Round 18 Review – League Two Men’s
Only one side in the top half of the ladder picked up a win in Round 18 of the 2025 Football NSW League Two Men’s season, with big results across the board as the league leaders extended their advantage.
The Match of the Round this week focused on Fraser Park FC’s fight to stay in the mid-pack fight, following their win over a Central Coast United FC side hoping to avoid a drop to last place.
Friday, 6th June 2025
Match of the Round: Fraser Park FC 4-2 Central Coast United FC
Fraser Park FC scored four goals in a match for the second time in three weeks as they completed the league double over Central Coast United FC following a big 4-2 home win.
Christian Dos Santos got Fraser Park off to the perfect start when he found the back of the net 12 minutes into the match to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Immediately from the restart, Dos Santos completed his double to give Fraser Park a 2-0 advantage.
The hosts were flying high, and Francis Mcalpine scored his first goal since Round 10 to put Fraser Park in a commanding position at 3-0 up.
The goal scoring action continued into first-half stoppage time, however, when Ben Flakus found the back of the net for his seventh goal of the season to give the Pirates a lifeline at the end of the half, 3-1 down at the break.
Fraser Park took the advantage into the break following a first half where they attacked well with six shots on target and two off target, compared to Central Coast’s two on and three off.
After half-time, Central Coast fired up and continued to attack; they found another goal back in the 68th minute when Jay Goodwin scored his second goal of the season to ensure the Pirates’ deficit was reduced to one goal at 3-2 down.
That hope for the Pirates only lasted 11 minutes, however, as Mcalpine completed his double and scored his ninth goal of the season to ensure Fraser Park restored their two-goal lead.
Following a second half where Fraser Park had five shots to Central Coast’s 10, Fraser Park held their nerve to see out a big 4-2 home win over the Pirates.
The win for Fraser Park saw them rise up the ladder from 11th into 9th as they stayed in the mid-pack hunt, while the loss for Central Coast saw them drop from 13th to 14th.
Fraser Park will hope to continue to fire up front when they host last-placed Sydney University SFC next week, while Central Coast United will hope to avoid dropping to last place when they travel to take on 5th-placed Parramatta FC.
Fraser Park FC 4 (Christian Dos Santos 12’, 13’; Francis Mcalpine 16’, 79’)
Central Coast United FC 2 (Ben Flakus 45+5’; Jay Goodwin 68’)
Hurstville Zagreb FC 1-0 Gladesville Ryde Magic
Hurstville Zagreb FC extended their lead atop the league to 11 points after a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Gladesville Ryde Magic for their fifth win in a row.
Hurstville held the ball early while the Magic looked to play direct in a match which turned out to be scrappy.
The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute when they won the ball high and Jesse Gagro beat his defender in the box; he then crossed the ball to the back post for Nikola Todoroski, who headed the ball in for Hurstville’s early advantage.
Shortly after, Declan Sheldon won the ball in the middle of the pitch and played the ball to Paul Gagro, who broke forward before he cut inside and struck the post with a shot.
Gladesville were dangerous from set pieces in the first half but were unable to find a goal, Hurstville 1-0 up at the break.
After half-time, Gladesville came out strongly and continued to play long balls to try and win the second ball, while at the other end Hurstville were unable to find the execution up front for a second goal.
Hurstville created a few chances late but were unable to add to their goal tally, while Gladesville had their attacks snuffed out late by the Hurstville defence as the hosts came away with a big 1-0 win.
The victory for Hurstville saw them get revenge over the Magic as they extended their lead from nine points to 11 at the top of the league over 2nd-placed South Coast Flame FC, while the loss for Gladesville saw them drop from 10th to 11th.
Hurstville will hope to win a sixth-straight match when they travel to take on 13th-placed Camden Tigers FC next week, while Gladesville will hope to win their first match in four when they host 7th-placed Granville Rage.
Hurstville Zagreb FC 1 (Nikola Todoroski 27’)
Gladesville Ryde Magic 0
Bankstown United FC 2-2 Camden Tigers FC
Camden Tigers FC scored two late goals, including a 94th minute equaliser, to grab a 2-2 draw away with Bankstown United FC, who ended the contest with nine men.
Harry Stavris gave the hosts the perfect start with a goal in the 10th minute to give Bankstown a 1-0 lead.
