Match of the Round
Toronto Awaba FC 1-0 South Cardiff FC
Toronto Awaba FC’s acting head coach and director of football Ricki Metcalfe delivered a performance that would have made head coach Jarrad Hiles proud, guiding the Stags to a crucial 1-0 victory over South Cardiff FC at Lyall Peacock Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The result could be crucial for Toronto Awaba, who closed the gap to South Cardiff at the bottom of the table to just one point rather than facing a seven-point deficit had they lost.
It was a tight, cagey affair, with both sides defending well and limiting each other to few clear-cut chances throughout the contest.
The breakthrough came in the 11th minute when Aiden Webster put Toronto Awaba ahead, a goal that ultimately proved decisive over the remaining 80 minutes.
South Cardiff’s task became even more difficult deep into stoppage time when Zayne Morphew-Watson was shown a red card, although by that stage the result already appeared to be slipping away from them.
In the end, the Stags held firm to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory.
Metcalfe said the early goal set the tone for the rest of the match.
"I think the difference for us was getting a goal early on. It gave the boys a bit more confidence to keep going and set us up solid for the rest of the game," Metcalfe said.
"This is good for the boys. We got the three points and that's the most important part.”
Metcalfe also pointed to his side's discipline as the key difference from recent weeks.
"I felt like we didn't switch off as we have in a couple of other games, which has really cost us in the end," Metcalfe said.
"Putting in a performance where we didn't switch off for the full 90 minutes got us over the line."
South Cardiff would be disappointed with how they started the contest, with the early goal proving costly.
Gunners head coach Keelan Hamilton said his side's slow start put them on the back foot.
"We weren't happy with how we started the game," Hamilton said.
“We worked on a couple of things this week that we didn't execute in the first 25 minutes and we found ourselves behind partly because of that.
"In the second half we managed to gain more control but we huffed and puffed without creating any clear chances, unfortunately."
The result continues a familiar pattern for South Cardiff this season in that they were hard working but lacked a spark in the final third.
Hamilton acknowledged his side's effort but pointed to a lack of concentration at key moments as the difference between the two teams.
"I can't fault our effort. The boys tried really hard but our football IQ and quality just weren't where they needed to be today," Hamilton said.
"We're disappointed because we didn't get to the level we needed to give ourselves a real chance of winning."
The result was a missed opportunity for South Cardiff to build breathing room at the bottom of the table and they now find themselves well and truly back in the fight for survival.
The task for South Cardiff does not get easier with the Gunners to face a tough test against New Lambton FC at home on Saturday.
Toronto Awaba will look to use the win as a boost in confidence to gain another three points when they host Cessnock City Hornets on Saturday afternoon.
Singleton Strikers 0-4 West Wallsend SFC
West Wallsend SFC head coach Bailey Cox praised his side's start to the contest as the Bluebells secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Singleton Strikers at Howe Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Bluebells opened the scoring in the 27th minute through Jarrod Purcell, giving the visitors an early lead.
The Bluebells doubled their advantage in the 43rd minute when a ball was cut back inside and across for Spencer Clarke to tap home at the back post.
With West Wallsend already firmly on top, a potential comeback was made even more difficult for Singleton right on the stroke of half-time when Hayden Lambert was shown a straight red card for fouling his opponent as the last man.
West Wallsend made the man advantage count, with Kaleb Cox sliding the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 3-0 in the 55th minute.
Substitute Jake Bower then rounded out the scoring in the 89th minute to convincingly claim all three points.
Cox said the early goals set the tone for the rest of the contest.
"We knew from when we played them earlier in the season that they can score quickly, so I told the boys we needed to start fast and be right on top of them," Cox said.
"We built that platform with a good start and I think that was the best we've linked up through the middle of the park all season."
West Wallsend have lost just once since round three with only a handful of draws in that stretch.
Cox was now looking ahead to the upcoming fixture list as an opportunity for his side to push closer to the top four.
"We've got a few games coming up against the teams in front of us, so it’s a big opportunity to climb up the table", Cox said.
"If we can just keep ticking off those games and build some momentum, we'll see where that takes us."
For Singleton the defeat continued a difficult stretch following last week's heavy 8-0 loss to New Lambton FC.
The Strikers have now failed to score in back-to-back matches.
They have also conceded 12 goals in that same period, a surprising dip for a side that has been known for their defensive organisation.
The result keeps Singleton in the bottom half of the table, just three points above relegation.
They will need to regain their form quickly to ease any relegation concerns.
Singleton's task gets no easier as they travel away to league leaders Wallsend FC next Sunday, with the Strikers looking for a much stronger performance.
