Round 21 Preview – League Two Men’s
With the final third of the season kicking off, points will be as crucial as ever for every side in Round 21 of the 2025 Football NSW League Two Men’s season, with the top four sides each facing one of the other this week.
The Match of the Round this week focuses on two of the top three teams, with league-leading Hurstville Zagreb FC welcoming 3rd-placed Prospect United SC in a match with big consequences.
Friday, 27th June 2025
Match of the Round: Hurstville Zagreb FC vs Prospect United SC, 8pm at Penshurst Park
Previous meeting: Prospect United SC 1-2 Hurstville Zagreb FC
Two of the top three teams this season will be locked in an important battle when league-leading Hurstville Zagreb FC look to take another step towards the league title and promotion against promotion-chasing Prospect United SC in 3rd.
Earlier in the season, Hurstville came from behind to defeat Prospect 2-1 away from home, a win which saw them go five head-to-head matches unbeaten against Prospect; that is a record the hosts will hope to extend, and the visitors will hope to break.
League-leading Hurstville Zagreb FC won a seventh-straight match after their 3-0 home win over Nepean FC last week, a win which put them 14 points ahead of the rest of the pack.
Having kept four clean sheets from their past five matches, with a league-best 14 goals conceded all season; they will hope to continue to bring that fight against Prospect.
A win for Hurstville could see them extend their lead to 17 points atop the ladder, while a loss could see it reduced to 11 points.
3rd-placed Prospect United SC, meanwhile, won back-to-back matches for the first time since Round 14 as they got their promotion charge back on track with a 3-0 away win over Fraser Park FC.
Praneet Singh’s hat-trick last week brought him to 12 for the season, while the clean sheet for Prospect was their second-straight; they will hope to fire on all fronts to take down the league leaders in what would be a statement win for them.
A win for Prospect would be crucial as it could see them rise into 2nd on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop down to 4th.
With the league leaders hosting a team hoping to also fight for promotion this season, Hurstville and Prospect will provide a clash which will have big consequences.
Saturday, 28th June 2025
Central Coast United FC vs Dunbar Rovers FC, 3pm at Pluim Park
Previous meeting: Dunbar Rovers FC 1-0 Central Coast United FC
Two teams both coming off big last-start wins sees Central Coast United FC looking to continue in their fight to avoid last-place when they host a Dunbar Rovers FC side looking to continue to fight in the top half of the ladder.
Earlier in the season, Dunbar took out a late 1-0 home win over the Pirates; they will hope to complete the league double while Central Coast will hope to respond at home.
13th-placed Central Coast United FC snapped a six-match winless streak after they came from behind and held on with ten men for a 3-2 away win over Inner West Hawks FC last week.
Jay Goodwin’s double last week brought him to four goals from his past three matches; with him firing for the Pirates, they have found form in front of goal and will hope to continue to do so against Dunbar.
A win for Central Coast could bring them to within two points of 12th-placed Inner West Hawks FC, while a loss could see them drop down to 14th.
7th-placed Dunbar Rovers FC, meanwhile, kept their hopes of promotion alive after their 2-1 comeback home win over Gladesville Ryde Magic.
They will be without Gianni Costantino for the match after his red card last week but will hope to set up solidly in defence to keep Central Coast out.
A win for Dunbar could see them rise into 5th, while a loss could see them drop down to 9th.
With Central Coast hoping to push further away from the bottom of the league and Dunbar hoping to make a push for the top two, both sides will fight hard for the victory.
Gladesville Ryde Magic vs Bankstown United FC, 5pm at Christie Park
Previous meeting: Bankstown United FC 3-2 Gladesville Ryde Magic
Gladesville Ryde Magic will hope to return to form when they host a Bankstown United FC side which will be buoyed by their win last week.
In the reverse fixture, Bankstown came from behind to pick up a 3-2 home win over the Magic in the Match of the Round; they will hope to win a fifth-straight head-to-head match against the Magic, who will hope to end that streak.
11th-placed Gladesville Ryde Magic went five matches without a win after their 2-1 away loss to Dunbar Rovers FC last week but will hope to turn their form around against Bankstown.
Having scored for the first time in four matches last week, the Magic will hope to use that as a positive to build off as they look to take down Bankstown for the first time since Round 8 of the 2023 season.
A win for Gladesville could see them rise one spot into 10th, while a loss could see them drop one spot into 12th.
8th-placed Bankstown United FC, meanwhile, won their first match in five after their 2-0 home win over Parramatta FC in last week’s Match of the Round and will hope to build on that to keep their season alive.
Having picked up just their second clean sheet of the season and their first since Round Seven last week, Bankstown will hope that can be the foundation to pick up their first away win since Round Three.
A win for Bankstown could see them rise to as high as 6th on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop down to 9th.
With Gladesville hoping to end their winless run and Bankstown hoping to record back-to-back wins for the first time since Round Seven, both sides will hope to give a good account of themselves in this match.
Parramatta FC vs Nepean FC, 5pm at Melita Stadium
Previous meeting: Nepean FC 1-3 Parramatta FC
Two sides hoping to end a run of bad results sees Parramatta FC looking to get back in the promotion fight when they host Nepean FC in a western Sydney derby.
In the reverse fixture, Parramatta came from behind to record a 3-1 away win; they will hope to complete the league double, while Nepean will hope to avoid that stat.
