Match of the Round
Broadmeadow Magic 0-1 Maitland FC
Maitland FC coach Ben Horgan said he always felt confident his side would find the back of the net in their 1-0 win over Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park on Friday night, but admitted the breakthrough came later than he would have liked.
With Maitland looking to move one step closer to securing the premiership and Magic fighting to create a larger gap between fourth and fifth, an intriguing contest unfolded from start to finish.
The Magpies dominated possession throughout the match, but a combination of lacklustre finishing, wayward shots and a determined Magic backline saw them struggle to open the scoring as they have so often this season.
Maitland looked promising to break the deadlock in the 30th minute when Georgia Amess cut the ball back to Renee Pountney, who charged towards the edge of the penalty area, but her effort narrowly missed the goal.
Elodie Dagg continued to hunt for Maitland's opening goal in the 43rd minute when she launched a shot from outside the box, but Magic goalkeeper Malli Blanch denied her. Pountney pounced on the deflection but sent the ball over the crossbar to send the sides into half-time locked at 0-0.
The battle continued throughout the second half, with Magic's strong defensive performance continuing to frustrate Maitland.
The moment Maitland had been waiting for finally arrived a minute into stoppage time when Sophie Nenadovic launched a shot from outside the box towards goal, with Blanch making the initial save.
But the ball bounced towards Sophie Stapleford, who charged onto it and calmly tapped it into the bottom-right corner to secure a dramatic 1-0 victory for Maitland.
“I felt confident that we would score. I felt like we were in good areas. We had players getting into good positions,” Horgan said.
“We had chances in the first half that we didn't take, and we had chances early in the second half. But we just stayed on the front foot.
“So I felt confident it would come. It came later than I would have liked, but better late than never.”
Horgan admitted Broadmeadow's defensive approach made life difficult for the Magpies but was proud of the way his side stuck to their game plan.
“We made it hard, and they made it hard for us because obviously they defended very well and they had a plan, and they really stuck to it,” Horgan said.
“So we had to work super hard to get the goal. But I'm just pleased that we stuck at it and we stayed on the front foot and we kept attacking.
“We didn't really concede too many chances at the other end. The defence was rock solid. Stapes [Sophie Stapleford] came up big at the end.
“It's just good that they believe so much in what we're doing, and they have that confidence and belief now that even if we have to work for it, if it takes 90 minutes, it takes 90 minutes.
“They kept playing, and they kept playing the way we wanted to play throughout the whole game.
“So it was really, really good to get the result in the end because Magic made it really hard for us.”
Despite the defeat, Broadmeadow Magic coach Jason Konjarski believed it was his side's best performance of the season.
“That's one of their best performances all year. Even though it was a loss, the way that we matched them and held them out for that long, I can't fault that performance at all,” Konjarski said.
“That's a very good performance from everyone. Obviously, we took a few extras onto the bench. I'm pretty sure that was Charlotte van Epen's debut as well and she came on and looked like she belonged there.
“It was an all-around great effort; everyone did their job. So I was super proud of the performance.”
Konjarski highlighted the work rate of the entire squad, regardless of whether players started or came off the bench.
“It was honestly disheartening to hear someone from the crowd say after the game, ‘well done Maitland, you beat USA’. Our American players are a huge part of what we do at Magic, but they are just one part of this team,” Konjarski said.
“We have so many incredible local players who are building something here, and if they stay with Magic in the years to come, I genuinely believe they’ll be the ones lifting silverware together.
“Ava Lidden has battled through two knee surgeries and still keeps coming back to put that Magic shirt on. Anya Lowe has put her body on the line for us countless times this season and never shies away from a challenge.
“Then you have Ruby Cook, Emma McGovern, Malli Blanch, Cate Spranger, Niamh Nolan, to name a few, and even Charlotte van Epen, who made her first-grade debut on Friday night. Some of these girls are playing first-grade football for the first time this season, and they are doing an incredible job.”
The loss for Magic, combined with Adamstown Rosebud JFC's win over Newcastle Olympic, saw Broadmeadow slip to fifth on the table. They will continue to fight for the final finals spot when they take on Charlestown Azzurri in the final round.
