Match of the Round
New Lambton FC 1-5 Lake Macquarie City FC
Lake Macquarie City FC head coach Michael Body described the performance as one of the side’s best of the season, with the Roosters producing a dominant 5-1 victory over New Lambton FC at Alder Park on Saturday afternoon.
The result keeps Lake Macquarie at the top of the table with just three games remaining, strengthening their grip on automatic promotion to the NPL Men’s NNSW.
Campbell Ross set the tone inside the opening two minutes, catching the New Lambton goalkeeper by surprise with a well-taken finish to open the scoring.
Cade Thomson doubled the advantage in the 13th minute, before Marcus Field added a third in the 18th minute to put the result at 3-0 at the half-hour mark.
Thomson struck again in the 42nd minute to make it 4-0, and Lake Macquarie headed into the break in complete control, making it an impossible task for New Lambton to get back into the game.
New Lambton's afternoon was made harder in the 56th minute when Kobe Park was shown a straight red card when he fouled the Roosters attacker last man, reducing the Golden Eagles to 10 men.
Marcus Wolscher extended the lead to 5-0 in the 53rd minute before Max Brideson pulled one back for New Lambton in the 68th minute, though by that stage the contest was well and truly settled.
Body said the high-press his side adopted from the opening whistle was the key difference from their first meeting with New Lambton earlier in the season.
"That was our best performance of the season. We were on it from the start, scored early, and really pressed home our advantage," Body said.
"When we last played them we let them control the play with the ball, so we made a decision as a group to press really high from the start which worked perfectly on the day."
Looking ahead, Body was measured in his assessment of the remaining fixtures, wary of the challenges that lie ahead.
"It's just one game at a time. These next three games are banana skins, really, because we're playing teams who have a lot to fight for in the relegation race," Body said.
"We know they're going to come wanting to get points, so they're massive fixtures."
For New Lambton, head coach John Bennis admitted his side were played off the park in the first half, struggling to deal with Lake Macquarie's high press.
"The first goal was disappointing to concede. It was a good finish, but we didn't deal with it how we should have, and from there we went into our shell a little bit," Bennis said.
"They pressed high and aggressively, and we didn't really deal with that until we corrected a few things, but by then the momentum of the game had shifted."
Bennis said the half-time adjustments improved his side's showing after the break, though the red card further complicated an already difficult afternoon.
"We corrected a few things at half-time and started to get back into the game, but the send-off made it even harder," Bennis said.
Despite the heavy defeat, Bennis said he remains proud of what his young squad has achieved this season and urged them to take the learnings from the performance into the final rounds.
"We're a young group, still learning. As long as we take things out of games that we can be better at, that's what we have to do," Bennis said.
"They've given themselves the opportunity to have a game like that today, so we need to bounce back and see where that leaves us with three games to go."
The result all but ends New Lambton's automatic promotion hopes, though they remain in third place and will focus on securing their spot in the promotion play-off places.
New Lambton will turn their attention to their round 14 catch-up fixture, travelling away to face West Wallsend SFC.
For Lake Macquarie, they will host Singleton Strikers in their round 15 catch-up game, looking to extend their lead at the top.
Newcastle Croatia 5-2 Singleton Strikers
Newcastle Croatia delivered another high-scoring performance to defeat Singleton Strikers 5-2 at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday afternoon, further exemplifying why they are one of the competition's most dangerous attacking sides.
Singleton made a bright start, breaking the deadlock in the 12th minute through Jackson Skinner to give the visitors an early advantage.
Croatia responded quickly, with Beau McDonald drawing level in the 26th minute before Wesley Pryce put the hosts in front in the 31st minute.
Singleton refused to go quietly, with Jake Barner levelling the contest at 2-2 in the 38th minute, keeping the game seemingly alive heading into the break.
Pryce, however, struck again in the 43rd minute right on the stroke of half-time to give Croatia a 3-2 lead at the interval, a crucial blow that shifted the momentum firmly in the hosts' favour.
Croatia controlled the second half from there, with Luke Jovcevski extending the lead to 4-2 in the 52nd minute before Nick Cowburn rounded out the scoring in the 78th minute to seal the 5-2 victory.
The result keeps Croatia in the top four with just three games remaining, and underlines why they have been one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the competition all season.
For Singleton, the defeat is a difficult one to take, having conceded 21 goals across their last five matches in a run of defensive struggles that has undone much of the good work earlier in the season.
The result leaves them eighth on the table, with a top-four finish now mathematically out of reach, and their focus will shift to ensuring they avoid being drawn into a relegation battle in the final rounds.
Singleton will travel away to face Lake Macquarie City FC in their round 15 catch-up game on Saturday.
Newcastle Croatia will head to Lydon Oval for a massive round 15 catch-up fixture against Dudley Redhead United on Sunday.
West Wallsend SFC 0-2 Toronto Awaba FC
Toronto Awaba FC produced a memorable 2-0 victory over West Wallsend SFC at Johnston Park on Sunday afternoon, in a result that lifts them out of the relegation zone for one of the first times this season.
The contest was a tight, competitive affair in the opening stages, with both sides creating chances but defending well.
