April 20, 2026
2026 NSW NPL MENS 1
ROUND 11
WOLLONGONG WOLVES v SUTHERLAND SHARKS
WOLVES DEVOUR THE SHARKS
The Wolves have kept their winning momentum intact (now two in succession) after coming back after defeating neighbours the Sutherland Sharks by two goals to one. The Wolves gifted the Sharks with a needless penalty kick in the sixth minute which was converted by Nicholas Olsen, a former Wolves’ player. The home team replied through Banri Kanaizumi with his first goal since his brace in Round 13 in 2024, and Lachlan Scott, achieved his fourth goal of the season and his third score in three weeks.
The game was a titanic struggle as each team vied for supremacy but play became scrappy at times and fluent football was at a premium. Misplaced passes occurred often and it became a physical affair with pushes and shoves.
The Wolves began the confrontation by running towards the southern end as the Sutherland Sharks kicked off and very quickly got the ball into the Wolves’ territory. Not long later, Alex Masciovecchi received a high kick and a free kick ensued. Flynn Madden plied the ball in, but the opposition coped to clear. In the third minute, Sutherland received their first corner kick. Olsen curled it in and the Wolves’ custodian Daniel Solsky grasped it with aplomb. At the other end, Jamie Percevski defended well to cut out a Wolves’ attacking foray.
However, the Sharks did not have to wait long to draw first blood. A tug on a shirt in the box by Kanaizumi, who blotted his copybook, saw the man in charge point to the penalty spot. Olsen, who taken a few spot kicks at the same vicinity previously, thrusted the ball down the middle with power and precision to elude a diving Solsky. This occurred six minutes in.
The Sharks wanted to increase their advantage after a long Sharks’ throw in was headed away by Ryan. A Flynn Madden corner kick for the Wolves at the opposite end was cleared away with ease by the Sutherland defence Lachlan Macdonald and Thijs Van Amerongen holding sway.
Play was going backwards and forwards throughout proceedings and players at times were slipping over. In the eleventh minute, Marcus Beattie dispatched the ball to Sebastian Duarte, who summarily slipped, allowing Sutherland to come away with the ball. Flynn Madden produced a targeted
shot that took a deflection and went away for a corner kick. His ensuing corner kick traversed from the left and was headed away by Thijs Van Amerongen. Scott gain possession and sent it out to Madden who came in field and passed to Scott. He then found Yamamura who lifted a delightful ball to the far post. A diving header from Kanaizumi was forcibly despatched into the goal, and his redemption was complete. The Wolves had restored parity after conceding an early goal, a habit that was evident early in the season.
Duarte defended precisely to deny an attackers run into the box and then later at the nineteenth minute mark, his enticing cross was pulled down by a defender and the custodian and Sharks’ captain, Danijel Nizic took into his hands.
Two minutes shy of the half hour, Beattie was hampered and a free kick was awarded. Kazuya Yamamura stepped in the breach and his powerful torpedo like shot from outside the penalty arc, lashed the post, but deserved more. The Wolves were centimetres away from hitting the lead.
Two minutes after the half hour, Olsen on the right cut the ball back to Tariq Maia. He in turn powered the ball towards the target only for Solsky to intervene and keep out.
Further efforts from Beattie, Scott, Masciovecchio, Maia and Van Amerongen failed to bring any joy with Solsky and Nizic to the fore. It was equal at half time.
In the second half, early on, Masciovecchio was on a break but was inconvenienced by Macdonald, but the subsequent free kick did not change anything. Sutherland kept searching to gain something from the match with Olsen being the source of many attacks. Kanaizumi got in before Olsen could cause any further damage and scant time later a Maia corner kick was defused by a Solsky leap in the to and fro nature of the game.
Two minutes before the hour, a Ryan header from his vicinity at the near post was wide as the Wolves kept plugging for a winner. The Sharks’ former Spirit and Wolves player, Takumi Ofuka had his shot blocked and substitute Sebastian Hernandez sped into the box but nothing of any significance was gained. A Tate Russell header from a Ryan cross was unfortunately wide and Jordan Perez denied Hernandez as he attempted to cause damage. Danny Choi tried to cross but Ryan thwarted this action.
With fifteen minutes to go, Ryan tackled Olsen as Sutherland applied pressure and a minute later Hernandez put the ball across the Sutherland face of goal, but no-one was there to turn the ball in.
With seven minutes before normal time was up, the Wolves edged ahead. Substitute Lucas Trajcevski brought the ball forward and cut the ball back to Scott. He launched himself at the ball and connected, directing his header past Nizic into the goal.
Olsen nearly achieved parity for his team as he jinked his way skilfully to then shoot, trying to squeeze the ball in at the near post. However, Solsky turned the ball away for a corner kick.
With a few minutes of time added on, the Wolves kept despatching the ball back into the Sutherland half or going to the corner to soak up some minutes. Sutherland refused to surrender meekly.
The final whistle was then heard, and the Wolves had taken the three points in a hard-fought match and have been elevated to fourth position on the points table for their efforts. There were fifteen corner kicks in the match with the Wolves superior by one.
MATCH STATISTICS
WOLLONGONG WOLVES………….2
Banri Kanaizumi 16’ Lachlan Scott 83’
SUTHERLAND SHARKS…………….1
Nicholas Olsen 6’ pen.
@Macedonia Park, Berkeley
SUNDAY 19th APRIL 2026
3.00 p.m. kick off
WOLLONGONG WOLVES
Coach: Luke Wilkshire
1. Daniel Solsky, 4. Dylan Ryan, 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 7. Felipe D’Agostino (21. Liam Ball 56’), 8.Sebastian Duarte, 10. Flynn Madden (11. Sebastian Hernandez (56’), 13. Tate Russell, 17. Marcus Beattie, 18. Kazuya Yamamura 24. Lachlan Scott (14. Noah Mathie 89’), 25.Alex Masciovecchio (16. Lucas Trajcevski 71’),
Substitutes not used: 9. Jack McClatchie, , 19. Max Cunial, 77. Dylan King
Yellow Cards : Banri Kanaizumi 6’ Liam Ball 90+5’
Red Card : nil
SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Coach : David Perkovic
1. Danijel Nizic, 2. Lachlan Macdonald, 4. Thijs Van Amerongen, 5. Jordan Perez, 7. Takumi Ofuka (30. Julian Fedele 80’), 9. Brendan Gan 8. Brendan Gan, 10. Tariq Maia, 11. Seung Joo (Danny) Choi (17. Richard Shoueiki 31’), 15. Jamie Percevski, 21. Nicholas Olsen, 22. Tye McGowan (18. Gian Fiorese, 62’)
Subs Not Used: 12. James Husoy, 20. Jackson Barter, 16. Jacob McLachlan, 23. Lachlan Mayer
Yellow Cards: Lachlan Macdonald 50’, Brendan Gan 57’,
Red Cards: Nil
Referee: Reece Edwards
Assistant Referees : Cameron Wright and Matthew Harris
Fourth Official: Charlotte Flynn
By Malcolm Rowney
