Match of the Round
Charlestown Azzurri v Broadmeadow Magic
Lisle Carr Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
Charlestown Azzurri coach James Pascoe wants his side to be brave when they host Broadmeadow Magic on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues have had a dip in form in recent weeks and will come into Sunday’s match at Lisle Carr Oval off the back of three consecutive defeats.
The run of losses has seen them drop to fourth on the table with 15 points and are one of two sides that have played all eight of their fixtures.
Azzurri trails Magic’s men who are second by three points and will hope to go level with them after this weekend.
Pascoe was confident his side could bounce back after a tough two weeks and challenged them to lift to the occasion against another top side in the competition.
“It’s a case of being brave, it’s making sure that your desire to win is greater than the fear of losing,” Pascoe said.
“This period has been a good challenge for the boys, but we remain positive.
“We know that we will be up against a really good side this weekend and we are looking forward to it. We know we are in for a good challenge again.
Despite the recent results, Pascoe said that he has taken a lot of positives out of the performances.
“Ahead of the Jaffas game, we spoke about what a boost it would give to our confidence to get something out of the game and to not lose it. It didn’t turn out that way on the day but every time you play a top side you can take something from it. It’s like credit in the bank,” Pascoe said.
“We don’t panic with things don’t go for you and then we tidy up even more to push on again.”
Azzurri will most likely be without their top goal-scorer this weekend Rene Ferguson as he continues to recover from eye surgery. Also, they are set to be without Cameron Joyce (ankle), Ty Cousins (hamstring) and Jack Gallagher (back).
Broadmeadow will come into this weekend’s contest off the back of their first loss of the season to league leaders Lambton Jaffas (4-3).
Magic sits second on the table with 18 points but their round eight fixture was washed out, which gives them a game in hand to make up lost ground in the title race.
Coach Jim Cresnar was still pleased with the performance from his side against the Jaffas and said that the learnings will help them in the long run.
“Overall, I am very proud of the performance of the players. It was disappointing that we didn't get better outcomes but there were certain parts of the game that I thought were very good,” Cresnar said.
“I think the main thing was the opportunity to learn from key aspects of the game and I think the players will be better for it as a whole.
Magic’s star midfielder Bailey Wells has been out of action for the side after he was called up to train with A-League club Brisbane Roar.
Cresnar was unable to comment if Wells would return this weekend but confirmed that Ben Diamond would be ruled out of the fixture with injury.
Magic’s coach was confident that his squad could still get the job done, no matter who was on the pitch.
“Bailey is an exceptional player and has deserved this opportunity,” Cresnar said.
“The aim is to balance the team out now with opportunities for other players to step into the role and showcase their talent.
“Overall, I think that we just need to make sure that we are back to our game.
“Three points would get us back on track and be a good confidence booster for the team.”
Adamstown Rosebud FC v Weston Workers FC
Adamstown Oval, Thursday 2:30pm
Adamstown Rosebud FC coach Daniel Dawkins is hopeful that his side can put in a full 90-minute performance when they host Weston Workers FC in the club’s annual ANZAC Day match on Thursday.
Rosebuds sit at the bottom of the table with two points and have not won a match so far in their 2024 competition campaign after two draws and four losses.
But the side has two matches in hand and a win at Adamstown Oval this week could see them move up as high as ninth if other results go their way.
Dawkins admits that his new-look squad has taken time to gel and their biggest letdown so far this season has been not being able to complete performances.
“I was very impressed for the first 45 minutes of a couple of our games,” Dawkins said.
“We have had a talk with the players and they agree that we have let a few games go.
‘We haven't been able to last the full 90 minutes.
“The season hasn’t been ideal in terms of results, but we have had a lot of different players come in and we are playing a different playing style and philosophy.
“It takes a while for things to click.”
But Dawkins has confidence in his side and believes once things come together, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
“It will be dangerous once it all clicks,” Dawkins said.
“We just need to keep working and believe in the process.
“We are not hitting panic stations. We are just focusing on the job at hand and taking tings week by week, training by training, match by match.
“When we are on the ball, I think we are playing some really brilliant football and getting into dangerous areas but getting that killer instinct is important. We also need to do the work off the ball, as it is important for ys to get into good positions and set up our structure in the right way.
“We have given teams too much breathing space at times. That’s an area that we are trying to work on and make sure that the desire and the want mentally is there to put teams to the sword.”
In a big boost for Adamstown, defender Kye Fauchon will return on Thursday after he has been sidelined since round two with injury.
