Noah Chianese levelled from a set piece, setting the stage for substitute Robert Eremugo to deliver a memorable late winner. The result not only secured a famous victory for the newly promoted Raiders but also blew the Premiership race wide open, with APIA Leichhardt FC moving two points clear at the top following their win over UNSW.

NWS Spirit FC 0 v WSW 4 @ Christie Park

Western Sydney Wanderers kept their finals hopes alive with a dominant 4-0 victory over NWS Spirit FC at Christie Park. After a tight opening period, the Wanderers exploded late in the first half with two goals in two minutes before adding two more shortly after the break to seal the result. Awan Lual continued his outstanding season with his 18th goal of the campaign, while the victory moved the Red and Black closer to the Top Six as they continue their late-season push.

APIA Leichhardt FC 4 v UNSW FC 1 @ Lambert Park

APIA Leichhardt FC produced a statement performance at Lambert Park, defeating UNSW FC 4-1 to move to the top of the NPL Men’s NSW ladder. Rory Jordan opened the scoring inside the opening minute before Presley Ortiz stole the show with a hat-trick to continue his Golden Boot charge and take his season tally to 17 goals. UNSW fought back through Corby Fowler late in the contest, but APIA’s quality and efficiency proved too much as they leapfrogged Marconi Stallions into first place with five rounds remaining in the Premiership race.

St George FC 0 v Sydney FC 0 @ Barton Park

St George FC and Sydney FC shared the points after a tightly contested 0-0 draw at Barton Park, with both sides unable to find the breakthrough despite creating opportunities. The Saints came closest through Jaden Casella and Patrick O’Shea, while Sydney goalkeeper Alexander Zaverdinos and St George shot-stopper Jamie Husoy both produced key interventions to keep the scores level. The result saw Sydney FC maintain its push for a finals series finish while St George FC gained a crucial point in their fight against relegation.

St George City 1 v Sydney United 58 0 @ Penshurst Park

St George City secured a massive 1-0 victory over Sydney United 58 at Penshurst Park in Round 25 of the NPL Men’s NSW competition, with new signing Lucas Bedleg scoring the decisive goal early in the second half. Despite Sydney United 58 entering the clash full of confidence after their midweek Hahn Australia Cup triumph over Central Coast Mariners, St George produced a disciplined and determined performance to claim all three points. Goalkeeper Jack Kenny was outstanding late in the match, making a crucial save to preserve the clean sheet and secure a vital win for Mirko Jurilj’s side in their battle to move away from the relegation zone.

Wollongong Wolves 0 v Blacktown City 2 @ Macedonia Park

Blacktown City FC continued their strong run of form with a commanding 2-0 victory over Wollongong Wolves FC at Macedonia Park, extending their winning streak to three matches and climbing further up the NPL Men’s NSW ladder. Mitchell Mallia opened the scoring early before Alou Kuol doubled the advantage after the Wolves were reduced to 10 men following a controversial red card to Kazuya Yamamura. Despite a determined second-half effort from Wollongong, with Lachlan Scott and Yuto Fujita going close, Blacktown’s defensive discipline and counter-attacking threat proved decisive as they secured all three points. The result leaves the Wolves searching for a response after a third consecutive defeat and further ground lost in the race for the Top Six.

Rockdale Ilinden 1 v Sutherland Sharks 3 @ Ilinden Sports Centre
Sutherland Sharks produced a stunning comeback victory over Rockdale Ilinden, defeating their rivals 3-1 at Ilinden Sports Centre in a thrilling potential finals preview. Rockdale took the lead through James Temelkovski after dominating the opening half, but Nicholas Olsen levelled from the penalty spot before delivering a second-half masterclass with two more goals to complete his hat-trick and seal the win. Despite finishing the match with 10 men following Brendan Gan’s red card, the Sharks showed tremendous resilience, with goalkeeper Danijel Nizic producing several key saves to secure a statement victory that lifted Sutherland into fourth place and strengthened their push for an Australian Championship spot.