Toronto's task was made significantly harder in the 21st minute when Noah Fittler was shown a straight red card, leaving the Stags to navigate the remainder of the game with 10 men.
Despite the disadvantage, Toronto defended resolutely to keep West Wallsend at bay and head into the break level at 0-0, giving them renewed belief heading into the second half.
The complexion of the match changed entirely in the 62nd minute when Bailey Stoimenoff received his second yellow card of the game, reducing West Wallsend to 10 men and levelling the playing field.
Toronto capitalised almost immediately, with substitute Aiden Webster finding the net with one of his first touches after coming on in the 66th minute to give the Stags a 1-0 lead
West Wallsend pushed numbers forward in search of a response, but left themselves exposed at the back, and Zane Winslade punished them in the 86th minute to seal a memorable 2-0 victory.
The win is a massive result for Toronto, who move two points above South Cardiff FC despite the Gunners claiming a point against Dudley United Redhead also on the day.
Toronto are well aware, however, that South Cardiff hold a game in hand and will be equally desperate for points in the coming weeks, meaning the fight for survival is far from over.
For West Wallsend, the defeat effectively ends their promotion play-off hopes, leaving them six points behind the top four with just three games remaining.
It is a result that sums up their season, a campaign of inconsistency that has ultimately cost them a shot at the promotion/relegation play-off spots.
West Wallsend will host New Lambton FC in their round 14 catch-up game on Saturday, in a match they must win to keep any slim hopes of promotion alive.
As for Toronto, they will have next weekend off before preparing for their round 17 clash away to Singleton Strikers.
South Cardiff FC 0-0 Dudley Redhead United
South Cardiff FC and Dudley Redhead United played out a tight, cagey 0-0 draw at Ulinga Oval on Sunday afternoon, with neither side able to find the breakthrough across the 90 minutes.
South Cardiff defended well throughout and will take some satisfaction from holding a Dudley side that has been one of the more consistent outfits in the competition this season.
It does, however, extend a difficult run in front of goal for the Gunners, who have now failed to score in four consecutive matches, a streak that continues to undermine their fight for survival.
The point is made all the more difficult to accept following Toronto Awaba FC's win over West Wallsend SFC, a result that has sent South Cardiff to the bottom of the table for the first time this season.
They do, however, hold a game in hand over Toronto, which gives them an opportunity to climb back above them with a positive result.
With just two points separating them and Toronto, the fight for survival remains very much alive and open.
For Dudley, the draw is a frustrating result in a game they will have targeted as a must-win, leaving them fifth on the table and two points behind Newcastle Croatia and the top four.
Despite an impressive start to the season, Dudley have now gone five games without a win, a run that has seen them fall out of the promotion places at a critical stage of the campaign.
Dudley will host Newcastle Croatia in a crucial round 15 catch-up fixture, knowing a win would overtake them and re-enter the top four.
South Cardiff will look to quickly exit bottom place when they host Wallsend FC in their round 15 catch-up game on Sunday.
Wallsend FC 7-3 Cessnock City Hornets
Wallsend FC produced a stunning attacking display to defeat Cessnock City Hornets 7-3 at Ladbroke Gardens on Sunday afternoon, in a goal-filled contest that showcased exactly why the Red Devils have been one of the competition's top-scoring sides all season.
Wallsend came flying out of the blocks, with Bailey Newton striking twice in the 15th and 16th minutes before Cody Halpin added a third in the 18th minute to put the hosts in a convincing 3-0 lead inside just the opening 20 minutes.
Cessnock refused to fold, however, with Samuel Hudson pulling one back in the 37th minute to give the visitors a foothold in the contest.
Mitchell Brown then struck right on the stroke of half-time to make it 3-2, setting up what promised to be a fascinating second half.
Wallsend quickly re-established control after the break, with Halpin making it 4-2 in the 52nd minute before Newton completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute to extend the lead to 5-2.
When it seemed like Cessnock were out of the game, Brown responded almost immediately, reducing the deficit to 5-3 in the 68th minute to keep the contest alive.
Wallsend again had the last word, with Aiden Halpin making it 6-3 in the 69th minute to put the result beyond doubt.
The afternoon took another turn in the 83rd minute when Tyran Cousins was shown a second yellow card, reducing Wallsend to 10 men, though by that stage the game was well beyond reach for Cessnock.
Substitute Hamish Meldrum rounded out a remarkable scoreline in the 90th minute, completing a 7-3 victory that sees Wallsend level on points with Lake Macquarie City FC at the top of the table.
For Cessnock, the defeat is a reminder of the quality against the league's top sides, though their desire and attitude to get back into the contest throughout were evident.
The biggest disappointment for Cessnock will be their defensive display, conceding seven in a performance their backline will want to forget quickly.
The loss ends their three-game winning streak, and while they sit four points behind the top four, the teams around them hold a game in hand.
Their remarkable recent run of form, which has had them pushing for a top-four spot, has been tempered by this result, sitting in sixth place.
If they are to break into the top four, Cessnock will need to win their next fixture against Newcastle Croatia in round 17.
As for Wallsend, they will travel away to South Cardiff FC in their round 15 catch-up game on Sunday, looking to overtake Lake Macquarie for the automatic promotion spot.