That lead was doubled by the defender in the 13th minute as Stavris tripled his goal tally for the season within minutes to give Bankstown a 2-0 lead.
Bankstown were reduced to ten men in the 38th minute when Ayush Baniya was sent off, the hosts playing the rest of the match down a man to the visitors’ delight.
Following a first half where Bankstown had the better of the chances, Camden came out strongly in the second half and found joy in the 73rd minute when Bailey Simpson scored his seventh goal of the season to reduce the Tigers’ deficit to one goal.
There was late pandemonium for Camden when Oscar Coltman found the back of the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time to help the Tigers earn a 2-2 draw away to Bankstown.
The draw for Bankstown saw them go three matches without a win as they stayed in 8th, while for Camden the point saw them rise from 14th to 13th on the ladder.
Bankstown will hope to recoup and come out stronger after their bye in Round 19, while Camden will hope to cause a big upset when they host the league-leading Hurstville Zagreb FC.
Bankstown United FC 2 (Harry Stavris 10’, 13’; Ayush Baniya 38’ red card; Sebastian La Luz 90+3’ red card)
Camden Tigers FC 2 (Bailey Simpson 73’; Oscar Coltman 90+4’)
Saturday, 7th June 2025
Granville Rage 1-1 Hawkesbury City FC
Hawkesbury City FC scored a stoppage time equaliser to earn a big point away to Granville Rage in a match which has big top-half consequences for the ladder.
Hawkesbury hit the crossbar twice in the match, once each from Harry Drew and Vincent Dermilio, respectively, and had a one-on-one chance for Dermilio which was saved.
Granville took a 1-0 lead in the 9th minute when a long ball over the top to Josh Mc Quaid saw him strike the ball from outside the box and into the back of the net off the post to give the hosts the perfect start.
In the second half, Granville had a chance to double their lead through Asmir Kadric, but Hawkesbury goalkeeper Jai Whitton saved his shot well to keep the Hawks in the contest, while at the other end the Granville defence stood strong to keep the Hawks out.
The Hawks stayed in the match and were rewarded in the third minute of stoppage time when they launched the ball into the box off a free kick from halfway; Jude Bramhall side volleyed the ball into the back of the net to rescue a point at the end for Hawkesbury, both sides settling for a 1-1 draw.
The point for Granville ended their four-match winning head-to-head run over the Hawks and kept them in 7th, while for Hawkesbury the point moved them up from 5th into 4th.
Granville will hope to end their four-match winless run when they travel to face 11th-placed Gladesville Ryde Magic next week, while Hawkesbury will hope to go six matches unbeaten when they host 12th-placed Inner West Hawks FC in the battle of the hawks.
Granville Rage 1 (Josh Mc Quaid 9’)
Hawkesbury City FC 1 (Jude Bramhall 90+3’)
Sydney University SFC 3-1 Parramatta FC
Sydney University SFC grabbed their first win of the season in a big way after they took down Parramatta FC 3-1 at the University Ground, a win which ended a 16-match winless streak this season.
University started the match with hunger, while Parramatta gave away possession, were not able to build pressure up front and were beaten to second balls in the first half.
The hosts capitalised early in the 23rd minute off a goal kick when a ball played down the field saw good work from the University attack to take defenders out of the play; the ball ended up being crossed from the right to Isaac Folkes in the box who found the back of the net with his right foot to give the students the 1-0 lead.
Parramatta struck back in the 39th minute when they were awarded a penalty following a foul in the box from University goalkeeper Jasper Sarkies on the Eagles’ Travis Oughtred; Jordan Gomez stepped up and converted from the spot to level the contest at 1-1 at half-time.
Parramatta started the second half strong without success, which University capitalised on in the 63rd minute to take a 2-1 lead.
The goal came about when Parramatta goalkeeper Benjamin Marchant mis-kicked a clearance which saw the ball fall to University; they had a shot from William Lane fall to Charles Hely-Hammond, who scrambled the ball into the back of the net to give the students the lead in the match once more.
Five minutes later, University added a third goal and sealed the win following a rotation of passes out wide; from there, a cross was played into the box from Lane for Hely-Hammond, who headed the ball home to give University a 3-1 win, their first of the season.
