A 94th-minute winner sends SD Raiders back to the national stage. Heidelberg are there too

Guess who’s back, back again? SD Raiders are back in the Australia Cup Round of 32.

SD Raiders clinched qualification after a dramatic stoppage-time winner sealed a 2-1 victory over NPL NSW rivals Wollongong Wolves on Tuesday night.

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Jakov Malbasa became the hero in the 94th minute, firing home the decisive goal to send the Raiders through for the second successive year and make them the first Football NSW member federation club to qualify for the 2026 tournament.

It continues a remarkable rise for the ambitious NPL NSW outfit, who reached the national stage last season before suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat to A-League side Macarthur FC.

But despite securing qualification again, SD Raiders coach Goran Ljuboja was far from satisfied with the performance.

“Glad the boys won. They worked hard but we didn't play well,” Ljuboja said post-match. “Second gear, no urgency. We walked out thinking they were just going to give it to us.

“The worst thing that happened was us scoring so early, and everyone took the foot off the pedal.”

The blunt assessment underlined the standards being demanded internally at a club increasingly building expectations around itself.

While the performance may not have impressed Ljuboja, the outcome once again highlighted SD Raiders’ growing ability to deliver in big moments, and their growing presence within the national conversation.

Elsewhere, last year’s runners-up Heidelberg United also booked their place in the Australia Cup Round of 32 after defeating Bentleigh Greens in the Dockerty Cup quarter-finals thanks to stellar goals from Nico Duarte and Jay McGowan.

The NPL VIC champions advanced to the semi-finals and secured another appearance on the national stage as one of Australia’s most historic clubs continues to push for silverware on multiple fronts.