Match of the Round
Dudley Redhead United 0-3 Toronto Awaba
Dudley Redhead United coach Mark Wilson wanted to see his side be braver in their 3-0 defeat to Toronto Awaba in the only match played in round 10.
It took Toronto just one minute into the match to display why they are at the top of the table with the most goals scored when Sam Maxwell looked to open the scoring off a corner but was denied by Dudley’s goalkeeper Kyle Predebbon.
The two sides came out of the sheds firing, wanting to take the lead in the match, after Toronto’s Nick Roberts hit the crossbar in the 18th minute and Dudley hit the crossbar in the 26th minute.
It was Toronto who broke the deadlock first when Predebbon denied Toronto’s Jarrod Purcell a goal-scoring opportunity and instead awarded them a penalty.
Purcell wasted no time and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner in the 32nd minute where the score would remain at half-time.
Dudley went into the second half searching for the equaliser but instead was consistently defended off the ball by a dominant Toronto backline.
Toronto doubled their lead in the 58th minute when Robert’s headed the ball into the bottom right corner.
The Thistles didn’t back down with momentum switching in their favour for the final 20 minutes, pushing Toronto to the very end fighting to get their side on the scoreboard.
The Stags' squad expanded in the 76th minute when Jacob Dundas made his return to Toronto after playing for Weston Bears in the NPL Men’s NNSW in 2025.
Dudley had two prominent attempts on target but instead hit the crossbar in the 81st minute and just missed the goal in the 83rd minute.
Purcell scored his second of the afternoon in the 86th minute after he ran through a sea of Thistle defence and slammed the ball into the goal.
Despite persistent efforts by the Thistles, they were unable to lessen the three-goal deficit and sent Toronto home with the 3-0 victory and sixth clean sheet of the season.
Wilson believed his side deserved more than a 3-0 loss against league leaders Toronto.
“It was a close game I thought even though we finished 3-0 down,” Wilson said.
“I think our effort probably deserved a bit more than that. I thought we played pretty well but 3-0 is 3-0. It is what it is.”
Entering round 10, the Thistles had scored seven times and despite several attempts, they were unable to capitalise on their chances and add to their tally for the season. Wilson knew his side needed to be braver and stronger in front of goal in future matches.
“We created eight clear chances today and didn’t score, and you won’t win games of football with execution like that,” said Wilson.
“It’s just owning those moments when they do come along.
“You’ve got to be braver than what we have been. Just braver and just taking those chances when they do come.
“You can’t put half a foot in; you’ve got to really put a foot in to get us a goal.”
Regardless of the result Dudley’s backline was able to prevent a strong Toronto attacking end from expanding the scoreline, something Wilson saw a positive in.
“It was a massive positive today. I mean, if Toronto is the benchmark and they’re the leaders, I think we demonstrated today that we can compete with anyone,” Wilson said.
“And if we turn up and play like we did today, we’ll be okay.”
Toronto coach Jarrod Hiles was not only happy to walk away with all three points after they won their eighth game of the season but also to just get on the pitch after the recent wet weather.
“It was good to get on and good to get the three points, clean sheet again,” Hiles said.
“The boys haven’t kicked the ball in two weeks, so it’s been a bit hard with training.
“We were a little rusty at patches, but we still had really good patches, and they dug in when they had to.”
While Hiles understood it was hard for any side to control a game for 90 minutes, he knew his side needed to stay concentrated to prevent opposition from getting back into the match, much like the Thistles did.
“We need concentration and communication on the pitch. Not to try and force passes, just try and control the game,” said Hiles.
“We have Winnie [Zane Winslade] back after a few weeks out and he’s usually pretty good at controlling the tempo so it’s good to have him back out there.
“But it’s just staying switched on and focused.”
Toronto will look to secure their seventh clean sheet of the season when they travel to Ladbroke Gardens on Sunday afternoon to take on Wallsend FC.
Dudley will hope to right their wrongs and return to winning ways when they go head-to-head with Singleton Strikers on Saturday afternoon.
Thornton Redbacks v West Wallsend SFC
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
Singleton Strikers v Cessnock City Hornets
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
South Cardiff FC v Lake Macquarie City
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
Kahibah FC v Wallsend FC
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
