Round 26 Review – League Two Men’s
The battle for promotion remained as tight as ever in Round 26 of the 2026 Football NSW League Two Men’s season, with none of the top sides dropping points in their chase for a chance at moving up a tier.
The Match of the Round this week saw Central Coast United FC give their top-half hopes a boost with a home win over Sydney University SFC.
Match of the Round: Central Coast United FC 3-1 Sydney University SFC
Central Coast United FC gave their slim promotion hopes, as well as their top-half hopes, a big push after a comeback 3-1 home win over Sydney University SFC.
University had the better of a goalless first half, creating a few half-chances and hitting the crossbar with a header, as well as having a goal disallowed for offside.
After the break, University took the lead in the 62nd minute off a second ball from a cross, Charles Hely-Hammond on hand for the snap-shot finish from twelve yards into the bottom corner to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
University continued to threaten with more chances, hitting the post and forcing Pirates’ goalkeeper Tadhg Callary into a save.
Noah Block made an impact within two minutes of coming off the bench for Central Coast, finding the corner of the goal from the top of the box in the 71st minute to level the match at 1-1.
Block was at the double in the 80th minute when he got on the end of combination play, firing a shot which took a deflection and found the back of the net, Central Coast 2-1 up after having a goal disallowed minutes earlier.
The hosts wrapped up a 3-1 win in the 90th minute through Kirby Wilding, who bent the ball into the side of the goal to seal the three points for Central Coast.
The win for Central Coast saw them rise above University from 7th into 6th on the ladder on 35 points, while the loss for University saw them drop two spots down to 8th on 34 points.
Central Coast will hope to continue to put pressure on the teams ahead of them when they face Hawkesbury City FC away next week, while University will hope to bounce back against Nepean FC at home.
Central Coast United FC 3 (Noah Block 71’, 80’; Kirby Wilding 90’)
Sydney University SFC 1 (Charles Hely-Hammond 62’)
Nepean FC 2-4 Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC
Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC came from behind and held off Nepean FC to record a crucial win for their promotion hopes, running out 4-2 victors.
Nepean took a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute through Gabriel Gil, before a goal each from Yugo Miyazaki and Milan Subotic in the 11th and 45th minutes, respectively, gave Bonnyrigg a 2-1 lead at half-time.
Toby Witjes levelled the match for Nepean in the 58th minute, before Daniel Bittar scored his 13th goal of the season to put Bonnyrigg 3-2 up.
Miyazaki was at the double for Bonnyrigg in the 86th minute to seal the victory for Bonnyrigg, who ran out 4-2 winners away to Nepean.
The loss for Nepean saw them remain in 12th on 28 points, while the win for Bonnyrigg saw them remain in 4th on 40 points, five points behind 2nd-placed Parramatta FC.
Nepean FC 2 (Gabriel Gil 8’; Toby Witjes 58’)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC 4 (Yugo Miyazaki 11’, 86’; Milan Subotic 45’; Daniel Bittar 60’)
Fraser Park FC 3-2 South Coast Flame FC
Fraser Park FC came from two goals down to record a vital 3-2 home win over South Coast Flame FC in stoppage time, earning a big win for their promotion hopes.
The Flame opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Lawrence Claxton rose highest and headed the ball home off a cross ahead of the Fraser Park defence, before they doubled their lead in the 38th minute, Claxton at the double getting on the end of a through ball and slotting the ball home.
Fraser Park got back into the match in the 67th minute through Paul Turrin, who poked the ball home from close range, before Gregory Ehiozee restored parity at 2-2 three minutes later, heading home from a Christian Dos Santos corner.
Fraser Park’s push for promotion received a boost in the first minute of stoppage time when Mason Fernandez was fouled in the box; James Andrianakos stepped up and slotted the penalty home to give Fraser Park a big 3-2 home win.
The win for Fraser Park saw them remain in 3rd on 42 points, three points behind 2nd-placed Parramatta FC, while the loss for South Coast saw them remain in 9th on 31 points.
Fraser Park FC 3 (Paul Turrin 67’; Gregory Ehiozee 70’; James Andrianakos 90+1’)
South Coast Flame FC 2 (Lawrence Claxton 24’, 38’)
Inner West Hawks FC 1-2 Dunbar Rovers FC
10-man Dunbar Rovers FC held off Inner West Hawks FC to record a big 2-1 away win in their fight for promotion this season.
