Round 26 Review – NPL Men’s NSW

Let’s take a look back at all the action from Round 26 of the National Premier Leagues NSW competition.

WSW 2 v UNSW FC 1 @ Wanderers Football Park
Western Sydney Wanderers FC secured a crucial 2-1 victory over UNSW FC at Wanderers Football Park, with Awan Lual reaching a major milestone by scoring his 20th NPL Men’s NSW goal of the season before Giorgio Hassarati’s late winner sealed the three points. UNSW were reduced to 10 men before half-time following Nathan Roberts’ red card but showed tremendous resilience, equalising through Connor Quilligan’s stunning strike in the second half. Despite sustained pressure from the visitors, the young Wanderers side held firm to claim a valuable win and keep their finals hopes alive.

Sutherland Sharks 2 v Wollongong Wolves 1 @ Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Wollongong Wolves at Seymour Shaw, strengthening their position inside the NPL Men’s NSW top four despite being tested by a determined Wolves outfit. Seung-Joo Choi opened the scoring with a composed finish before substitute Tye McGowan doubled the advantage in the second half, while Wollongong fought back through Banri Kanaizumi but could not find an equaliser. Goalkeeper Danijel Nizic and the Sharks defence held firm under late pressure to secure three points, moving Sutherland six points clear of Rockdale in the race for fourth place and an Australian Championship spot, while the Wolves suffered a fourth straight defeat and saw their finals hopes further dented.

St George FC 2 v SD Raiders FC 3 @ Barton Park
SD Raiders FC produced another important victory, coming from behind twice to defeat St George FC 3-2 at Barton Park in a thrilling contest. Jaden Casella gave the Saints the lead before Lachlan McGrath and Mihael Marcic turned the match around for the visitors, only for Nikola Skataric to level the scores with a powerful strike. Substitute Jakov Malbasa proved the hero, heading home late to secure all three points for SD Raiders as they continued their strong run of form, while St George were left still searching for vital points in their fight for survival.

Sydney United 58 2 v NWS Spirit FC 0 @ Sydney United Sports Centre
Sydney United 58 FC continued their strong run of form with a convincing 2-0 victory over NWS Spirit at Sydney United Sports Centre. Farah Koko opened the scoring before Koya Nakano produced a stunning strike from outside the box to seal the result, with the midfielder’s goal a contender for goal of the season. The win marked United 58’s third victory in their last four matches, keeping them in third position and within touching distance of the top two.

Rockdale Ilinden 1 v Manly United 1 @ Ilinden Sports Centre
Rockdale Ilinden and Manly United shared the points after a tense 1-1 draw at Ilinden Sports Centre in a crucial Top Six battle. Rockdale took the lead through Moudi Najjar after capitalising on a defensive error before Kakeru Ono levelled directly from a corner just before half-time. Both sides had chances in a fiercely contested second half, but neither could find a winner, leaving the finals race finely balanced with every point becoming increasingly valuable.

Marconi 0 v St George City 1 @ Marconi Stadium
St George City produced another major upset, defeating Marconi Stallions 1-0 at The Palace to continue their late-season revival. New signing Lucas Bedleg proved the difference once again, scoring his second match-winning goal in as many weeks to secure another crucial three points for Mirko Jurilj’s side. The result extends Marconi’s difficult run to three straight defeats and sees their Premiership hopes suffer another setback, while St George City move closer to securing their NPL Men’s NSW status for 2027.

Blacktown City 4 v Sydney FC 2 @ Valentine Sports Ground
Blacktown City FC produced a thrilling 4-2 comeback victory over Sydney FC at Valentine Sports Park, moving away from relegation concerns and into the hunt for finals football. Kodai Tanaka opened the scoring with a stunning strike before Sydney responded through Zac Fowler and Mitchell Glasson to take the lead. Blacktown fought back through Travis Major’s penalty, Mitch Mallia’s winner and Maksim Jez’s incredible long-range effort from beyond halfway to secure a memorable victory and continue their late-season surge.

Sydney Olympic 1 v APIA 3 @ Belmore Sports Ground
APIA Leichhardt FC strengthened their grip on the NPL Men’s NSW Premiership race with a dominant 3-1 victory over Sydney Olympic at Belmore Sports Ground. Michael Konestabo delivered a sensational hat-trick, including two outstanding strikes from distance, to inspire APIA to a fourth straight win and move them five points clear at the top of the table. Sydney Olympic fought back through Sebastian Kukucka before half-time, but APIA’s quality and Konestabo’s brilliance proved decisive as they continued their charge towards the Premiership.