Match of the Round
Kahibah FC 4-1 Cessnock City Hornets
Kahibah FC remained 15 games unbeaten and ended their HIT106.9 Northern League One season on a high when they beat Cessnock City Hornets 4-1 at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday morning.
It took the Rams just three minutes to open the scoring when Riley Ferguson sliced the ball onto the run of Daniel Byrne.
Byrne ran side-by-side with the Cessnock defence and slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Ferguson got his name on the scoreboard in the 35th minute after he sliced the ball underneath Cessnock goalkeeper Blake McDonnell and into the bottom left corner.
Kahibah went into half-time leading 2-0 and it took the Rams 30 seconds to extend that lead in the second half.
Ewan Kelly found Ferguson in front of the goal who wasted no time to net his second of the day in the 45th minute.
The Hornets clawed one back in the 52nd minute after they were awarded a penalty. Tom Duggan stepped up to the mark and calmly kicked the ball into the back of the net.
Byrne netted his second and the last goal of the game in the 76th minute after a scramble in front of the goal allowed him to slot the ball into the net.
The 4-1 win secured the Rams their 10th consecutive win and extended their unbeaten streak to 15 matches.
They finished their season with the premiership and automatic promotion to the NPL Men’s NNSW competition in 2026.
Cessnock ended the campaign in ninth place on the table, escaping relegation on goal difference.
Singleton Strikers 0-1 South Cardiff FC
South Cardiff FC escaped relegation in the dying moments of their final match of the season when they defeated Singleton Strikers 1-0 at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners had everything to play for as they entered the final round sitting 10th on the table and most at risk of relegation.
They needed nothing less than a win to survive and came out firing for the three points.
In an end-to-end first half, the two sides could not be separated and went into the sheds locked up 0-0.
As Singleton looked to end their regular season on a high and the Gunners searched to cement their spot in the competition, the final 45 minutes showcased the desperation from both sides.
But it was South Cardiff’s 81st minute substitute Jay Troyer that proved to be the difference.
Six minutes after Troyer was substituted onto the field, he found himself in a scramble in front of goal alongside multiple bodies from both sides.
Troyer was able to find the back of the net amidst the scramble and gained his side the 1-0 lead in the 87th minute.
The Gunners were able to hold onto the lead for the remainder of the match and cemented their position in the HIT106.9 Northern League One competition for 2026.
They finished eighth on the table.
The loss saw Singleton remain in third on the table until West Wallsend locked in their win later in the afternoon.
The Strikers finished fourth and will now host NPL Men’s NNSW side Valentine FC at Howe Park on Saturday afternoon in the first leg of the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Finals series.
Thornton Redbacks 1-2 Wallsend FC
Thornton Redbacks were the first side relegated from the competition since the return of promotion and relegation in 2024 when they were downed 2-1 by Wallsend FC at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday afternoon.
Both Thornton and Wallsend entered the final round at risk of relegation as they sat eighth and ninth on the table.
For both sides to avoid relegation, they needed Singleton Strikers to beat South Cardiff FC as the two games were played side-by-side.
Wallsend’s leading goalscorer Bailey Ryan opened the scoring for the afternoon in the 34th minute after he sliced the ball into the bottom left corner.
The Red Devils entered half-time leading 1-0 but Thornton would equalise six minutes into the second half.
Zac Skippen launched the ball into the box where Wallsend goalkeeper Lachlan Watson got a hand on it but Sam Rossi got to the scraps first and slotted the ball into the back of the net.
The two sides were locked up 1-1 for the remainder of the match and it appeared Wallsend would be relegated to Zone League One after South Cardiff scored in the match next to them.
But the Red Devils Jacob Hall stepped up for his side and netted the winning goal in the dying moments of the match.
One minute into injury time, Hall found the end of a Piaget Abayo ball from halfway as he charged into the box and sliced the ball into the top right corner.
Hall’s effort not only secured his side the 2-1 victory but helped them escape relegation.
While Wallsend were celebrating the win, Thornton were handed the news that they would be relegated from the competition and competing in Zone League One in 2026.
Thornton just missed out on avoiding relegation as they had the worst goal difference of the two sides at the bottom of the table.
Wallsend ended their campaign sixth on the table, one win outside competing in the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Finals series.
West Wallsend SFC 4-1 Dudley Redhead United
West Wallsend SFC locked in their place in the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Finals series when they beat Dudley Redhead United 4-1 at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday afternoon.
The two sides entered the weekend vying for a spot in the finals series as they sat fourth and fifth on the table.
Regaining form at the back end of the season, the Bluebells opened the scoring in the 25th minute.
Dain Greentree sliced the ball into the box, finding James Lowe side-by-side with Dudley defenders and half-volleyed the ball into the bottom right corner.
West Wallsend doubled their lead after Matt Swan brought Greentree down in the box in the 31st minute. Josh Carroll stepped up to the penalty spot and calmly converted the goal.
The Thistles lessened the Bluebells' advantage three minutes later after Jack Young beat three Bluebell defenders and slotted the ball through the legs of Bailey Jensen into the back of the net.
The Bluebells went into half-time leading 2-1 but were determined to lock in a spot in the top four.
West Wallsend’s Kaleb Cox extended the score to 3-1 in the 62nd minute after he unleashed a goal of the season contender from just in front of halfway into the top right corner of the goal.
Greentree put the nail in the coffin in the 78th minute when he launched the ball from the top left of the box into the top right corner.
The Bluebells held onto the 4-1 win and ended the regular season sat third on the table.
They will now host Toronto Awaba at Johnston Park on Sunday afternoon in the first leg of the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Finals series.
Dudley ended their campaign fifth on the table, one win outside competing in the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Finals series.
Lake Macquarie City FC 2-2 Toronto Awaba
Lake Macquarie City FC worked their way back to secure a 2-2 draw with Toronto Awaba at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday afternoon.
Lakes' Callum Stalling opened the scoring just six minutes into the match after he found the scraps of a Cade Thomson deflected shot and tapped the ball into the top right corner.
The score would remain 1-0 as the sides went into half-time but Toronto were determined to end the regular season on a positive note.
Sam Maxwell brought the Stags equal when he received the ball off Nick Roberts just inside the box and narrowly slotted the ball underneath Lakes goalkeeper Cobe Preston in the 52nd minute.
Toronto gained the lead for the first time in the 55th minute after Jarrod Purcell found himself unmarked in front of the goal and tapped the ball into the back of the net.
The Stags looked to walk away with a 2-1 victory but Elijah Nesbitt-Scott equalised for the Roosters in the 80th minute.
Stalling sliced onto the run of Nesbitt-Scott who tapped the ball into the bottom left corner.
The score would remain 2-2 when the final whistle blew and saw Lake Macquarie end their season ranked seventh.
Toronto will now travel to Johnston Park on Sunday afternoon to go head-to-head with West Wallsend SFC in the first leg of the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Finals series.
