Round 30 Review – League One Men’s
Round 30 of the FNSW League One Men’s competition brought the curtain down on the season in dramatic fashion, with Northern Tigers and Prospect United booking their positions in the post-season playoffs at either end of the table.
Northern Tigers secured their promotion/relegation playoff spot by taking out our Match of the Round after Bankstown City had won earlier in the day, while Prospect United produced a 3-0 victory at home to leapfrog Western City Rangers on the final day of the campaign.
Match of the Round: Western City Rangers 0-3 Northern Tigers
Northern Tigers kept their nerve and produced a composed performance to emerge 3-0 victors over Western City Rangers at Popondetta Park.
With results elsewhere applying some pressure, it was a Jesse Spang goal late in the first half which laid the foundation for victory, while Western City Rangers suffered their second straight relegation.
As you would expect given the stakes on the table, the first half played out in cagey circumstances, with chances coming sporadically for either side.
A set piece for the Tigers in the 12th minute was the closest either side came in the opening stages, while Rangers gradually grew into the game when it came to their threat in possession.
The breakthrough came on the cusp of half-time from, who else, Jesse Spang.
His near-post run from a set piece was not tracked, with Spang producing a glancing header with enough weight to beat Dylan Niski at the near post. Connor Rose provided the delivery into the area.
Rangers then pressed for an equaliser in the remaining few minutes, with Reuben Awaritefe shooting just wide when through on goal after running onto a deflected ball in behind.
The hosts’ survival hopes nearly took a big hit soon after the break, with a goal-line clearance denying Connor Rose a second for the Tigers.
Praneet Singh then had a couple of early second-half shots for the hosts, with the second drawing a save from Tigers goalkeeper Mateo Scali.
The Tigers stretched their lead to two in the 57th minute, making use of the space left as Rangers chased the game.
Austin Oates played in Sebastian Cerecedo, who took the ball past a covering defender before finishing past the keeper.
The ball simply was not falling for Rangers at the other end, with a turnover allowing Awaritefe to shoot straight at the keeper in the 68th minute after Chan Yelchan played him through on goal.
Milad Popalzay’s side wrapped up the game with their third goal just over 10 minutes from time.
Javier Struve Betancourt applied a finish at the second attempt into an open goal to make it 3-0.
The result confirmed Northern Tigers’ place in the promotion/relegation playoff against St George FC, which will be played over the next couple of weekends.
Western City Rangers, meanwhile, are left dealing with back-to-back relegations, which will see them play their football in FNSW League Two next season.
Western City Rangers 0
Northern Tigers 3 (Spang 45’, Cerecedo 57’, Betancourt 78’)
Elsewhere
Prospect United 3-0 Hurstville Zagreb
Prospect United picked up their first home win of the season and, in turn, the relegation playoff spot with a 3-0 win at Valentine Sports Park.
It was an impressive achievement from Darren Camilleri’s side, who now look ahead to a playoff tie against Parramatta FC over the next couple of weekends.
The game also marked the end of an era for Hurstville Zagreb, with Valerio Silvestro departing the club after an impressive tenure.
Looking to show more impetus in this one, the hosts adopted an attacking shape and, despite some teething problems early, it paid off.
Their first goal came in the first half, scored from 25 yards by Leo Hirose, whose shot dipped under the goalkeeper’s hands.
The second half started in similar circumstances before momentum carried Prospect over the line.
Bajada combined with Ethan Elcham for the second goal before Antonio Orlando set up Bajada for their third.
Prospect United will next take on Parramatta FC in a two-legged playoff, while Hurstville Zagreb secured their safety well in advance, performing admirably in their first season in the division.
Prospect United 3 (Hirose 39’, Bajada 61’, 70’)
Hurstville Zagreb 0
Newcastle Jets 2-9 Bankstown City
In one of the earlier Saturday kick-offs, Bankstown City made a significant dent in Northern Tigers’ goal difference advantage with a 9-2 win over Newcastle Jets in Lake Macquarie.
Doing what they could to apply pressure on the Tigers, the intent was there throughout against a youthful Newcastle Jets side who were missing players due to an A-League training camp.
Bankstown City took a three-goal lead into the break courtesy of a Bai Antoniou brace and a goal from Alec Urosevski in the 27th minute.
The game played out as a very open affair, with plenty of space for both sides to attack.
Two early second-half goals for the Jets through Kai Thompson and William Kauter added a twist to the tale before Bankstown City ran away with it.
Antoniou added another two goals, joined by Shun Maeta with a brace, as well as Ryan Feutz and Jason Cakovski.
The visitors finished in third, three points behind Northern Tigers in the playoff spot, while the Jets’ season very much fell away towards the end, finishing in 14th.
Newcastle Jets 2 (Thompson 48’, Kauter 51’)
Bankstown City 9 (Antoniou 14’, 38’, 57’, 83’, Urosevski 27’, Feutz 54’, Maeta 60’, 69’, Cakovski 63’)
Canterbury Bankstown 3-2 Macarthur Rams
Canterbury Bankstown rounded out their season with a 3-2 win over Macarthur Rams at Jensen Park on Saturday evening.