Maitland will look to put the finishing touches on their season and secure the premiership in the final round when they travel to face Adamstown Rosebud JFC in round 21.
Newcastle Olympic 1-2 Adamstown Rosebud JFC
Adamstown Rosebud JFC moved one step closer to securing a place in the finals after defeating Newcastle Olympic 2-1 at Darling Street Oval on Sunday afternoon.
It was an end-to-end battle from the first whistle, with both sides having everything to play for.
Adamstown broke through first in the 27th minute when Ashleigh Vetter found the end of an Eleanor Hayes long ball and charged down the sideline.
Vetter cut the ball back to Tanya Jones, who charged into the penalty area after beating Olympic's Georgia Calculli before finding the back of the net to give the Buds the lead.
Newcastle Olympic's Eva Donnelly looked for an equaliser in the 43rd minute as she charged down the field side-by-side with Sophia Laurie before unleashing a shot towards goal, but Olivia Sneddon denied her to send the Buds into half-time with a 1-0 lead.
Olympic hit the ground running in the second half and quickly found the equaliser in the 48th minute when Jess Evans sent the ball into the penalty area, where Jemma House met it and sent her effort into the left side of the goal.
The sides continued to battle throughout the second half, and as Adamstown built pressure, Olympic held firm in the hope of picking up their first point since April.
But the Buds' pressure finally paid off in the 89th minute when Jones found the end of a Sneddon goal kick and launched the ball from around 30 yards out. Her effort flew over the goalkeeper, who had ventured off her line, and into the back of the net to restore Adamstown's lead.
The late goal was enough for Adamstown to secure a 2-1 victory and move into fourth place on the table.
The Buds will now aim to cement their position in their final two games of the season: a rescheduled round 17 clash against New Lambton FC and their round 21 meeting with league leaders Maitland FC.
Olympic will look to close out the season with one more win when they face New Lambton in the final round in a week's time.
New Lambton FC 4-0 Lake Macquarie City FC
New Lambton FC continued their return to league action in style with a dominant 4-0 win over Lake Macquarie City FC at Alder Park on Saturday night.
The Golden Eagles opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Zahna Franklin whipped a corner into the box. Tara Andrews rose to head the ball towards goal but was denied, with Sienna Fraser-Kelly reacting quickest to tap home the loose ball.
After trading shots, New Lambton doubled their lead in the 30th minute. Brianna Trappett charged down the park and sent the ball towards goal, only for Lakes’ goalkeeper Tallon Convery to deny her with a diving save. Fraser-Kelly was quickest to react to the deflection, tapping the ball into the bottom-left corner to claim her second goal of the night.
Trappett secured a goal of her own six minutes later when she beat Lakes defender Caitlin McMahon before launching the ball from outside the penalty area, over Convery and into the back of the net to send New Lambton into half-time with a 3-0 lead.
Lake Macquarie returned for the second half with renewed energy and continued to search for a way back into the contest, but wayward finishing and a strong New Lambton backline kept the hosts at bay.
New Lambton added a fourth in the 64th minute when Caitlin Pickett was brought down in the box by Lakes' Holly Vitnell as she looked to get on the end of an Andrews free kick.
Andrews stepped up to the spot and calmly converted the penalty to make it 4-0.
Pickett looked to extend the lead further in the 73rd minute when she sent the ball underneath Convery and into the back of the net, but the effort was ruled offside.
Lakes continued to search for a consolation goal, with Sunny Mitchell heading the ball into the penalty area in the 76th minute for Kiera Bainsfair, who headed just over the crossbar.
Despite their best efforts, Lake Macquarie were unable to reduce the deficit, with the score remaining 4-0 to New Lambton when the final whistle blew.
New Lambton now have two games remaining in the season, with a rescheduled round 17 clash against Adamstown Rosebud JFC to come before they face Newcastle Olympic in the final round.
Lake Macquarie City will serve the bye in the final round before returning on the last weekend of August for finals football.
Bye - Charlestown Azzurri