6th-placed Parramatta FC went five matches without a win after their 2-0 away loss to Bankstown United FC in last week’s Match of the Round but will hope to end that streak against Nepean.
Having been kept scoreless in two of their past four matches, Parramatta will hope to return to their attacking bet against Nepean.
A win for the Eagles could see them rise to as high as 4th on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 8th.
10th-placed Nepean FC lost a third-straight match after their 3-0 away loss to Hurstville Zagreb FC last week and will hope to end that streak against Parramatta.
Having been kept scoreless in two of those three defeats, Nepean will hope to work hard on the offensive end to set themselves up for success against the Eagles.
A win for Nepean would see them remain in 10th, while a loss could see them drop to 11th.
With both Parramatta and Nepean hoping to end winless runs, both sides will fight hard for the win in this western Sydney derby.
Hawkesbury City FC vs South Coast Flame FC, 5pm at David Bertenshaw Field
Previous meeting: South Coast Flame FC 4-4 Hawkesbury City FC
Another big clash between two sides in the top four sees Hawkesbury City FC looking to grab a big win in their pursuit of potential promotion against the side they are hoping to overtake on the ladder in South Coast Flame FC.
Earlier in the season, a result which has proved to be important in both sides’ respective seasons saw the Flame come from three goals down to register a 4-4 draw at home to the Hawks; with so much at stake in this match, a similar fight can be expected from both teams.
4th-placed Hawkesbury City FC lost their first match in seven after their 2-0 defeat away to Sydney University SFC last week and will hope to bounce back immediately against the Flame to give themselves a big boost in their pursuit of the top two this season.
Back at home, where the Hawks have scored an average of 2.8 goals per game this season, they will hope to return to their attacking best as the league’s second-best scoring side to overpower the scoring prowess of the Flame.
A win for Hawkesbury could see them overtake the Flame in 2nd on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 6th.
2nd-placed South Coast Flame FC, meanwhile, had a bye last week and will hope to solidify their spot in 2nd with a big three points against the Hawks as they look to win a fifth match from their past six.
The league’s leading goal scorer, Jyden Harb, will hope to add to his 21 goals, while the squad will look to add to their league-best 54 goals this season, scoring an average of three goals per game.
A win for the Flame would see them stay in 2nd, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 4th.
With two attacking teams going head-to-head in a fight for promotion this season, both the Hawks and the Flame will hope to prove their worth against each other in this match.
Granville Rage vs Inner West Hawks FC, 7pm at Garside Park
Previous meeting: Inner West Hawks FC 3-0 Granville Rage
Granville Rage will hope to continue their fight for promotion this season well when they host an Inner West Hawks FC side looking to cause an upset.
In the reverse fixture, the Hawks won a fifth-straight head-to-head match against the Rage with a 3-0 home win; they will hope to continue that form to cause an upset in this match while the Rage will hope to end that streak.
5th-placed Granville Rage went a fifth match unbeaten after their 3-1 comeback win over Camden Tigers FC last week and will hope to use that win as a springboard to gain ground on the top sides.
Having scored three or more goals in each of their past five wins, the Rage offence has proved to be strong lately, while they have only conceded three goals combined from their past five matches.
A win for the Rage could see them move up one spot into 4th on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 7th.
12th-placed Inner West Hawks FC, meanwhile, lost back-to-back matches after their 3-2 home loss to Central Coast United FC last week but will hope to return to winning ways against the Rage.
Having their strong head-to-head record against the Rage in their favour, the Hawks will hope to convert their chances this week against a strong side defensively in the Rage.
A win for the Hawks could see them rise two spots into 10th on the ladder, while a loss would see them remain in 12th.
With Granville hoping to make a push for the top two and the Hawks looking to continue their strong head-to-head form over Granville, both sides will have the belief to win this match.
Camden Tigers FC vs Sydney University SFC, 7pm at Ron Dine Memorial Reserve
Previous meeting: Sydney University SFC 2-2 Camden Tigers FC
A big match near the bottom of the ladder for position sees Camden Tigers FC looking to avoid the drop to last place when they host the team hoping to overtake them in Sydney University SFC.
Earlier in the season, Camden took an early lead and then came from behind late to earn a 2-2 draw with the students; both sides will hope to show similar fight in this contest.
14th-placed Camden Tigers FC went eleven matches without a win after their 3-1 away loss to Granville Rage last week and will hope to end that streak against University.
They will be without their leading goal scorer this season in Bailey Simpson after his red card last week but will hope to fight well without him, while on the defensive end they will hope to improve their record, having conceded the most goals of any team this season so far.
A win for the Tigers could see them rise one spot into 13th on the ladder, while a loss would see them drop down to last place.
Last-placed Sydney University SFC, meanwhile, continued their upturn in results after their second win in three weeks last week, a 2-0 home win over Hawkesbury City FC.
The students have dealt well with adversity in their squad and the players who have stepped into the team have stepped up well to see them over the line in their most recent victories, evidenced by Corey Twinning’s first start for the senior side.
A win for the students would take them out of last place for the first time since Round Two of the season, while a loss would see them remain there.
With both Camden Tigers and Sydney University looking to show improvement and avoid a last-placed finish come the end of the season, both sides will hope to show their fight in this match.
9th-placed Fraser Park FC have a bye in Round 21.
By Football NSW League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa
