Round 22 Review – League Two Men’s
A wet and wild weekend of action saw a few washouts amid some big results which shook up the 2025 Football NSW League Two Men’s ladder in Round 22.
The Match of the Round this week saw Dunbar Rovers FC come from behind to shake up the standings near the top in their home draw with Hawkesbury City FC.
Saturday, 5th July 2025
Match of the Round: Dunbar Rovers FC 1-1 Hawkesbury City FC
Dunbar Rovers FC came from behind to deny Hawkesbury City FC a shot at moving into 2nd with a 1-1 draw at home.
The two sides traded shots early, with interventions required at both ends, with a notable save down low by Hawkesbury goalkeeper Daniel Schwarzer.
In the 31st minute, Hawkesbury grabbed the all-important first goal of the match when Duncan Stewart played the ball to Harry Drew in the box; Drew settled over the ball and struck it into the back of the net, off the right post, to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
Following that, Hawkesbury had a big chance in the 35th minute when a corner delivered from Vincent Dermilio to Drew outside the box saw the latter have a shot saved into the path of Jude Bramhall, who subsequently forced a double save from Dunbar goalkeeper, Jack Wallbridge.
Drew then had consecutive attempts for Hawkesbury, with the first shot going wide right when one-on-one with Wallbridge, before he struck the side netting following a corner a few minutes later.
In the 45th minute, Hawkesbury had one more chance to double their lead with a shot from outside the box, but Wallbridge saved the effort at full stretch to his right to keep Dunbar in the contest, 1-0 down at half-time.
After the break, Hawkesbury created the first few chances with Drew missing a shot wide right after he was played in behind and Dermilio firing wide left from range in the 47th and 54th minutes, respectively.
Dunbar fought their way back into the match following that, with shots being saved and going just wide as they looked to find a way to level the match.
The hosts had a big chance in the 72nd minute when Schwarzer saved well to deny Dunbar, before the Hawks defence cleared the ball off the line but only as far as Dunbar’s Hristopher Neskovski, on his club debut, who was denied by Schwarzer.
Two minutes later, Dunbar made their pressure pay when a ball delivered into the box by substitute Elliott Kerr found Guilherme Mazurkievicz Pansonato; he powered the ball home to restore parity in the contest at 1-1.
Hawkesbury looked to fire back following that, with substitute Clement Ebahece Waoci firing wide right under pressure in the 79th minute, while three minutes later Drew set up Duncan Stewart for a shot, but his effort was saved by Wallbridge.
The two teams traded shots late, with Waoci and Drew firing wide right from outside the box for Hawkesbury, while at the other end Pansonato had a free kick go on target.
The final chance of the match saw Drew get in behind the Dunbar defence and shoot just wide left of the goal with the final action of the half, both sides settling for a 1-1 draw.
Post-match, Dunbar head coach Christian Soares was happy with his side, especially with new signings coming in and playing their part.
“New signings Daisuke Yamaguchi, who came back to the club, and Hristopher Neskovski from Hakoah made their debuts with important players missing in the back like Gianni Constantino and Julian Del Bianco missing; we created good chances but the experienced Hawks goalkeeper, Schwarzer, did well.”
Hawkesbury head coach Dean Bertenshaw, meanwhile, said he would take the point for his side away from home.
“A good, fast match against a skilful side; we will take the point away from home, but with better finishing we could have grabbed the extra points.
“Their goalkeeper was outstanding today.”
The point for Dunbar saw them remain in 8th on 29 points, while for Hawkesbury the point saw them stay in 4th on 36 points, two points behind 2nd-placed Prospect United SC.
Dunbar will hope to pick up a big win when they travel to face last-placed Camden Tigers FC next week, while Hawkesbury will look to take down 11th-placed Gladesville Ryde Magic away.
Dunbar Rovers FC 1 (Guilherme Mazurkievicz Pansonato 74’)
Hawkesbury City FC 1 (Harry Drew 31’)
South Coast Flame FC 1-1 Central Coast United FC
The battle of the coasts saw honours end even with Central Coast United FC coming from behind to grab a 1-1 draw away to South Coast Flame FC.
South Coast started with intent, with the league’s leading scorer for the season, Jyden Harb, shooting straight at Central Coast goalkeeper Zayd Husain early.
In the 17th minute, a Central Coast counter saw a partial clearance fall to Jay Goodwin, who turned on his left and fired just over the goal from inside the box.
Ten minutes later, a free kick from Harb just went past the post as the two sides fought for the opening goal.
Ten minutes before half-time, the Flame had multiple chances with Kade Kinsella having a shot blocked into the path of Thomas Dunn, who in turn had a shot saved by Husain.
The Flame got the breakthrough in the match in the 42nd minute when a ball from Takayuki Kayano found Kinsella, who in turn found Daniel Merola with a backheel pass; he curled a shot into the back of the net from just outside the box to give the Flame a 1-0 lead at the break.
Ten minutes after half-time, a cross from Kinsella on the right saw Husain unable to gather the ball, with Adam Timpano-Voloder laying the ball off to Harb, but his shot was cleared off the line by Jai Mcnamara.
