Round 12 Review – League One Men’s

Traditionally, long weekends are a good time to go away—and that proved true in the Football NSW League One Men’s competition, with five teams securing away wins in Round 12 action.

Newcastle Jets took out Match of the Round, while both Blacktown Spartans and Dulwich Hill extended their respective unbeaten streaks.

Match of the Round: Central Coast Mariners 2–3 Newcastle Jets

Newcastle Jets’ Academy side scored twice in the final 15 minutes to claim bragging rights over Central Coast Mariners with a thrilling 3–2 win at Pluim Park.

Once again showcasing their squad depth, four substitutes played a role in the final two goals to secure all three points.

It took just three minutes for the opener, with the Jets striking early. The ball fell to Lucas Scicluna in midfield, who slipped a pass through to Ethan Debono, and the forward applied a composed finish past the goalkeeper.

That lead lasted just two minutes, as the Mariners hit back. A high press allowed Kye Schumacher to win possession in the opposition half before lofting a ball to Arthur De Lima, who laid it off for Harvey James to finish one-on-one.

The game continued at a frantic tempo, with Oliver Cockle and De Lima both going close inside the opening 10 minutes.

The Mariners completed the first-half turnaround in the 24th minute, with Michael Paragalli heading home from a Harrison Jablonski corner.

The Jets responded by controlling field position after the half-hour mark but struggled to create a clear-cut chance, as the referee’s whistle brought an enthralling first half to a close.

Both sides continued to trade chances after the break. The Jets went close through Alex Nunes, who forced a sharp save from Mariners goalkeeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen following a Nkomo delivery.

The Mariners responded with chances for De Lima, who fired narrowly over, and Ahmad Ethelou, who was denied by a superb save from Jets keeper Cayden Lobach.

The momentum swung late, with the Jets pushing hard in the final 20 minutes. Their pressure paid off in the 84th minute following a brief stoppage for injury, as substitute Dallo Sandy made an instant impact, finishing from a Lucas Johnson through ball.

The Jets carried that momentum into stoppage time, capitalising on an errant goal kick. Jesse Hill squared the ball for Noah Peacock, who tapped home from close range to complete the comeback.

Central Coast Mariners 2 (James 5’, Paragalli 24’)
Newcastle Jets 3 (Debono 3’, Sandy 84’, Peacock 90’)

Elsewhere

Hurstville Zagreb 2–3 Bankstown City

Bankstown City survived a scare to secure a 3–2 win away at Penshurst Park.

Despite a scoreless first half, Hurstville created the better chances, with goalkeeper Mario Aleksic making several key saves to keep Bankstown in the contest.

The deadlock was broken just a minute into the second half when Peter Kekeris finished from close range after an initial save from Matthew Nikolovski.

Hurstville equalised in the 54th minute through Jonathan Maras from the penalty spot, but two costly errors in quick succession proved decisive. Kekeris capitalised on a defensive mistake to set up Jonathan Grozdanovski, before an own goal from Michael Neil made it 3–1.

Maras completed his brace in the 85th minute to set up a tense finish, but Bankstown held on.

Inter Lions 1–2 Blacktown Spartans

Blacktown Spartans extended their winning run with a resilient 2–1 comeback victory over Inter Lions at Majors Bay Reserve.

Inter Lions started strongly and were rewarded with a 34th-minute goal from Ned Armson to take a surprise lead into halftime.

The Spartans responded after the break, with Aedon Kyra levelling from the penalty spot before completing his brace in the 70th minute with a tight-angle finish.

The result extends Spartans’ lead at the top to five points after 12 rounds.

Macarthur Rams 0–2 Dulwich Hill

Dulwich Hill continued their strong form with a 2–0 win over Macarthur Rams at Lynwood Stadium.

Now unbeaten in five matches, including four wins, they are pushing towards the top half of the table.

After a balanced first half, Dulwich broke through late, with Marcus Lal scoring in the 87th minute following a rebound. Lal then sealed the win in stoppage time with a composed finish after a solo run.

Bulls FC Academy 3–2 Hakoah FC

Bulls FC Academy came from behind to claim a thrilling 3–2 win over Hakoah FC.

Hakoah led at halftime through Ben Fuchs, but the second half delivered a flurry of goals. Justin Cardozo equalised before Stephen Varvaritis restored Hakoah’s lead.

However, Bulls responded immediately, with Luke Zuvela and Zane Helweh scoring in quick succession to secure the comeback victory.

Canterbury Bankstown 1–2 Hills United

Hills United returned to winning ways with a 2–1 victory over Canterbury Bankstown at Jensen Park.

Cam Philp opened the scoring late in the first half in his 100th appearance, before Yuki Kanai doubled the lead with a superb strike after the break.

Canterbury pulled one back late through Patrick Savor, but Hills held on for a much-needed win.

Rydalmere Lions 0–0 Northern Tigers

Rydalmere Lions and Northern Tigers played out an entertaining goalless draw at Rydalmere Park.

While clear chances were limited, both sides showed attacking intent, with the best opportunity falling to Rydalmere when Nicholas Azzone struck the crossbar.

The Tigers also threatened late, but neither side could find the breakthrough.

Western City Rangers 0–0 Prospect United

Another goalless draw saw Western City Rangers and Prospect United share the points at Popondetta Park.

Both sides had chances to win, with Rangers dominant early before Prospect pushed late. A dramatic late sequence saw multiple shots cleared off the line and one strike hit the post.

Both teams ultimately settled for a point, with Prospect United securing their first clean sheet of the season.

By Justin Smith