Earlier in the fixture, Macarthur Rams were the side who started the better, applying a high press which shocked the hosts but were unable to capitalise with a goal.
The Berries played their way into the contest before opening the scoring through William Kounnas, who scored a well-taken goal inside the box.
That lead lasted five minutes before one of the Rams’ best in Connor Spurway equalised.
Goals continued to flow at either end, with Aleks Zecevic for the Berries and Aaron Green for the Rams both scoring before half-time.
Canterbury Bankstown showed a little more control in the second half and were rewarded with a Berisha goal on the hour which separated the sides.
Both of these sides have plenty of positives to take into 2027 after impressive campaigns which saw them both finish in the Top Six.
Canterbury Bankstown 3 (Kounnas 28’, Zecevic 39’, Berisha 60’)
Macarthur Rams 2 (Spurway 34’, Green 41’)
Inter Lions 1-2 Hakoah FC
Hakoah FC took out a 2-1 win over Inter Lions, rounding out an improved second half of the season.
Sporting a youthful look for their final away trip of the season, Craig Sharpley’s side took the lead twice in the fixture, with the second advantage holding for the three points.
The visitors took the lead inside 15 minutes through Nicholas Tooley, who converted a penalty after Mac Liversidge played a big role in winning the spot kick.
Inter Lions responded with a 15-minute period where they looked the more likely side and were rewarded through an Owen Duke set-piece goal.
Liversidge once again played a role in Hakoah’s second, with his cross deflected in by a Lions defender.
Hakoah held on for the three points during the remaining 20 minutes.
The hosts finished the season in 11th position, with news this week that Nick Porreca will return to the Head of Football role, with Fabian Micelli his replacement.
Hakoah, meanwhile, finish the season on a high with 41 points to show for their campaign.
Inter Lions 1 (Duke 36’)
Hakoah FC 2 (Tooley 12’, Smahel OG 67’)
Hills United 8-0 Central Coast Mariners
Finishing the season in style, Hills United were ruthless, putting eight goals past Central Coast Mariners at Valentine Sports Park.
It was a fitting way to farewell one of their own in Glen Kelshaw, with Hills racing out to a five-goal lead in the first half before closing it out in the second, with Kelshaw even finding the net.
Not wasting any time stamping their authority on the contest, the hosts raced out to a three-goal lead inside 12 minutes.
Jordan Small, Brooklyn Mallia and Walid Moutaouakkil all found the back of the net early before Mallia and Small both secured a second before the half-time break.
Mallia then completed his hat-trick in the 47th minute before Kelshaw scored one final goal in his 264-game career.
Cam Philp added an eighth goal in the 86th minute to complete the rout.
Hills finished the season with four straight wins in fifth position, while Bulls FC Academy fell to ninth after the result.
Hills United 8 (Small 3’, 45’, Mallia 9’, 22’, 47’, Moutaouakkil 11’, Kelshaw 66’, Philp 86’)
Central Coast Mariners 0
Rydalmere Lions 3-2 Dulwich Hill
Rydalmere Lions finished their season with a 3-2 win over Dulwich Hill at Rydalmere Park to ensure a Top Half finish.
The hosts got off to a perfect start, with an early goal for, you guessed it, Adil Toska, who applied a tap-in finish after a goalkeeper save.
Dulwich Hill then equalised a quarter of an hour later through a great Samuel Gulisano finish from outside the box.
Rydalmere retook the lead through an own goal before half-time, with Toska playing a role in the build-up.
Toska added his second on the hour to extend the lead before a consolation for the visitors came in added time through Samuel O’Connor.
Rydalmere sneaked into the Top Half with the three points, while Dulwich Hill finished the season on exactly 30 points with plenty of room to improve next season.
Rydalmere Lions 3 (Toska 2’, 60’, Schmidt 34’)
Dulwich Hill 2 (Gulisano 17’, O’Connor 91’)
Bulls FC Academy 2-2 Blacktown Spartans
Blacktown Spartans finished their stay in the second tier with a 2-2 draw against Bulls FC Academy at Sydney United Sports Centre.
On an otherwise tough night for the A-League academy sides in the division, Bulls FC Academy matched it with the best side this season, with the Premiers staging a second-half comeback to secure a share of the points.
The hosts got off to a flyer with two relatively quick goals either side of the half-time break, with Charley Kassis scoring in both the fifth and 48th minutes.
That goal awakened the visitors, who came back for a share of the points.
Ahmad Taleb scored in the 52nd minute to bring them back into the contest before Austen Booth equalised 10 minutes later, scoring his eighth of the season.
Notable mentions go to goalkeeper Daniel Petsalis, who made his debut, alongside Blake Ilitch and Josh Bortolotto post-match.
Spartans finished the season on 69 points in first place, while Bulls FC Academy performed the best of the academies in 2026.
Bulls FC Academy 2 (Kassis 5’, 48’)
Blacktown Spartans 2 (Taleb 52’, Booth 62’)
Thank you for following our coverage of this wonderful league throughout the season.
By Justin Smith