As for West Wallsend, they will turn their attention to a quick three-day turnaround, preparing for Wednesday's rescheduled round ?? fixture against Lake Macquarie City FC.
New Lambton FC 1-4 Newcastle Croatia
Newcastle Croatia produced one of their best performances of the season to defeat New Lambton FC 4-1 at Alder Park on Saturday afternoon.
The result lifts Croatia above New Lambton into the top four, with the win being their fourth in their last five matches.
New Lambton started the game well, breaking the deadlock in the 14th minute when Max Brideson found the net.
Croatia responded quickly, levelling the contest in the 27th minute through John Majurovski before Beau McDonald put the visitors ahead a minute later in the 28th minute.
Nick Cowburn extended Croatia's lead in the 52nd minute from a free kick to make it 3-1, before Jake McGuinness rounded out the scoring four minutes from full-time.
Croatia's defensive performance was just as important as their attacking output, restricting one of the league's best attacking sides to a single goal across the 90 minutes.
It ranks as one of their most important results of the campaign so far.
For New Lambton, the result was a disappointing turnaround after their 8-0 win over Singleton Strikers in the last round.
Having led 1-0, the Eagles conceded four unanswered goals, an uncharacteristic collapse for a side that has built its season on defensive solidity.
It was just the second time this season New Lambton have conceded more than two goals in a match, with Newcastle Croatia responsible for both occasions.
The result plays into the hands of Wallsend FC at the top, with the Golden Eagles automatic promotion and title hopes taking a hit.
New Lambton now sit outside the top four in fifth, seven points behind leaders Wallsend and two points adrift of second place.
They will turn their attention to their round 13 away fixture against South Cardiff FC, aiming to get back to winning ways.
Newcastle Croatia will prepare for a crucial clash against West Wallsend SFC, where they have the opportunity to hold their place in the top four.
Lake Macquarie City FC 3-0 Cessnock City Hornets
Lake Macquarie City secured another clean sheet and showed why they contain one of the strongest attacks and defences in the league with a comfortable 3-0 win over Cessnock City Hornets at Macquarie Field on Saturday afternoon.
The result pushes Lake Macquarie up to second on the table.
The hosts started fast, breaking the deadlock in the 13th minute when Carter Smith found the net, extending his league-leading golden boot tally to 12 for the season.
Lake Macquarie struck again right on the stroke of half-time, with Sam Walker doubling the lead in the 45th minute to send the sides in at the break 2-0.
Going into the sheds only a goal down would have kept Cessnock right in the contest but the second goal right before the whistle turned the second half into a far steeper task.
Cessnock improved after the interval and began to find a foothold in the contest but Lake Macquarie's defence held firm and any hope of a comeback was extinguished in the 85th minute when substitute Josh Frazer Whitten completed the scoring to make it 3-0.
The defeat extended Cessnock City’s winless run to nine matches, with the Hornets suffering their fifth straight loss.
The slump has dragged the Hornets into the relegation battle, and with Toronto Awaba's win over South Cardiff this round, Cessnock now sit just two points clear of the bottom of the table.
They are currently the most out-of-form team in the competition and need answers quickly to avoid slipping further down the table.
They will now travel away again next round for a vital fixture against Toronto Awaba, where a win would move them five points clear of the bottom, but a defeat would see them slip into the bottom two.
Lake Macquarie City will prepare for a busy week, playing West Wallsend SFC in a mid-week catch-up fixture before hosting Dudley Redhead United on Sunday afternoon.
Dudley Redhead United 0-0 Wallsend FC
Dudley Redhead United and Wallsend FC played out a tight, cagey affair at Lydon Oval on Sunday afternoon, with the match ending goalless.
Neither side could find a clear breakthrough across the 90 minutes, with both defensive units hard to break down throughout.
Dudley defended well and will be pleased to take a point from the side league leaders.
The clean sheet extended Dudley's record as one of the league's best defensive teams and the result reaffirmed their reputation as one of the hardest sides in the competition to break down.
A point leaves Dudley in a strong position at this stage of the season, sitting third on the table.
Despite the point, Dudley have now won just once in their last five matches and they will need to start converting these competitive draws into victories if they want to hold their place inside the top four.
The result kept Wallsend five points clear of second place, leaving them in a favourable position at the top of the table.
While dropping points on the road was not the ideal outcome, the gap they have built at the top allows them to keep their spot at the top.
Wallsend will look to return to winning ways when they host Singleton in round 13.
As for Dudley, a win away to Lake Macquarie next weekend would consolidate their own top-four standing.