Ten Years In The Making: We Finally End Our APIA Hoodoo In An NPL Classic

We beat APIA Leichhardt 3-2 at Seymour Shaw Park on Saturday night, and it's fair to say we've been waiting a decade for this one. Our first win over APIA in over ten years, snapping a run of seven straight losses in the fixture, and it came in a game that had absolutely everything.

The game started at lightening pace, and stayed that way until it ended. APIA thought they'd got the opening goal from a corner in the 7th minute but it was disallowed for a handball in the build up, and from there both sides had a real crack. Presley Ortiz and Jack Stewart combined for a dangerous break that just didn't quite come off for APIA, while at our end Bonilla fired one wide from a decent spot. Takumi Ofuka should've had one too, nicking the ball off an APIA defender and going through one on one, but Oliver Kalac did well to deny him.

We kept knocking though, and it paid off right on the stroke of half time. Yianni Nicolaou scored moments before half time, driving into the box and finishing off a lovely ball played through the APIA defence by Tariq Maia, to send us in 1-0.

APIA hit back almost immediately after the restart though, with Presley Ortiz finishing a flicked on corner in the 51st minute to level things up.

Then Diego produced something special. In the 60th minute he picked up a loose pass and slammed home a stunning weak-footed effort from distance into the top corner, the kind of goal that'll be right up there in the running for goal of the season. Seymour Shaw erupted.

But APIA weren't done, Ortiz grabbing his second of the night to make it 2-2 and set up a proper grandstand finish.

We got the goal that mattered most with 10 minutes to go. Oliver Kalac made a save on the line but couldn't hold onto the rebound, and Thijs van Amerongen was quickest to react, smashing it home to make it 3-2. APIA threw everything at us in the last stages, Levi Sciuriaga going close in stoppage time, but we held on for a historic Sutherland win.

It was also Matthew Jurman’s debut, as he entered the battle in the 79th minute.

With 1,400 through the gates, the place went off for every single goal. Even better, fans stuck around long after the final whistle to grab autographs and photos.

This was three wins on the trot for us and it couldn't have come at a better time. We've climbed from 6th to 5th and now sit just a point behind Rockdale with eight games left in the season. It's shaping up as a proper dogfight for finals and the Australian Championship qualification spot, and every point from here counts.

Nicolaou was the standout on the night, but this was a proper team performance from back to front. No ill discipline either, just two good teams going at it in the right spirit. That's a great advertisement for our competition.

Result: Sutherland Sharks 3 – 2 APIA Leichhardt
Scorers: Y. Nicolaou 45', D. Bonilla 60', T. van Amerongen 80'
Venue: Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda, Saturday 4 July 2026

We're on the road to Manly United FC this weekend, then back home to take on Sydney Olympic at Seymour Shaw on July 18. Come on you Sharks. 🦈