O'Connor Knights moved two points clear at the top of the table with a 3-0 win in the derby over White Eagles at Woden Park whilst ANU FC were held to a 2-2 draw by Queanbeyan City at ANU South. With five matches remaining for the top two, including two matches to be played between the pair, the race for promotion to NPL1, while tipping in the favour of the Knights, remains very much alive.

O’Connor were, as you would expect, made to work extremely hard for their maximum haul, and had to rely on a remarkable spell of three goals in four minutes to break the back of Eagles who are fighting for a top four spot. A penalty, confidently converted by Patrick O’Rourke for his ninth goal of the season, finally broke the Eagles resolve, but it was the brace of goals from Niko Kresic, within sixty seconds of each other, that ultimately put the fixture to bed and ensured Knights would keep up the relentless pursuit of the crown.

ANU FC’s response to the Knights victory was to be frustrating as Adam Condipodero saw his side come from behind to earn a point in an entertaining clash with Queanbeyan City. The visitors from NSW led at the break and were causing problems for the University side with their experienced attacking group. Mark Walker and Michael Adams scored for City in the 2-2 draw but, not for the first time 2021, ANU FC relied on the goalscoring prowess of Sam Carters. The forward, bagged a brace in response, moving top of the Golden Boot race in NPL2 with fifteen strikes, but more importantly keeping ANU FC in touch.

The Eagles loss to the Knights wasn’t as damaging to their top four hopes as might have been as Wagga City Wanderers surprised Yoogali SC in the Riverina Derby, Dave Leonard’s team coming away with the three points with a 2-1 victory at Gissing Oval. A fifth of the season from Jacob Ochieng, and a ninth of the campaign from Luke Stevens, helped the Wanderers to a memorable success. Joe Preece netted for the visitors from Griffith who remained three points adrift of the Eagles in fifth.

After enjoying a pool session in midweek, ahead of their 0-3 loss to White Eagles in a catch up game, Ed McCarthy, Rohan Maxwell and Vanh Nguyen scoring for Paul Townsley’s Eagles, Weston-Molonglo FC bounced back with a thumping 5-1 away win over Brindabella Blues in the clash at Melrose Synthetic. Rory Evans gave the Magpies the lead only for a Zac Lawrence penalty to restore parity for the Blues at the break. Weston finished the stronger though, and after Loay Alsubhi and Abderrahim Dellahi struck within the space of five second half minutes, the points were virtually guaranteed. Andrew Sellers made if four with twelve minutes to play before Evans, with his second of the day, rounded off the victory.

NPL2: ROUND 17

Wagga City Wanderers 2 (Ochieng, Stevens) Yoogali SC 1 (Preece)

Brindabella Blues 1 (Lawrence 20 ‘ (p)) Weston-Molonglo FC 5 (Evans 14’, 83’, Alsubhi 55’, Dellahi 63’, Sellers78’)

White Eagles 0 O’Connor Knights 3 (O’Rourke 72’ (p), Kresic 75’, 76’)

ANU FC 2 (Carters (2)) Queanbeyan City 2 (Walker, Adams)