Let’s check out the mini reviews from Round of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition.
Bulls FC Academy 1 v Sydney Olympic 3 @ Sydney United Sports Centre
Sydney Olympic flexed its attacking muscle with three goals to secure a much-needed win against the Bulls Academy on Saturday afternoon at Sydney United Sports Centre.
Jed Drew got the hosts to the best possible start before Roy O’Donovan equalised moments after.
From there on Olympic used their experience and scored two more goals in the second half through Darcy Burgess and Fabio Ferreira that all but secured the three precious points.
APIA 1 v Central Coast Mariners 0 @ Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt clinched three points at Lambert Park in dramatic style thanks to a stoppage time winner from midfielder Fabian Monge.
Central Coast Mariners performed admirably throughout the match and did well to thwart an APIA Leichhardt team that struggled to dominate the game.
However, in the last 25 minute, APIA began to exert their control and fire shots at goal, which were defended by a committed, aware Mariners defence.
But the home side proved too strong and made it five wins in a row after a fantastic pass freed Monge in behind for a clinical finish.
Sutherland Sharks 0 v Blacktown City 1 @ Seymour Shaw Park
Blacktown City continued its impressive second half of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s season with a hard fought 1-0 victory over the Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw on Saturday.
Jak O’Brien, the club’s leading marksman, was the hero for City scoring the only goal of the match, his 16th of the year midway through the half that gifted Mark Crittenden’s men all three points and their sixth successive victory.
St George City 3 v Sydney FC 4 @ Penshurst Park
Sydney FC bounced back from a bad run of form in style with a 4-3 round 23 victory over St George City in National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s action at Penshurst Park.
An own goal kicked off the goal proceedings for the visitors before Kosta Petratos levelled the match in the 27thminute.
FC responded immediately thanks to Oscar Fryer a minute later and it was 2-1 at the break.
Lachlan Middleton found the scoresheet in the 65th minute before City’s Matthew Keremelevski scored, but Kealey Adamson had other ideas pushing the game to 4-2 with a goal in the 84th minute.
Presley Ortiz struck in the 90th minute but it was too little too late as FC celebrated a 4-3 win at Penshurst.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 1 v Manly United 2 @ Popondetta Park
Manly United secured a massive victory to keep its head above water in a 2-1 win over relegation threatened Mt Druitt Town Rangers at Popondetta Park on Saturday evening.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers battled hard but missed out on the points which might be crucial to their survival in the top flight. They had a sniff for a draw when Cooper Coskerie headed home in the 69th minute but weren’t able to find another goal.
Manly United FC took home three vital points with a pair of goals in the second half. Connor Rose tapped home a Seiya Kambayashi free kick then Harry McCarthy finished off a slick move just after Mt Druitt had equalised.
Marconi 3 v Western Sydney Wanderers 3 @ Fairfield Showground
The Marconi Stallions and Western Sydney Wanderers shared points in an aggressive game of football at Fairfield Showground on Sunday night as the match ended in a thrilling 3-3 all-draw.
The Wanderers put on a performance that was very contradictory with their position on the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s ladder as they look to climb out of the relegation zone this season.
Nicolas Milanovic got the Wanderers off to a blazing start before Kyle Cimenti equalised for the hosts in the 12thminute.
The second half was where the action hit next gear as Milanovic scored his second before Hiroaki Aoyama pegged one back for Marconi.
Alex Badolato thought he nicked all three points for the Wanderers but Stallions substitute Marty Fernandez dug deep to notch up a final equaliser which shared the points for both teams.
Sydney United 58 3 v Rockdale Ilinden 3 @ Sydney United Sports Centre
Sydney United 58 and Rockdale Ilinden played out one of the most insane and intense matches of the 2023 season following a 3-3 draw at the Sydney United Sports Centre on Sunday.
It was a sensational start from Rockdale Ilinden as Antoniou opened the scoring with a deftly placed header from a cross off the right wing in the first minute of play as the hosts were caught cold from the outset.
It was a dream start for the visitors who doubled their lead only two minutes later through talisman Alec Urosevski leaving the hosts on the ropes in an uncharacteristically slow start from them to the match.
And it was compounded further when Nikola Ujdur got on the scoresheet with a shot from the edge of the area that went in off the far post to add a third inside 7’ minutes of play.
However Sydney United 58 found two quick goals in the second-half, both from Patrick Antelmi, to give themselves a lifeline in a match they struggled to come to grips with.
Devante Clut then scored one of the goals of the week and that was all she wrote as the match ended 3-3 in what was a thrilling encounter between two fierce teams.
Wollongong Wolves 2 v NWS Spirit FC 1 @ WIN Stadium
Wollongong Wolves defeated NWS Spirit in a hotly contested National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s match at Albert Butler Memorial Park.
NWS Spirit opened the scoring in the 18th minute, with Jordan Gomez latching onto a Ollie Wiggin layoff, but Wollongong levelled five minutes later with Takumi Ofuka converting the rebound after Alex Masciovecchio hit the crossbar.
The second half was an intense, even affair, but it was the home side who broke ahead, with Ofuka adding a second after tapping home a precise low cross from Christopher McStay.