The Western Sydney Wanderers scored three goals inside the final twelve minutes to secure their position in next season’s NPL NSW Men’s Competition at Pluim Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Western Sydney Wanderers NPL 1 side have defeated the Central Coast Mariners Academy 3-0 in a season defining victory for the Academy side as they escaped the depths of relegation after looking all but destined for the drop two weeks ago.
The Wanderers welcomed back Kade Baccus, Antony Barbic and Leon Alizart into the starting side following a convincing three goal win over St George FC last week.
The opening twenty minutes saw both sides attempt to utilise the width of the field and stretch the opposition defence as both teams looked to start the game on the front foot.
Alaat Abdul-Rahman was presented with the game’s first chance, as a Baccus diagonal ball found Alizart who would square it to the striker. The ball would rattle the post as the Wanderers began to dominate proceedings.
Former Wanderer Noah Peacock would come within inches of opening the scoring with a wonderfully struck free kick, only for the ball to float left of the post.
The two sides went into the break level, with neither side creating more than a half chance outside of Abdul-Rahman’s strike.
Lual would see his strike saved following a Cop lobbed pass as the Wanderers would strike first in the second stanza.
The Mariners would strike back through Jai Rose and Ahmad El-Helou, as the latter would find the side netting in an attempt to break the deadlock against the momentum of the game.
It would be the Wanderers who would open proceedings, with Badolato’s switch finding Nathan Barrie who would head it across goal for Lual to tap into the net. The goal rewarded 78 minutes of unrelenting pressure from the Red and Black who felt the relief pour off their shoulders as they celebrated a monumental goal.
Moments later, the Wanderers would be awarded a penalty for a handball in the box, with Abdul-Rahman converting from the spot.
The striker would have the opportunity to grab a second, but could not recover the ball once he took it around the goalkeeper.
It would be Johnny Pavlovic who had the final say, as the young prospect would slide onto a Max Hately pass to roll in the Wanderers’ third.
With the pressure of relegation finally lifted, Western Sydney Wanderers can breathe easy knowing their place in next season’s NPL NSW is secure. This victory wasn’t just about three points, it was a statement of resilience and belief when it mattered most.
For a young side learning week by week, survival was the first step, now the challenge is to turn this relief into a foundation for growth, stability, and bigger ambitions in 2026.
