Grand Final
Maitland FC 1-2 New Lambton FC
New Lambton FC coach Craig Atkins wants to savour every moment after his side defeated Maitland FC 2-1 at Darling Street Oval on Saturday to claim the 2026 Cardiff Motor Group NPL Women’s NNSW grand final.
The opening half lived up to the billing between the top two teams of the 2026 season, with New Lambton rising to the occasion in the opening 30 minutes.
The Golden Eagles dominated possession early and looked likely to break the deadlock in the 15th minute when Cassidy Davis launched a free kick into the box for Lauren Allan.
Allan headed the ball towards goal but was collected by goalkeeper Annabella Thornton before any damage could be done.
As New Lambton controlled the ball in the final third, Maitland continued to search for a moment to break through.
That moment came in the 30th minute when Sophie Stapleford sent the ball into the path of a charging Renee Pountney, who raced into the penalty area.
Pountney’s first attempt was denied by New Lambton goalkeeper Janali Haynes but she was quickest to react and tapped the loose ball into the bottom right corner to give Maitland the lead.
New Lambton were not going to let their first-half dominance go to waste and found an equaliser in the 33rd minute. Allan chased down a loose ball near the sideline and launched it into the box over Thornton, with the ball hitting the bottom of the goalpost before bouncing back into the net.
Maitland looked to regain the lead in the 38th minute when Stapleford produced a huge run down the pitch, with Georgia Amess narrowly missing the ball in front of goal as the teams went into the sheds locked at 1-1.
New Lambton picked up where they left off after the break when Caitlin Pickett charged forward, rounded Thornton outside the penalty area but sent her attempt high over the crossbar in the 48th minute.
Another goal was on the cards for the Golden Eagles and it came in the 58th minute as Tara Andrews weaved her way around three Maitland players before sending the ball into the bottom right corner to give New Lambton the lead for the first time.
A fantastic double save by Thornton in the 64th minute saw her deny Andrews and Pickett in quick succession to keep her side within one goal.
Maitland continued to search for an equaliser as they built momentum and looked threatening in the 79th minute when Ceanna Frost found Elodie Dagg, who narrowly missed the target with her effort that struck the post.
Andrews looked for her second of the afternoon in the 88th minute, but an outstanding tackle by Willow Neal denied her.
As the match looked set to conclude, Dagg found the end of another Frost delivery in front of goal but sent her attempt high over the crossbar, allowing New Lambton to close out the match with a 2-1 victory.
The win was New Lambton’s first championship since 2019 and their first under the National Premier League title.
Andrews was awarded the Joey Peters Medal for the player of the match.
“I’m over the moon and so happy for the girls. I know the hard work they put in all year and reserve grade and first grade on the same day is outstanding,” Atkins said.
“Ressies finished last in 2025 and while we brought some girls in, we kept the core of the squad and to be where we are today, full credit to them.
“The attitude, work ethic and the coaching staff are a really tight-knit group. I just want to enjoy this moment and celebrate with the girls.”
Atkins was thrilled to see his side persevere against a determined Maitland outfit and highlighted the discipline they displayed.
“If you look at previous games where we lost to Maitland, they have scored first and we’ve sort of crumbled a little bit,” Atkins said.
“So, we really spoke about that in terms of discipline today and to equalise three minutes later, I thought early on we were dominating possession and just couldn’t get one in the back of the net.
“But full credit to Maitland, their quality, they go up and go bang but to get that one and be square at half-time was fantastic.
“I thought that last 45 we were a massive chance and what a legend Tara Andrews is. She just needs a moment and what a goal.”
Atkins last coached a side to the championship trophy in 2022 with Warners Bay FC, with many of the same players by his side again this year.
“The plan was always to come back together. We had a tight-knit group at Warners Bay and people went their separate ways but it was always in the back of the mind to come and work with them again,” Atkins said.
“And the first year, doing it like this, is just unbelievable. I’m stoked, it’s so good.”
Maitland fell just short of their fourth trophy of the 2026 season and while coach Ben Horgan admitted his side were not at their best, he could not fault the effort displayed on the pitch.
“I can’t fault the effort. We pushed and pushed but we didn’t get the equaliser. We weren’t at our very best today but everyone’s given everything they can throughout the season,” Horgan said.
“It got us this far and we just didn’t quite have enough quality in key moments today.
“I’m so proud of this group and what they’ve done this year, so I’m really disappointed for them that they couldn’t cap it off with what was to be our fourth goal of the season.
“But it doesn’t detract from the rest of what we’ve done.”
While Maitland did not get the result they wanted, Horgan was adamant his side will be stronger in 2027.
“It’s a great club. It’s a strong club,” Horgan said.
“We haven’t had a great day today with our two teams but the fact that we’ve got two teams here shows the depth and quality that we have.
“We’re fighters and we’ll learn from today’s experience. We’ll come back better and stronger for next year.”
In reserve grade, New Lambton FC defeated Maitland FC 1-0.