Sydney Olympic have snapped their eight-game losing streak in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, with Giorgos Louca striking a 91st-minute winner to seal a thrilling 2–1 victory over UNSW FC in Belmore on ANZAC Day.
Just when it looked like UNSW FC had rescued a point—thanks to Lachlan Campbell’s towering 87th-minute header—Olympic found one last surge. Yuto Fujita burst forward in stoppage time and laid it on a plate for Louca, who coolly rolled home the decisive goal to ignite celebrations and hand his side a priceless three points in their fight to avoid the drop.
From the outset, Ziggy Gordon set the tone with a defensive masterclass, seemingly determined to repel everything UNSW FC could muster. As early as the 4th minute, he intervened to clear Nathan Roberts’ dangerous pass near goal, before bravely putting his body on the line two minutes later to deny Sean Woods in an aerial challenge.
Gordon’s battle with Roberts continued in the 11th minute, where his composure under pressure allowed him to shield the ball back safely to goalkeeper Josip Orlovic.
Olympic began to grow into the contest midway through the half. In the 21st minute, Yuto Fujita’s long-range strike took a deflection off Tristan Prendergast and skimmed just over the crossbar. At the other end, UNSW FC continued to threaten, with Campbell unable to keep his powerful header down in the 35th minute.
Then, against the run of play, Olympic struck in the 40th minute. Marco Arambasic’s initial effort was brilliantly saved by Prendergast, but the rebound caused chaos in the box. Fujita reacted quickest, showing superb composure to bring the ball under control before firing home to give Olympic a 1–0 lead.
The drama didn’t stop there. Just before halftime, Tacettin Kumsuz was shown a straight red card for a trailing arm on Ben Giason, leaving UNSW FC with ten men. Gabe Knowles also went into the referee’s book during the incident.
UNSW FC refused to back down after the break. Woods nearly found the equaliser in the 53rd minute, only for Orlovic to produce a sharp save low to his right. Minutes later, Olympic had a chance to double their advantage, but Peter Grozos’ free kick was kept out by Prendergast.
End-to-end action followed. Gordon once again stood tall to block Woods’ effort, while Arambasic and Jyden Harb both fired over the bar as chances came and went.
Harb came closest in the 80th minute, unleashing a fierce half-volley that forced a desperate diving save from Orlovic.
UNSW FC’s persistence finally paid off in the 87th minute, when Campbell rose above the defence to power a sensational header into the back of the net, levelling the match at 1–1 and seemingly salvaging a hard-earned point.
But Olympic had the final say.
Deep into stoppage time, Fujita embarked on a surging run through midfield before picking out Louca, who kept his composure to slot home the winner and complete a stunning smash-and-grab victory.
For Olympic, the result could prove season-defining, delivering a much-needed boost in confidence and momentum. For UNSW FC, it’s a heartbreaking defeat that will prompt serious reflection after letting the game slip in its dying moments.
