Sharks Impress in Season Opener Against Sydney United
Sutherland Sharks FC kicked off the 2025 NPL Men’s NSW season with a strong performance against Sydney United 58, securing a hard-fought 2-2 draw at Sydney United Sports Centre on Saturday night.
Facing a side expected to be among the competition’s frontrunners, the Sharks took the game to their opponents from the outset, demonstrating quality in possession and defensive resilience. Our early pressure paid off in the 15th minute when Daniel Wong’s dangerous delivery across goal forced an own goal from Adrian Vlastelica, giving us a deserved 1-0 lead.
Lachie Macdonald in action
We nearly doubled our advantage just eight minutes later as Wong was at the heart of the attack again, sending in another low ball that found Mason Fernandez, whose effort was well saved by Tristan Prendergast. Wong then had a chance of his own in the 29th minute after Maki Petratos delivered a precise cross into the box, but his shot drifted wide.
Our defensive organisation kept United at bay for much of the first half, with goalkeeper and new Sharks captain Danijel Nizic making a crucial save from Leroy Jennings just before the break.
After the restart, our attacking intent remained evident, and we were rewarded in the 56th minute. Kotaro Katsuta delivered a pinpoint cross into the area, where Wong’s initial touch took a deflection before he expertly volleyed the ball into the top corner, extending our lead to 2-0.
As the game wore on, Sydney United 58 pushed forward, and despite our determined defensive effort, they managed to pull a goal back in the 87th minute through Michael Glassock. Then, in the final moments of regulation time, a long-range strike from Mason Wells found the net, denying us what would have been a well-earned victory.
Head Coach Steven Zoric praised the team’s overall performance but acknowledged the frustration of not securing all three points.
“There were a lot of positives – we should have buried the game by half-time and been at least 3-0 up. We need to be more clinical, but I have nothing but positive praise for the squad. The effort was outstanding, our transition play was sharp, and our overall game control was strong. It’s disappointing not to take the win, but we take a lot of confidence from the performance,” Zoric said.
Our thoughts are also with Kosta Petratos, who was forced off early in the match. We await an update from our medical team and wish him a swift recovery.
While the result may not have reflected the full extent of our performance, the Sharks showed they are ready to compete with the very best in the league. We now shift our focus to our next challenge as we look to build on this strong start to the season.