Sutherland Sharks — Wollongong Wolves: 2:1, New South Wales NPL

Sutherland Sharks and Wollongong Wolves met in the NPL New South Wales regular season on the first of August and the hosts took all three points. The Sharks opened the scoring in the thirtieth minute and held on for a two-one win despite a late surge from the visitors.

The Wolves made it difficult for themselves at the back end. They were pegged back in the seventy-second minute, but then pushed forward and managed to find the net in the eighty-first. The goal gave them hope, but the home side did not panic and kept their shape.

By then the result was already clear. The Sharks sat fourth with thirty points from thirty games, while the Wolves were down in eleventh on thirty-eight points. The home side had lost only twice in their last five outings, whereas the visitors had dropped points in four of their last five matches.

What the match showed was not a lot of football, but enough to decide it. The hosts took their moment and then held on grimly when the pressure came. The visitors kept knocking on the door but could not find the equaliser.