Weston has also had their challenges this season and will enter Thursday’s match off back-to-back losses against Valentine (2-0) and New Lambton (2-1).
The Bears have slipped to eighth on the table with seven points but have the opportunity to move up the table as high as sixth if other results go in their favour.
Coach Kew Jaliens will be desperate for his side to turn their momentum around and secure all three points against a hungry, young Rosebud outfit.
Lambton Jaffas v Valentine FC
Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
League leaders Lambton Jaffas will look to continue their dream run when they host Valentine FC on Saturday afternoon.
Jaffas has remained undefeated this season and will return home to Arthur Edden Oval after two strong defeats against Broadmeadow Magic (4-3) and Charlestown Azzurri (2-1) which has moved the side three points clear at the top of the table with a match in hand.
David Tanchevski was hopeful that he would see the return of multiple players which include Shaun Pratt and Sam Webb this weekend who have been sidelined for extended periods of time due to injury. Matt Cahill is also set to make his debut for the club after he missed the first eight rounds due to injury.
The Phoenix bounced back from a dip in results to secure a crucial 2-0 win over Weston to move them back up the table into third position with 16 points.
Valentine will be vying to end the Jaffas' unbeaten streak and secure all three points which could see them leapfrog Magic into second place if results go their way.
But it will be a tough challenge for the Phoenix to break open Jaffas’ strong defensive unit and keep the likes of Kale Bradbery from hitting the back of the net.
Lake Macquarie City FC v Edgeworth FC
Macquarie Field, Saturday 4pm
Edgeworth FC will look to make it three from three when they travel to Macquarie Field to face Lake Macquarie City FC on Saturday night.
The two sides’ round eight fixtures were rescheduled due to wet weather and will
The Eagles have turned their season around after a rocky start and secured back-to-back wins against Valentine FC and New Lambton FC to launch their way to seventh on the table with eight points.
Peter McGuinness will hope that his side can continue their momentum as three points could see the Eagles fly up as high as fifth on the table if Maitland and Olympic are unable to secure a win.
Lakes has struggled to pick up points this season after one win and five losses. They are 11th on the table with three points but have two matches in hand.
Adam Hughes’ young side have been competitive in all their matches and will be eager to see their hard work pay off with a win at home on Saturday. But they will have to be prepared for a tough fight against an in-form Edgeworth side.
Three points could see Lakes move as high up the table as ninth if other results go their way, which will be an extra motivator to get the job done this weekend.
Maitland FC v Cooks Hill United
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 4:30pm
Maitland FC and Cooks Hill United will be desperate to continue their winning form when they go head-to-head at Cooks Square Park.
The two sides will come into Saturday’s match off the back of a draw and a win but missed their round eight fixtures due to wet weather.
Cooks Hill’s recent run of success saw them jump off the bottom of the table and into ninth on the table with four points.
Chris Zoricich was pleased for his side to secure their first win against Adamstown and hoped that they could return home with all three points again this weekend.
Cooks Hill striker Cody Nancarrow continues to lead the golden boot race with seven goals scored in six matches. Nancarrow and his side will hope that he can net a few past the Magpies as their opponents have their own threats in attack Braedyn Crowley and Regan Lundy.
The Magpies have flown into form and up the table as they sit fifth with ten points after four matches undefeated.
Mick Bolch’s side is five points away from Charlestown Azzurri in fourth but are on equal points with Newcastle Olympic, which will add an extra motivation to secure three points at home.
Newcastle Olympic v New Lambton FC
Darling Street Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
Two teams will look to build momentum when Newcastle Olympic host New Lambton FC at Darling Street Oval on Sunday afternoon.
New Lambton secured their first win of the season last weekend after a 2-1 victory against Weston and will hope to continue their success again against a strong Olympic outfit.
The win saw the Golden Eagles fly up off the bottom of the table and into tenth position, six points behind the top six sides.
Coach Shane Pryce was pleased with the whole team effort and the overall improvement from his side against the Bears and hoped that they could take the confidence from the win to put on another strong performance on Sunday afternoon.
Olympic’s round eight fixture against Valentine was postponed due to wet weather which will allow the side to be fresh ahead of a tough battle against New Lambton.
Paul De Vitis and Neil Owen’s side will come into the match off the back of a 3-1 win against Charlestown Azzurri that broke their three-game losing streak.
Olympic sits sixth on the table with ten points and will be desperate not to close the gap between them and their opponents on the weekend.