The win for University took them to within three points of climbing out of last place on the ladder, while the loss for Parramatta ended their six-match unbeaten run as they fell from 3rd to 5th.
University will hope to build off their first win of the season when they travel to face 9th-placed Fraser Park FC, while Parramatta will hope to turn their form around when they host 14th-placed Central Coast United FC.
Sydney University SFC 3 (Isaac Folkes 23’; Charles Hely-Hammond 63’, 68’)
Parramatta FC 1 (Jordan Gomez 39’ pen)
South Coast Flame FC 1-1 Prospect United SC
A goal in each half saw the points eventually shared between South Coast Flame FC and Prospect United SC, with the two sides near the top settling for a 1-1 draw.
Prospect’s first-half chances saw Joshua Jessop head the ball over the goal, before Anthony Idehen found Jacob Micallef, who shot over from inside the box.
Dimos Vlachos also had a header saved at point-black range by Flame goalkeeper Nenad Vekic, before Jamie Dib hit the post as Prospect continued to threaten.
Gabriel Vulcik had a shot cleared off the line for Prospect before Idehen once again threatened, but his shot was saved by Vekic once again.
A big chance for Prospect fell to Idehen following good build-up play from Dib and Andre Cavallaro, but Idehen’s header was saved well by Vekic for a corner.
In the 43rd minute, Prospect were awarded a penalty from a corner when Shaan Birring headed the ball towards goal and Cavallaro was fouled in the box trying to get to the ball; Idehen stepped up and converted the spot kick to give Prospect a 1-0 lead at half-time.
In the second half, Prospect looked to continue to attack, with Cavallaro and Idehen threating once again.
The Flame restored parity when Jyden Harb won the ball, took a shot on from 25 yards and found the back of the net; the league’s leading goal scorer in 2025 netting his 19th goal to level the match for the Flame.
Prospect had late chances to Vlachos and Micallef, but both of their respective shots went over the bar late, Micallef missing from the edge of the six-yard-box.
In the end, despite Prospect’s numerous chances and the Flame’s ability to find the back of the net in 2025, neither side was able to grab a winner, both sides settling for a 1-1 draw.
The point for the Flame kept them in 2nd, three points ahead of the three teams behind them but pushed them to 11 points behind league-leading Hurstville Zagreb FC, while the draw for Prospect moved them up from 4th into 3rd, three points behind the Flame and level on points with Hawkesbury City FC in 4th and Parramatta FC in 5th, respectively.
South Coast will hope to continue to fire in 2nd when they travel to face 10th-placed Nepean FC next week, while Prospect will hope to build off this performance in their pursuit of 2nd when they host 6th-placed Dunbar Rovers FC.
South Coast Flame FC 1 (Jyden Harb 69’)
Prospect United SC 1 (Anthony Idehen 43’ pen)
Inner West Hawks FC 1-0 Nepean FC
Inner West Hawks FC defeated Nepean FC at home once again, this time 1-0, in a tight match which could have gone any way.
Nepean started the first half strongly and held most of the possession; they forced Hawks’ goalkeeper Gene Marantos into multiple saves, which he pulled off to keep the hosts in the match.
The Hawks looked to make the most of those saves as they aimed to attack well at the other end of the field.
In the 32nd minute, Taro Regan Williams played a long ball over the top of the Nepean defence to Peter Yannopoulos, who had his shot saved by Nepean goalkeeper Luke Cotten, before the ball fell to Peter Phillips on the rebound; he scored to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, both sides had their chances, but Marantos was once again called to make big saves to keep the Hawks in the lead.
Nepean hit the crossbar with the final kick of the match off a free kick but were unable to find the back of the net as Inner West held on for a resolute 1-0 home win.
The win for the Hawks saw them stay in 12th but will give them a confidence boost going forward, while the loss for Nepean saw them drop from 9th to 10th.
Inner West will hope to build off that performance and win when they travel to face 4th-placed Hawkesbury City FC in the battle of the hawks, while Nepean will hope to bounce back when they host 2nd-placed South Coast Flame FC.
Inner West Hawks FC 1 (Peter Phillips 32’)
Nepean FC 0
Dunbar Rovers FC had a bye in Round 18 and stayed in 6th place.
By Football NSW League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa
