Round 2 Review – NPL Men’s NSW
Round Two of the National Premier Leagues Men’s NSW competition delivered statement wins, fierce derbies and two gritty scoreless stalemates as the early-season narrative began to take shape.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC 4 v Sydney FC 0 @ Wanderers Football Park
The Wanderers responded emphatically in their derby clash, dismantling Sydney FC 4-0. Alaat Abdul Rahman struck inside seven minutes to set the tone before Oscar Moore curled home a superb free-kick on the stroke of half-time. Awan Lual then sealed the dominant performance with a late brace in the 79th and 85th minutes.
APIA Leichhardt FC 3 v NWS Spirit FC 2 @ Lambert Park
APIA edged out Spirit in a high-tempo encounter. Presley Ortiz, Jordan Segreto and Jack Stewart (penalty) gave the hosts the edge, while late goals from Aiden Mostofi and Shoki Yoshida ensured a tense finale in a match that swung dramatically in momentum.
SD Raiders FC 1 v Sydney Olympic FC 5 @ Ernie Smith Reserve
Sydney Olympic ran riot in the second half to record a commanding 5-1 win. The contest was evenly poised early, but two yellow cards to Cooper Hannagan proved pivotal as Olympic capitalised on the numerical advantage and pulled away convincingly after the break.
Sutherland Sharks FC 1 v Sydney United 58 FC 2 @ Seymour Shaw
Sydney United 58 made it two wins from two despite playing the entire second half with 10 men. Gabriel Tilo and Lachlan MacDonald were on target before captain Adrian Vlastelica saw red just before the interval. Ante Krilic netted the decisive goal in the 62nd minute as United showed resilience to secure all three points.
Blacktown City FC 0 v Manly United FC 0 @ Landen Stadium
Blacktown City and Manly United shared the spoils in a tense, hard-fought stalemate. Both sides produced periods of attacking promise, but disciplined defending and key saves — particularly from Manly goalkeeper Cayden Henderson — ensured neither could find the breakthrough.
St George City FA 0 v St George FC 0 @ Penshurst Park
The first top-flight derby between the local rivals ended scoreless but fiercely contested. Chances were limited as both teams prioritised defensive structure, with physical battles and heavy challenges defining a gritty encounter.
Wollongong Wolves FC 2 v UNSW FC 1 @ Macedonia Park
The Wolves claimed their first win of the campaign, coming from behind to defeat UNSW FC 2-1. After conceding early, Wollongong controlled proceedings and eventually broke down a stubborn defence to get their season up and running.
Rockdale Ilinden FC 1 v Marconi Stallions FC 4 @ Ilinden Sports Centre
Marconi underlined their Premiership credentials with a clinical 4-1 victory. Damian Tsekenis scored twice, while Jack Armson and Marko Jesic also found the net as the Stallions punished key defensive errors despite Rockdale briefly threatening a comeback early in the second half.
Top Goalscorers
3 – Michael Krslovic (Sydney United 58)
2 – Awan Lual (Western Sydney Wanderers)
2 – Damian Tsekenis (Marconi Stallions)
