With the penultimate round of the PlayStation®4 NPL NSW competition now completed the finals picture is all but decided.
Parramatta FC's hopes of post season football were dashed by Wollongong on Saturday night while Sutherland Sharks all but handed Blacktown Spartans the wooden spoon.
Sydney United 58 were handed the competition trophy but they couldn't take home the win as Manly United came up trumps.
Blacktown City were upset by APIA and Bonnyrigg White Eagles kept its slim finals chances alive with a comprehensive win against Hakoah Sydney City East.
In the Match of the Round Sydney Olympic missed their chance to lock down fifth spot and a finals berth going down to a determined Rockdale City Suns outfit.
Match of the Round
Sydney Olympic 0 - Rockdale City Suns 2 at Belmore Sports Ground
Rockdale City Suns sent Sydney Olympic’s finals hopes spiralling with a 2-0 victory in their PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Mens clash at Seymour Shaw Park on Sunday night.
Olympic goalkeeper Paul Henderson turned in a brilliant man of the match performance but the 75th minute dismissal of defender Jean-Pierre Hakiri enabled the Suns’ Peter Makrillos and Aleksandar Canak to steal the spoils.
The win ended a horror run of results for Rockdale and tied up fourth spot for Paul Reid's side.
Sydney Olympic must win next week to ensure they can remain in the top five with Bonnyrigg White Eagles hoping to leapfrog Grant Lee's side on the final day of the regular season.
A boisterous crowd and a place in the finals proved to be an explosive concoction as both teams played with a vigour befitting such a critical match.
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Sutherland Sharks 1 - Blacktown Spartans 0 at Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks continued their impressive recent form with a 1-0 win against Blacktown Spartans at Seymour Shaw on Saturday.
A Jack Press goal was the difference between the two sides in a hard fought contest.
It was a mostly dour contest however both teams had their chances to break the deadlock in the first half with the Shark's Tomohiro Kajiyama and Blacktown's Futa Nakamura both missing opportunities early on.
it wasn't until the 66th minute that the fans were finally able to see the ball hit the back of the net.
Press delivered a thunderous strike which was too much for Spartans shot stopper Carlos Saliadarre and helped the Sharks too all three competition points.
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Bonnyrigg White Eagles 5 - Hakoah Sydney City East 1 at Bonnyrigg Sports Club
Bonnyrigg White Eagles kept their top five aspirations alive in resounding style following a 5-1 hammering of 10-man Hakoah Sydney City East in their Round 21PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Men’s fixture at Bonnyrigg Sports Club.
It was a must win encounter for Brian Brown’s side who found themselves behind fifth-placed Sydney Olympic prior to kick off but last season’s Champions made light work of the visitors following the second-half dismissal of Hakoah defender Remy Wolanski to pile on four goals in the final twenty minutes.
The White Eagles helped their way to a 1-0 advantage at half-time courtesy of Greg Kondek’s strike but tamely relinquished their lead when Kiwi Andre De Jong equalized five minutes into the second stanza.
However, the floodgates opened for Bonnyrigg after the sending off of Wolanski and inspired by the outstanding Aaron Peterson who claimed a well-taken double with his head, the hosts cruised past the league newcomers in their last competitive league match at the Bonnyrigg Sports Club for 2016.
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Parramatta FC 0 - Wollongong Wolves 1 at Melita Stadium
The finals aspirations of Parramatta FC have been dashed by a Josh MacDonald as Wollongong clung on to claim a 1-0 win at Melita Stadium.
MacDonald's mistimed volley in the 73rd minute wasn't pretty by any means but it was enough for Wollongong as they stepped closer to safety from potential relegation.
It was a cagey match with the ball trapped in midfield for extended periods.
Parramatta had the best of the chances Wollongong were able to make it count when it mattered most.
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Blacktown City 1 - APIA Leichhardt Tigers 2 at Lily's Football Centre
APIA Leichhardt has shocked Blacktown City 2-1 in their PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Mens clash at Lily’s Football Centre on Sunday.
Two goals in under 60 seconds on the cusp of halftime was the big difference as Tasuku Sekiya and Jordan Murray struck for the visitors in the 38th and 39th minute.
A late comeback lead by Danny Choi helped Blacktown avoid the shutout, but it wasn't enough for Mark Crittenden’s side to avoid an embarrassing loss.
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Sydney United 58 2 - Manly United 4 at Sydney United Sports Centre
Adam Parkhouse claimed a sensational hat trick as gate crashers Manly United soured Sydney United 58’s night of premiership celebration with a 4-2 win at Sydney United Sports Centre.
Inspired by former Wigan attacker Parkhouse and the excellent Brendan Cholakian, Paul Dee’s visitors offered a classic counter-attacking showing to stun the Reds in driving rain.
The resounding win underlined Manly’s bid for the 2016 championship as Parkhouse’s treble and Sam Gallagher’s first-half strike demonstrated what the northern beaches side is capable of.
Back in Round 10 Dee’s men gave the competition frontrunners one of the sternest tests of their premiership-winning campaign in a gripping reverse fixture at Cromer Park. While it was a similarly engrossing affair at Sydney United Sports centre, Mark Rudan’s Reds were simply outfought and outclassed by Manly on their coronation night.
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