The visitors started the match strongly, opening the scoring in the 6th minute when Kosei Fukuyoshi played Daisuke Yamaguchi through on goal; Yamaguchi finished calmly to give Dunbar a 1-0 lead.
Inner West responded in the 31st minute when they were awarded a penalty for contact in the box; Peter Phillips stepped up and converted from the penalty spot to level the contest at 1-1 at half-time.
Dunbar were reduced to ten men in the 56th minute when Davi Dornelles was shown a red card for a dangerous challenge; the visitors hung on, however, and found the winner from the penalty spot in the 78th minute, Guilherme Mazurkievicz Pansonato scoring his ninth goal of the season to give Dunbar a 2-1 win,
The loss for Inner West saw them remain in 11th on 28 points, while the win for Dunbar saw them remain in 5th on 38 points, seven points behind 2nd-placed Parramatta FC.
Inner West Hawks FC 1 (Peter Phillips 31’ pen)
Dunbar Rovers FC 2 (Daisuke Yamaguchi 6’; Guilherme Mazurkievicz Pansonato 78’ pen; Davi Dornelles 56’ red card)
Parramatta FC 4-0 Bankstown United FC
Parramatta FC continued their charge for the promotion playoff, running out strong 4-0 winners over Bankstown United FC to maintain their advantage in the race.
The Eagles opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Marco Sama got on the end of a ball across the box.
The hosts took a 2-0 lead into half-time when a Jethro Thornton diagonal ball was flicked on by Travis Oughtred into the path of Mahamed Osman, who smashed the ball into the back of the net in the 30th minute.
Sama completed his double in the 75th minute, getting on the end of a square ball from Dean O’Donnell at the far post for his 20th goal of the season, before Thornton rounded out the 4-0 victory in the 85th minute, heading home from an O’Donnell corner.
The win for Parramatta saw them maintain their spot in 2nd on 45 points, three points ahead of 3rd-placed Fraser Park FC, while the loss for Bankstown saw them remain in 14th on 24 points.
Parramatta FC 4 (Marco Sama 22’, 75’; Mahamed Osman 30’; Jethro Thornton 85’)
Bankstown United FC 0
Gladesville Ryde Magic 0-2 Granville Rage
A goal in either half gave Granville Rage a boost to their promotion hopes in a 2-0 away win over Gladesville Ryde Magic.
Rhett Desilva gave Granville the opening goal of the match in the 29th minute, giving them the crucial edge early.
Lucas Kowalski came off the bench in the second half and scored in the 76th minute, the 19-year-old’s second goal of the season giving the Rage a 2-0 lead late.
Granville saw out the rest of the match from there, recording a clean for the second time this season in a 2-0 away win.
The loss for Gladesville saw them remain in 13th on 25 points, while the win for Granville saw them rise one spot from 8th to 7th on 35 points.
Gladesville Ryde Magic 0
Granville Rage 2 (Rhett Desilva 29’; Lucas Kowalski 76’)
Camden Tigers FC 3-2 Hawkesbury City FC
Camden Tigers FC came from behind late to record just their second win of the season and their first home win over Hawkesbury City FC in the League Two Men’s competition, running out 3-2 victors.
The Tigers found the opening goal just after the half-hour mark through Ramiro Soto, but the teams went into half-time level at 1-1 when Wade Giovenali capitalised on a loss of concentration from Camden and scored for the Hawks.
Hawkesbury found the lead in the 51st minute when Giovenali completed his double from the penalty spot, but Camden controlled possession from there and found the equaliser in the 70th minute through Djordje Milic, who scored his first goal for Camden since joining from Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC mid-season.
The Tigers found the late winner in the 80th minute through Soto, who completed his double to give Camden their second win of the season, 2-1, this time over Hawkesbury City FC.
The win for Camden saw them remain in 15th but move to 13 points for the season, while the loss for Hawkesbury saw them remain in 10th on 30 points.
Camden Tigers FC 3 (Ramiro Soto 31’, 80’; Djordje Milic 70’)
Hawkesbury City FC 2 (Wade Giovenali 37’, 51’ pen)
Premiers Mounties Wanderers FC had a bye in Round 26.
By Football NSW League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa
