Round 20 Preview – League Two Men’s
Round 20 of the 2025 Football NSW League Two Men’s season marks the two-third point of the season, with the battles for positions as tight as ever.
The Match of the Round this week sees two teams hoping to end winless runs when Bankstown United FC hosts Parramatta FC.
Saturday, 21st June 2025
Match of the Round: Bankstown United FC vs Parramatta FC, 7pm at Padstow Park
Previous meeting: Parramatta FC 2-1 Bankstown United FC
A crucial match for two teams hoping to return to the winners’ list sees Bankstown United FC welcome Parramatta FC to Padstow Park.
Earlier in the season, Parramatta snapped a four-match head-to-head winless run against Bankstown with a late 2-1 home win; they will hope to complete the league double, while Bankstown will hope to avoid that.
9th-placed Bankstown United FC went four matches without a win after their mid-week catch-up match away to Granville Rage, a goal from Mitchell Cross in his return from injury seeing them come from behind to earn a point.
Bankstown will hope the addition of Cross back to their attack will continue to lead to goals, last season’s Golden Boot winner hoping to get back to his early-season form that saw him score four goals in a row to start the year.
A win for Bankstown could see them rise back into the top half of the league in 7th, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 11th.
5th-placed Parramatta FC, meanwhile, went four matches without a win after their 1-1 home draw to Central Coast United FC last week but will be hopeful of getting back into good form soon.
The Eagles will hope to put in a solid 90-minute performance against Bankstown to get their season back on track, with plenty of teams within a win of them either side on the ladder.
A win for Parramatta could see them, rise to as high as 3rd, while a loss could see them drop to 6th.
With both Bankstown and Parramatta hoping to get back to glory ahead of the final third of the season, both sides will hope to fight hard and take home the three points.
Granville Rage vs Camden Tigers FC, 5pm at Garside Park
Previous meeting: Camden Tigers FC 1-2 Granville Rage
Two teams with different hopes for the season but just as willing to fight for the win sees Granville Rage hoping to take a step up the ladder in the top half when they host a Camden Tigers FC side hoping to move further away from last place.
Earlier in the season, Granville won their first head-to-head match in five attempts against Camden after they held on for a 2-1 away win; they will hope to complete the league double, while Camden will hope to avoid losing that double.
6th-placed Granville Rage earned a 1-1 draw at home to Bankstown United FC mid-week in a catch-up match and will hope to pick up what could be a crucial win against Camden.
Playing a third match in the span of eight days, Granville will hope to utilise their squad well to pick up a second win from three matches.
A win for Granville could see them rise into 5th on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 8th.
14th-placed Camden Tigers FC, meanwhile, went ten matches without a win after their 3-1 home loss to Hurstville Zagreb FC last week and will hope to put an end to that streak.
Camden will hope to tighten up their defence to avoid conceding the first goal in matches, so they do not have to chase games; if they can grab the first goal against Granville, it could give them confidence to see out the result.
A win for the Tigers could see them rise into 13th on the ladder, while a loss would see them remain in 14th.
With Granville hoping to take a step up towards the top sides and Camden hoping to get back to winning ways against the Rage, both sides will have their respective gameplans set to achieve victory.
Sydney University SFC vs Hawkesbury City FC, 5pm at Sydney University Football Ground
Previous meeting: Hawkesbury City FC 2-1 Sydney University SFC
A big three points are up for grabs for the respective sides when Sydney University SFC looks to cause an upset against Hawkesbury City FC.
Earlier in the season, Hawkesbury held off a late University surge to record a 2-1 away win in Round Five’s Match of the Round; the Hawks will hope to complete the league double with a win in this match while University will hope to avoid that.
Last-placed Sydney University SFC were unable to back up their big Round 18 win after they fell 2-1 away to Fraser Park FC last week but will hope to take their chances away to the Hawks this week.
Charles Hely-Hammond scored his third goal from his past two matches last week and will hope to continue his good form, while he and the rest of the University squad will hope to win back-to-back home matches for the first time this season.
A win for the students could see them close the gap to the teams above them to just one point, while a loss would see them remain at least four points behind them.
3rd-placed Hawkesbury City FC, meanwhile, went a sixth match unbeaten after their 4-0 home win over Inner West Hawks FC last week and will hope to continue to charge near the top of the league.
Vincent Dermilio and Harry Drew both scored for the Hawks last week, bringing their goal tallies up to 15 and 13 for the season, respectively; after both recorded 11 goals each last season, the pair will hope to continue their strong seasons as the league’s second and fourth-highest scorers in 2025, respectively.
A win for Hawkesbury would see them remain in 3rd place but go level on points with 2nd-placed South Coast Flame FC, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 5th.
With University hoping to win at home to the Hawks in back-to-back season and Hawkesbury hoping to continue their charge towards 2nd, both sides will be hopeful of earning the win.
Hurstville Zagreb FC vs Nepean FC, 5pm at Penshurst Park
Previous meeting: Nepean FC 2-4 Hurstville Zagreb FC
The league leaders Hurstville Zagreb FC will hope to win a seventh-straight match and continue their charge for the league title when they host a Nepean FC side hoping to find some consistency.
In the reverse fixture, Hurstville held off a Nepean comeback to secure a 4-2 away win; they will hope to complete the league double while Nepean will look to upset the league leaders.
