Preliminary Final
New Lambton FC v Broadmeadow Magic
Alder Park, Saturday 4.30pm
Broadmeadow Magic coach Jason Konjarski says his side has “nothing to lose” when they travel to Alder Park on Saturday afternoon to face New Lambton FC with a place in the 2026 grand final on the line.
Broadmeadow secured their spot in the preliminary final under dramatic circumstances, with an equaliser seven minutes into stoppage time sending the match to extra time and penalties, where Magic prevailed 1(5)-1(4).
It is not the first time Magic have secured their place in the finals in dramatic fashion, having clinched their spot in the 2026 finals series on the final day of the regular season with a 1-0 victory over Charlestown Azzurri.
Now, Konjarski believes confidence is at an all-time high as Magic look to continue their unlikely finals run.
“Confidence is at an all-time high. We're on a bit of a roll, we've just been getting on with our football. Everything's sort of flowing just as you'd want it to,” Konjarski said.
“It's great because we know that there's just no expectation on us. We should have lost the other night. That goal that Wimberley [Wright] scored was pretty much the last kick of the game. They led the whole game from the second minute and I'd love to say we definitely deserved the win, but luck was definitely in our favour the other night.
“So, if we can keep going with that momentum, anything's possible.
“We're just here to ruin people's parties at the moment and sort of disrupt everything.
“If you look at the table and you ask any football person, they'll probably say, ‘New Lambton and Maitland should be that grand final’, but we just need to disrupt all that.
“Knocking off Lakes already, that's tick one. Now, can we get to the big dance?”
Magic have strengthened defensively throughout the season, although that improvement has come at the expense of some of their attacking output.
They have also been unable to defeat New Lambton this season, going down 5-1, 3-2 and 3-1 across their three meetings.
Konjarski knows his side will need to shut down the entire New Lambton team rather than focusing on individual players.
“In games and in moments, we just never really put it together 100 per cent. I think it's now just about taking our chances, limiting them when we've gone forward and limiting them from getting the ball into their dangerous players,” Konjarski said.
“And when I say dangerous players, I think every single one of them is dangerous, which is the scary thing. Their whole midfield is capable of throwing a goal. Their whole team's capable of scoring and set pieces, they're dangerous.
“So limiting their ability to go forward will be the key for us and probably maintaining a bit more possession than what we have been.”
For New Lambton, Saturday presents an opportunity to respond after their hopes of automatic grand final qualification were ended by a 5-1 loss to Maitland FC in the major semi-final.
Four of Maitland's five goals came from outside the box and Konjarski is willing to see Magic attempt to replicate that approach.
“You have to utilise and do what you can to win. So, getting shots off from afar is definitely something that we'll want to be doing,” Konjarski said.
“We'd want to test them early on and see if we can get the upper hand.”
While Konjarski is looking to exploit New Lambton from distance, Golden Eagles coach Craig Atkins is determined for his side to rectify the issues that saw their hopes of automatic grand final qualification slip away.
“Last week wasn't our greatest performance and the girls are well aware of that. Maitland were very clinical and very sharp, so we'll reflect on a few areas from that game,” Atkins said.
“Magic this week will be another challenge and we've got to get the job done to get the grand final.
“In the lead-up to the goals there wasn't enough pressure on the ball and I think there was a communication breakdown at one point between a couple of players.
“So, just those areas, which we've been so good at leading up to that game, but I think they're easy to rectify and the girls know what's needed.
“I'm sure they'll sort that out for this weekend.”
Despite having won all three regular-season meetings and holding home-ground advantage, Atkins remains wary of a high-flying Magic side and knows New Lambton will need to be switched on from the first whistle.
“They know that we've beaten them those other times, but it's finals football and they're on a high,” Atkins said.
“The late equaliser and then winning in the penalty shootout, they're going to be buzzing come Saturday afternoon. We've got to make sure we're on our game.
“Having a home-ground final is always an advantage. We know the ground very well, but with finals anything can happen.
“We've got to make sure we train well, prepare well, fix those few things from last week and make sure that from that first whistle on Saturday, we stick to our plan and we get the job done.”