ANU FC and O’Connor Knights created the first gap at the top of the NPL2 table when the duo defeated fellow top four contenders in Queanbeyan City and White Eagles respectively on an integral Saturday in the race for promotion.

The defeat of White Eagles by the Knights, the O’Connor outfit winning the derby by two goals to nil on a difficult playing surface at Woden Park, left the Eagles nine points off top spot and seemingly out of the running for the coveted NPL1 place, the reward for the team finishing top of the pile at the end of the season. The Knights didn’t play particularly well but did enough and sealed victory via two set-pieces. The first came direct from a corner as Niko Kresic swung in a kick that was taken by the blustery wind directly into the back of the net while the points were secured with twenty minutes to play as Patrick O’Rourke confidently slotted home from the penalty spot.

ANU FC were forced to switch their home match with Queanbeyan to AIS Synthetic due to inclement weather shutting ANU South Oval and they thrived coming out on top by three goals to one and opening up a four-point lead over City who remained third. Rowan Peterkin gave the home side the lead inside the opening two minutes before Michael Adams drew City level in the second half. Sam Carters 11^th of the season put ANU ahead again and Isaac Ellis sealed the win in stoppage time.

In the battle of the Riverina, both Yoogali SC and Wagga City Wanderers ended the match with ten men, Danny Roche of Yoogali sent off in the first half and Matthew Moffat of Wanderers following later on. Roche had a particularly busy opening stanza, scoring twice to hit double figures for the year, before receiving his marching orders. Yoogali led 3-1 at the interval Nashwan Sulaiman netting for the visitors, but they were outplayed after the break, Mason Donadel netted a brace, whilst Joe Preece And Will Piva rounded off the scoring for the hosts. Jacob Ochieng struck the second Wagga goal.

The other match in NPL2 ended in an abandonment as Brindabella Blues led Weston-Molonglo FC 1-0 at the interval through a Zac Lawrence goal only for the officials to deem poor light and an unplayable surface, to call a halt to proceedings early.

NPL2: ROUND 10

White Eagles 0 O’Connor Knights 2 (Kresic 39’, O’Rourke 69’ (p))

ANU FC 3 (Peterkin 2’, Carters 72’, Ellis 90’) Queanbeyan City 1 (Adams 53’)

Brindabella Blues 1 (Lawrence) Weston-Molonglo FC 0 – match abandoned after 45’

Yoogali SC 6 (Roche (2), M. Donadel (2), Preece, Piva) Wagga City Wanderers 2 (Ochieng, Sulaiman)