1st-placed Hurstville Zagreb FC won a sixth-straight match following their 3-1 away success over Camden Tigers FC and will hope to earn a third-straight home clean sheet when Nepean visits.
Andre Guzman recorded two goals and an assist in Hurstville’s last match, while Michael Neill’s goal brought him to 11 for the season; the Hurstville side will hope to coninue to fire on all fronts against Nepean.
A win for Hurstville would see them extend their advantage atop the ladder to 14 points, while a loss would keep it at 11 points.
10th-placed Nepean FC, meanwhile, suffered a tough 4-1 loss at home to South Coast Flame FC last week and will hope to upset the league leaders when they make the trip down south.
The last time Nepean travelled away to face Hurstville was in the 2023 season where they picked up a 1-0 win; they will be hopeful of rediscovering some of that old form in this match.
A win for Nepean could see them rise to as high as 8th on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 12th.
With Hurstville looking to extend their long winning streak to extend their lead atop the ladder and Nepean hoping to cause and upset, both sides will be playing hard for the three points.
Inner West Hawks FC vs Central Coast United FC, 7pm at Arlington Oval
Previous meeting: Central Coast United FC 0-2 Inner West Hawks FC
Two teams separated by eight points but just one position on the ladder sees Inner West Hawks FC host Central Coast United FC.
In the reverse fixture, the Hawks earned a 2-0 away win; they will hope to complete the league double over the Pirates, who themselves will hope to defeat the Hawks away for a second-straight year.
12th-placed Inner West Hawks FC suffered a 4-0 loss away to Hawkesbury City FC last week but will hope to bounce back with a positive performance against the Pirates.
The Hawks will hope to show a vast defensive improvement this week given the nature and number of goals they conceded against Hawkesbury, while at the other end they will hope to show more firepower in attack.
A win for Inner West could see them climb two spots into 10th on the ladder, while a loss would see the gap between themselves and Central Coast close to five points.
13th-placed Central Coast United FC, meanwhile, went six matches without a win after their 1-1 draw away to Parramatta FC last week, but will be buoyed by their late comeback in that match to earn that point.
The Pirates will hope to have good control of the ball in the match and if they do, will be hopeful of turning their possession into big chances and goals.
A win for Central Coast would see them close the gap to the Hawks to five points, while a loss could see them drop to 14th place.
With both Inner West Hawks and Central Coast United hoping to show improvement in this match, both sides will hope to put in a positive performance.
Dunbar Rovers FC vs Gladesville Ryde Magic, 7pm at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
Previous meeting: Gladesville Ryde Magic 0-1 Dunbar Rovers FC
A big mid-table clash sees Dunbar Rovers FC looking to respond from a tough last-start loss when they host a Gladesville Ryde Magic side hoping to end a winless run.
Earlier in the season, Dunbar recorded a tight 1-0 away win over the Magic; they will hope to complete the league double over Gladesville for the first time, while the Magic will hope to avoid that feat.
8th-placed Dunbar Rovers FC lost 2-0 away to Prospect United SC last week and will hope to return to winning ways given they are in the middle of a big pack of clubs within a few wins of each other.
Having only scored one goal from their past three matches combined, Dunbar will hope to turn around their fortunes on the offensive end when the Magic visit.
A win for Dunbar could see them rise to as high as 6th on the ladder, while a loss could see them fall to as low as 10th.
11th-placed Gladesville Ryde Magic, meanwhile, went four matches without a win after their 3-0 home loss to Granville Rage in last week’s Match of the Round but will hope to end that against Dunbar.
The Magic have gone three-straight matches without scoring a goal for the first time since the end of the 2022 League Two Men’s season and will hope to end that streak with good attacking play this week.
A win for Gladesville could see the rise into 9th on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop one spot to 12th.
With Dunbar hoping to complete the league double and Gladesville hoping to turn around their form, both sides will be hopeful of grabbing the win in this match.
Fraser Park FC vs Prospect United SC, 7:30pm at Valentine Sports Park
Previous meeting: Prospect United SC 2-0 Fraser Park FC
The final match of Round 20 sees Fraser Park FC looking to grab a big win to move up the ladder against a Prospect United SC side hoping to move level on points with South Coast Flame FC in 2nd.
Earlier in the season, Prospect recorded a 2-0 home win; they will hope to complete the league double, while Fraser Park will hope to pick up a big home win.
7th-placed Fraser Park FC won a third match from their past four after they held off Sydney University SFC and will hope to grab a big win with ladder position implications this week.
Fraser Park will hope to win a third match in a row for the seccond time this season, while Francis Mcalpine will hope to add to his 10 goals for the season, aiming to score for a third-straight match.
A win for Fraser Park could see them rise into 6th on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 9th.
4th-placed Prospect United SC ended a three-match winless streak and gave their top two hopes a boost after their 2-0 home win over Dunbar Rovers FC last week.
Prospect will hope the nature of their win last week will hold them in good stead agaisnt Fraser Park as they look to win matches any way they can to help them in their quest for promotion this season.
A win for Prospect could see them rise into 3rd, level on points with 2nd-placed South Coast Flame FC, while a loss could see them drop to 5th.
With Fraser Park in form, hoping to close in on the top sides and Prospect hoping to move level on points with Bankstown in 2nd, both sides will look to show their quality in this big clash.
2nd-placed South Coast Flame FC have a bye in Round 20.
By Football NSW League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa
