Match of the Round
Adamstown Rosebud JFC v Lake Macquarie City FC
Adamstown Oval, Sunday 4pm
Adamstown Rosebud JFC head coach Martin Slade says his side must replicate the effort and intensity from round 15 when they go head-to-head with Lake Macquarie City FC at Adamstown Oval on Sunday afternoon.
The Buds enter on the back of a monumental 3-0 victory over Broadmeadow Magic, marking their first match all season where they opened the scoring and kept a clean sheet.
It was just their third win of the season, but it lifted them from last to fourth on the table, and Slade is now looking for his side to cement that position.
“Everybody's in good spirits. We’re looking forward to playing this weekend and hopefully going back-to-back to move closer to cementing our spot in the finals,” Slade said.
“We know that we can score, which is good, and when we go behind, we come back to one.
“We just have to match the effort and the intensity that we put in against [Broadmeadow] Magic and make sure it's not just a one-off thing.
“We need to turn up at Adamstown Oval on Sunday and give the best version of ourselves again.”
Adamstown's biggest loss of the season was a 4-0 defeat to Maitland FC in round 14, but Slade is confident his side remains competitive in most matches.
“We've been competitive in most of the games that we've played this year,” Slade said.
“Obviously, apart from the 4-0 loss to Maitland, I think that we've been ultra-competitive. We've been in a lot of games, and it just gives the team belief, knowing that if they go behind, they can come back and vice versa.”
Across their season, Adamstown have suffered two 2-1 defeats to Lake Macquarie, and Slade is hopeful their growth over the campaign can finally translate into three points on Sunday.
“Every season is a journey. You either start off well and continue on that journey to where you want to be, or you start off and try to finish better than where you were,” Slade said.
“It’s just putting one foot in front of the other and continuing the good processes that we want to do.
“Continuing to put on display the football that I want to see, and hopefully it's good enough to secure three points on the weekend.”
Lake Macquarie City also enter the contest on the back of an important 2-1 win over Newcastle Olympic, a result that helped further cement their position inside the top three on the table.
The side had to do it without head coach Gabrielle Blanch and will be without her again as she serves the second and final match of her suspension.
But as the race for finals football tightens, Lake Macquarie City assistant coach Mick Hugo stressed the side’s focus remains on the performance rather than the table and who is there.
“It’s a significant match given where both teams sit on the table. Every point is crucial at this stage of the season,” Hugo said.
“We approach every fixture the same way by focusing on our performance rather than the table. If we execute our game plan and maintain our standards, we’ll give ourselves every chance of success.”
Lake Macquarie have already beaten Adamstown 2-1 on both previous occasions this season, but Hugo expects another tough contest as the Buds continue their push up the table.
“We expect another tough contest. Adamstown is a quality side, and they’ll be motivated to turn those previous results around,” Hugo said.
“For us, it’s important that we remain disciplined, defend well as a team, and take our chances when they come. We’ll need to stay switched on for the full 90 minutes and match their intensity from the opening whistle.”
A win this weekend would further consolidate Lake Macquarie’s position in third, with Hugo outlining what a strong performance looks like heading into the run home.
“A successful performance would be one where we stick to our principles, work hard for each other, and play with confidence and composure,” Hugo said.
“If we do those things, the result will often take care of itself.”
New Lambton FC v Maitland FC
Alder Park, Saturday 4.30pm
Maitland FC coach Ben Horgan believes fierce competition for places and the strength of his squad will be crucial as his side enters the business end of the season when they travel to Alder Park to take on New Lambton FC on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies are the only side yet to lose a game this season and have sat atop the table since round four, a position they have held for more than three months.
Horgan attributes his side's strong results to the internal competition for starting spots and a collective desire to improve.
“I think just having a strong squad that is always competing in training for places in the team gives us a range of different options and ways to attack. But also, no one takes their spot in the team for granted,” Horgan said.
“Everyone's working hard, they're supportive of one another, but they're also competitive, and if you're a player that's on the bench, you want to be starting, if you're starting, you want to be playing as many minutes as you can.
“So, I think it's that competition for spots and players realising that if we're going to win anything this season, it's going to come from having a strong squad and not just relying on one or two individuals.”
Part of Maitland's unbeaten campaign has included emphatic 7-1 and 8-0 victories over New Lambton, but Horgan does not believe those results will have any bearing on Saturday's match.
“I don't think those previous results have any bearing really on this game. That's a long time in the past and they're on a good run,” Horgan said.
“They'll be confident, they're scoring goals and winning games consistently. So, they'll go into the match confident and we've got to make sure that we're sharp from the kick-off.
“We need to make sure that we don't allow any easy chances, don't allow them to get a foothold in the game and that we settle into our football pretty quickly to try and be on the front foot right from the start of the game.”
New Lambton enter the match on a five-game unbeaten streak, scoring 19 goals and conceding six during that period.
The Golden Eagles sit second on the table and could draw level with Maitland on points with a victory this weekend, further raising the stakes of the contest.
Their recent form has seen them emerge as one of the competition's most in-form sides, with a strengthened defensive structure complementing their attacking threat.
But they face arguably the toughest challenge in the league against a Maitland side that boasts the competition's best defensive record.
With the premiership race tightening and both teams carrying strong momentum, Saturday's clash shapes as one of the most significant fixtures of the season to date.
Newcastle Olympic v Charlestown Azzurri
Darling Street Oval, Sunday 2pm
Newcastle Olympic will be eager to snap a five-game losing streak when they welcome Charlestown Azzurri to Darling Street Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Olympic's last victory came 62 days ago on 24 April, a commanding 3-0 win over Charlestown built on a dominant first-half performance. Since then, they have conceded 22 goals while scoring just four as they slipped to the bottom of the table.
Coach Jacob Jones will be determined for his side to replicate that display as they look to keep their finals hopes alive and climb away from the foot of the table.
There were positive signs in round 15 despite a 2-1 defeat to Lake Macquarie City FC. Olympic responded immediately after half-time to level the scores and pushed Lakes all the way before eventually conceding the winner.
Jones will now be looking for his side to bring that same resilience and intensity back to their home ground and secure three valuable points.
Charlestown also remain in the hunt for finals football. While they sit sixth on the table, level on points with Olympic, their season has shown encouraging signs of improvement in recent weeks.
Azzurri have collected five points from their last five matches through one win and two draws, matching the total they earned across their opening nine rounds.
But they face a challenge between the posts, with starting goalkeeper Danielle Bartels serving a two-match suspension. Backup goalkeeper Paige Hollier has not featured on the team list since round 10, adding further intrigue to Sunday's contest.
Charlestown enter the match following a 3-0 defeat to New Lambton FC, where coach Alicia Ferguson felt her side spent too much time reacting rather than anticipating play. Ferguson will be hoping her team has regrouped and is ready to make a strong start from the opening whistle.
Bye - Broadmeadow Magic