Round 29 Review – NPL Men’s NSW

Let’s take a look back at all the action from Round 29 of the National Premier Leagues NSW competition.

Sydney FC 1 v Rockdale Ilinden 0 @ Ilinden Sports Centre
Sydney FC kept their finals hopes alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Rockdale Ilinden at Ilinden Sports Centre, ending their seven-game winless run and moving into the Top Six with one round remaining, pending other results. Zac Fowler opened the scoring early in the second half with a superb finish after winning the ball inside the box, before Rockdale substitute Lochlan Constable levelled in the 85th minute. Just when the match appeared destined for a draw, captain Mitchell Glasson produced a 93rd-minute winner after being picked out by Fowler, securing a crucial three points for Jimmy Van Weeren’s young Sky Blues, while Rockdale’s finals hopes are now all but extinguished.

Sutherland Sharks 2 v St George City 1 @ Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks made history at a packed Seymour Shaw, securing their first-ever Australian Championship qualification and a place in the NPL Men’s NSW finals with a 2-1 victory over St George City. Yianni Nicolaou opened the scoring in the 28th minute before mid-season signing Diego Bonilla doubled the lead in the 42nd minute after a slick team move. St George pulled one back through substitute Paolo Mitry in the 81st minute and pushed desperately for an equaliser, but the Sharks held firm through a dramatic final period to secure a landmark victory and send their home crowd into celebration.

Sydney Olympic 0 v Marconi 1 @ Belmore Sports Ground
Marconi Stallions secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Sydney Olympic at Belmore Sports Ground, with substitute Ahmad Elhelou scoring the decisive goal late in the second half to lift the Stallions into second place on the NPL Men’s NSW ladder. In a tight and cagey contest, both sides had chances, with Marconi hitting the crossbar through Franco Maya and Sydney Olympic goalkeeper Filip Kurto producing several important saves before Elhelou finally broke the deadlock in the 84th minute. The result proved devastating for Olympic, officially confirming their relegation from the state’s top tier, while Marconi now head into the final round with second place firmly in their sights.

UNSW FC 0 v Manly United 2 @ The Village Green
Manly United kept their finals destiny in their own hands with a crucial 2-0 victory over UNSW FC at The Village Green, remaining inside the Top Six heading into the final round. Luke Nieuwenhof opened the scoring with a header from an inswinging corner before Saxon Hillyer sealed the three points with a superb free-kick from the edge of the box late in the second half. UNSW had their moments but could not find a way through, leaving Manly needing a positive result against Wollongong Wolves in the final round to secure their first finals appearance since 2022.

NWS Spirit FC 1 v SD Raiders 0 @ Valentine Sports Park 1
NWS Spirit FC took a major step towards finals football with a tense 1-0 victory over SD Raiders at Valentine Sports Park in a fiery contest that saw Noah Chianese sent off in the first half and the visitors eventually reduced to nine men. Benjamin Duroux scored the decisive goal in the 34th minute after following up his own blocked effort following a brilliant counter-attack set up by Noah Peacock, while Spirit goalkeeper and defence held firm despite sustained pressure from the Raiders. The match featured several yellow cards, injury concerns and plenty of drama, but Spirit held on for three crucial points to strengthen their finals hopes with one round remaining.

St George FC 1 v Blacktown City 0 @ Barton Park
St George FC have fought off automatic relegation from NSW’s top flight following Sydney Olympic’s 1-0 defeat to Marconi Stallions on Sunday, securing their place in the NPL/League One Promotion/Relegation Playoff against Northern Tigers. The Saints had already done their part with a courageous 1-0 victory over Blacktown City, despite playing with 10 men for more than 70 minutes. Jaden Casella opened the scoring in the fourth minute after his penalty was saved by Cayden Henderson before he reacted quickest to bury the rebound, while goalkeeper James Husoy was sent off soon after for denying Alou Kuol a clear goalscoring opportunity. Blacktown dominated possession and created numerous chances, hitting the post and crossbar and forcing substitute goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic into several saves, but St George defended resolutely to secure the crucial three points and, with Olympic’s defeat confirming their survival from automatic relegation, will now face Northern Tigers in the promotion/relegation playoff.

Sydney United 58 0 v APIA 0 @ Sydney United Sports Centre
APIA Leichhardt have been crowned the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW Premiers with a round to spare after securing the point they needed in a tense 0-0 draw against Sydney United 58 at Sydney United Sports Centre. In a tight contest between two quality sides, both teams created limited opportunities, with United 58 coming closest late when Mason Wells struck the crossbar before APIA’s resilient defence held firm. The result secured another major honour for Franco Parisi’s side, who have enjoyed a special spell of success, while Sydney United 58’s Premiership hopes officially came to an end.

Wollongong Wolves 3 v WSW 0 @ Macedonia Park
Wollongong Wolves kept their NPL Men’s NSW finals hopes alive with a convincing 3-0 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers at Macedonia Park, moving to within two points of the Top Six ahead of a crucial final-round clash with Manly United. An Emile Katrib own goal opened the scoring in the 27th minute after Lachlan Scott created the opportunity, before Sebastian Hernandez doubled the advantage early in the second half with a long-range finish. Marcus Beattie then added a third in the 62nd minute after another excellent piece of work from Scott, while goalkeeper Max Cunial made several important saves to keep the Wanderers at bay, including a superb stop to deny Awan Lual one-on-one. The result keeps the Wolves’ finals dream alive, while Western Sydney’s season will conclude against Blacktown City.