A few minutes later, Cade Mapu weaved through the Flame defence and set up Ben Flakus, but the latter’s shot hit the side netting.
In the 70th minute, those two combined again with Mapu driving forward and finding Flakus in the box; Flakus turned and fired the ball low into the back of the net to level the match for Central Coast at 1-1.
Central Coast had chances late, with Mapu sending Flakus through on goal late, with Flame goalkeeper Nenad Vekic smothering the ball.
The final chance of the match saw a loose pass from Vekic picked off by the Pirates’ Cayleb Murray, who played the ball to Flakus before the ball was scrambled clear by the Flame defence.
In the end, neither side was able to find a winner, the match ending in a 1-1 draw.
The draw for the Flame saw them drop from 2nd to 3rd on the ladder, two points behind 2nd-placed Prospect United SC, while the point for the Pirates saw them go four matches unbeaten as they remained in 13th.
South Coast will hope to regain 2nd spot when they travel to face 12th-placed Inner West Hawks FC in Round 23, while Central Coast will hope to go a fifth-straight match without defeat when they host 2nd-placed Prospect United SC.
South Coast Flame FC 1 (Daniel Merola 42’)
Central Coast United FC 1 (Ben Flakus 70’)
Sydney University SFC 1-2 Bankstown United FC
Bankstown United FC gave their hopes of promotion another boost after they came from behind and scored a late winner to come out on top over Sydney University SFC, 2-1.
University scored with their only shot on target of the first half when they started hot in the 6th minute, William Lane scoring his first goal in first grade for the students to give them a 1-0 lead at half-time.
After the break, Bankstown had five shots on target to three and made the most of their opportunities.
First, Nathan Manno scored for Bankstown on the hour mark, the half-time substitute scoring for the first time since Round Three to level the match at 1-1.
Late in the match, in the 88th minute, Manno turned into the match winner with his second goal of the match and first-ever double for Bankstown to give them a late 2-1 win over University.
The loss for University saw their run of back-to-back wins end as they stayed in 14th, while the win for Bankstown put them right back in the mix for the top two as they moved up from 7th into 5th.
University will hope to bounce back when they host 10th-placed Nepean FC next week, while Bankstown will hope to go six matches unbeaten when they host 9th-placed Fraser Park FC.
Sydney University SFC 1 (William Lane 6’)
Bankstown United FC 2 (Nathan Manno 60’, 88’)
Inner West Hawks FC 0-1 Gladesville Ryde Magic
Gladesville Ryde Magic completed the league double over Inner West Hawks FC thanks to a tight 1-0 win away.
Inner West had a few early opportunities in the match but were unable to convert, the best of those being a free kick from Christian Cirino which hit the post, before Peter Phillips missed the follow-up from an open goal that was blocked by the Gladesville defence.
The Magic, meanwhile, had five shots on target in the first half but were unable to find a goal, also, the sides scoreless at the break.
After half-time, the two teams traded chances, with neither able to find the opening goal early.
In the 78th minute, however, the breakthrough came when Yukihiro Ayukawa found the back of the net for the seventh time this season for the Magic, giving them a 1-0 lead.
Just four minutes later, Inner West’s Hesan Soufi had a penalty attempt saved by Gladesville goalkeeper Lucas Mazereeuw, a moment that won the Magic the match, 1-0.
The loss for the Hawks saw them go four matches without a win as they stayed in 12th, while the win for the Magic ended a six-match winless run as they stayed in 11th.
Inner West will hope to end their winless run when they host 3rd-placed South Coast Flame FC next week, while Gladesville will hope to build off their win when they host 4th-placed Hawkesbury City FC.
Inner West Hawks FC 0
Gladesville Ryde Magic 1 (Yukihiro Ayukawa 78’)
Prospect United SC 1-0 Camden Tigers FC
Prospect United SC gave their promotion hopes a big boost after they took out a tight 1-0 home win over a young Camden Tigers FC side.
The hosts looked to hold the ball in the first half with patient build-up play without having any big chances to score.
Their patience paid off in the 39th minute when a corner swung in from Jamie Dib found Shaan Birring in the middle, who headed the ball home to give Prospect a 1-0 lead at half-time.
After the break, Anthony Idehen cut inside and had an effort which saw the ball strike the post as the hosts looked to extend their lead.
At the other end, the Prospect defence defended well to stop the Camden attack, with the Tigers unable to find an equaliser in the match despite having three big chances to score in the match.
In the end, Prospect held on for a big 1-0 home win over a spirited Tigers side.
The win for Prospect saw them rise from 3rd into 2nd on the ladder, two points ahead of South Coast Flame FC and Hawkesbury City FC behind them, while the loss for Camden saw them go 13 matches without a win as they stayed on the bottom of the ladder for a second-straight week.
Prospect will hope to maintain their spot in 2nd when they travel to face 13th-placed Central Coast United FC next week, while Camden will hope to end their winless streak when they host 8th-placed Dunbar Rovers FC.
Prospect United SC 1 (Shaan Birring 39’)
Camden Tigers FC 0
Nepean FC vs Granville Rage and Fraser Park FC vs Hurstville Zagreb FC were both postponed due to bad weather and will be played at future dates.
By Football NSW League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa
