Spirit fight but fall to Blacktown

NWS SPIRIT FC started the brighter of the two sides but narrowly lost to Blacktown City in a tight tussle at Landen Stadium on Sunday. The Spirit nearly struck inside the opening five minutes when Kosta Petratos fired just over the bar following a second phase from a corner. It was an early warning shot that set the tone for a highly contested encounter. From there, the match settled into an even battle, with both sides working hard to gain the upper hand. Clear-cut chances were few and far between, with defences on top and neither side willing to give an inch. But in the 37th minute, the game exploded into life. From a free kick just outside the box, the Blacktown winger unleashed a thunderous strike that rocketed into the top-right corner, leaving Christopher Marques with no chance. It was a goal worthy of winning any match—and it ultimately did. Buoyed by the breakthrough, Blacktown carried that momentum into the second half, starting strongly and keeping NWS Spirit at bay while continuing to threaten going forward. In the 65th minute, the hosts came agonisingly close to doubling their lead but couldn’t quite capitalise on the opportunity. Moments later, Blacktown were knocking on the door again with a header that drifted just wide – another chance gone begging. As the match wore on, NWS Spirit began to lift, pushing forward in search of an equaliser and testing Blacktown’s resolve. In the 88th minute, Benjamin Duroux came close with a long-range effort that sailed just over the top corner. Then, deep into stoppage time, the young forward threatened again, firing narrowly wide as the visitors built late momentum. But time wasn’t on their side. Blacktown City held firm under pressure, defending resolutely in the dying moments to secure their first home win of the campaign—and a vital three points that could prove pivotal moving forward. The Spirit next take on Manly UTD on Saturday, May 2, at Christie Park from 5.30pm. For more info: spiritfootballclub.com CHECK OUT THE LATEST EDITION OF THE WEEKLY TIMES BY CLICKING BELOW! window.df_option_74255 = {"source":"https:\/\/www.weeklytimes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TWT290426.pdf","outline":[],"overwritePDFOutline":false,"pageSize":"0","slug":"the-weekly-times-29th-april-2026","wpOptions":"true","id":74255}; if(window.DFLIP && window.DFLIP.parseBooks){window.DFLIP.parseBooks();} The post Spirit fight but fall to Blacktown appeared first on THE WEEKLY TIMES.