We Make Sharks History With Our Win Over St George City FA
NPL NSW Men's | Round 29
We made history on Saturday afternoon, securing our first-ever place in the Australian Championship with a hard-fought 2-1 win over St George City in front of another bumper crowd at Seymour Shaw. The result locked in a top six finish and confirmed our spot in the NPL Men's NSW finals, capping off a remarkable turnaround after a tough start to the season.
Diego & Yianni celebrating the win
We started the faster of the two sides on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the Shire. Danny Choi almost bent a corner straight into the goal early on, only for St George City keeper Jack Kenny to turn it over the bar, and Jamie Percevski wriggled free inside the box before craning a header over. We made our pressure count in the 28th minute when a well-delivered cross was headed home by Yianni Nicolaou, and we doubled our advantage just before the break through mid-season signing Diego Bonilla, who swept home a slick team move in the 42nd minute.
We came out strong after the restart and nearly added a third when Ryley Hollingdale's backheel came back off the post. St George City rang the changes and pushed for a way back into it, with Spencer Webster's deflected effort going narrowly wide the closest they came for a long while. We kept searching for that third goal to settle things, with Richard Shoueiki teeing up Percevski, who headed over in the 78th minute. St George City eventually got one back in the 81st through substitute Paolo Mitry, and the closing stages were nervy as they threw everything at us, including a stoppage-time corner. Jordan Perez managed to bundle the ball clear and hold on for the three points.
Watching on from Smithy’s
The final whistle sparked huge celebrations at Seymour Shaw. This result confirms our place in the Australian Championship for the first time in club history and locks in 4th place, our highest finish since 2013, along with a home semi-final. It's also our fifth new attendance record of the season, with 1,945 through the gates on Saturday. A massive day for this club and everyone who backs us.
Perko enjoying that one
Coach David Perkovic reflected on the achievement post-match:
"It locks in the Australian Championship for us, which is massive considering how we started the season. It is a massive accomplishment. I am proud of every player who contributed to this season, but we're not done."
On the record crowd, Perkovic added:
"Our community backs us. It is a big moment for the club and the community, and I am glad they back us."
Result: St George City FA 1 – 2 Sutherland Sharks FCScorers: Nicolaou 28', Bonilla 42'Venue: Seymour Shaw, Saturday 22 August 2026
Focus now turns to our last home game of the regular season, against SD Raiders FC this Sunday 30th at 3pm. We want our biggest crowd yet at the Shire to send us into the finals in style. See you there 🦈